Greg's Corner

Updates from January, 2022 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 31, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 29 ), bitcoin atm ( 19 ), cryptocurrency ( 43 ), FTC ( 13 ), qr codes ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Are more scammers asking for Bitcoin? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned consumers they’ve seen a rise in scammers using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Traditionally, scammers usually lean toward trying to collect money from their victims through means like gift cards and money transfers. That’s because gift cards and money transfers are things that most people understand. Meanwhile, if you say cryptocurrency to most consumers, you’ll get a puzzled look. However, the FTC says that scammers have come up with a new and easy way to get victims to pay in cryptocurrency.

  According to the FTC, scammers are now getting their victims to scan QR Codes with their phones. Once a victim scams the QR Code with their phone, the victim just paid the scammer in cryptocurrency. Fortunately, there’s a process that needs to take place before scanning the code that should tip you off that you’re being scammed. The FTC warning states that the scammers will try to get you to go to a Bitcoin ATM, to scan the code. In other instances, the scammers will try to get you to move money out of your bank before getting you to scan the code.

  For example, a man from Athens, Georgia, was recently taken for $45,000 in a tech support scam. A computer pop-up told him his computer had been infected with a virus, and he needed to call Microsoft at a number listed on the pop-up. The scammers told him his computer and phone had been compromised, and he needed to move his money to a cryptocurrency account to protect it. After he moved his money, the scammers gave him a QR code to scan. Once the victim did that, his money was gone, having been transferred to the scammer.

  In most consumer cases, cryptocurrency should be treated just like gift cards. The vast majority of businesses and agencies do not ask for payment in Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. While cryptocurrency is not untraceable, it is extremely difficult to get back once it’s been sent from one crypto wallet to another. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are still only used in niche circles, despite what its more vocal proponents will tell you.

  So, if someone contacts you and asks for payment in Bitcoin, it’s more than likely a scam.

   

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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 28, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 42 ), Facebook ( 173 ), grants ( 14 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), social media ( 73 )   

  Grant money scam returns to social media 

  

  By Greg Collier

  When we say the government grant scam has returned to social media, it really never left. However, we’ve seen a number of reports about the scam this week. The way the scam typically works is you’ll receive a message on social media from a friend, telling you they received substantial grant money from the government, and you can too. In reality, your friend’s social media account has been hacked and is being used by scammers. In what’s known as the advance fee scam, the scammers will try to get you to pay fictitious taxes or a processing fee to get the phony grant. This can end up costing a victim of this scam thousands of dollars.

  For example, a woman in Nebraska recently fell victim to this scam. She had received a message from a relative on Facebook. The message said she could receive $100,000 in grant money. She thought the grant was some form of pandemic financial assistance. She ended up paying $5,000 to the scammers in prepaid debit cards. Not only was she dealt a financial loss, but scammers may have stolen her identity as well. The scammers had asked her for a copy of her driver’s license as part of the phony application process. With that kind of information, identity thieves can open any number of financial accounts in the victim’s name.

  The way you can tell this is a scam is that the government doesn’t ask for money when approving an actual grant. And if the government did ask for money, they wouldn’t ask for it in prepaid debit cards or gift cards. If you receive one of these messages on social media, do not respond to it. Instead, use another method of communication to let your friend or relative know that their account may have been compromised. Since this scam often targets elderly victims, you may want to inform any older relatives you might have if they are active on social media.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FBI ( 18 ), keylogger, malware ( 25 ), ransomware ( 11 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), usb drive ( 2 )   

  Scammers sending USB drives in the mail 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you own a computer, you’ve probably used a USB drive. Sometimes they’re also referred to as flash drives or thumb drives. They’re a great tool to help you either back up important files, or transfer files from one computer to another. However, they can also be used in cyberattacks.

  The FBI recently issued a warning that USB drives are being sent through the mail. The drives are being attached to fliers that promise you a free gift card to Amazon or some other well-known retailer. The instructions say that in order to redeem the gift cards, you’ll need to put the USB drive into your computer.

  If you do put the drive into your computer, a few things could happen. The FBI is saying that many of these drives contain ransomware. Ransomware locks up your computer and encrypts your files before asking for a ransom payment to get your files back. The drives could also contain key logging software which sends everything you type back to the scammer. This could include sensitive information such as account logins, passwords, and anything else you type.

  These drives are not only being sent to individuals, but businesses as well. One good ransomware target could cripple an entire business.

  The best defense against these attacks is to never put a strange USB drive in your computer. Whether it’s one you found on the ground, or one you receive in the mail, USB drives that you didn’t buy personally should be seen as suspicious. If you put a strange USB into your computer, you’re risking not only compromising your computer, but potentially other computers in your home or business network as well.

  If you receive one of the USB drives promising you a free gift card, you’re asked to contact the FBI at their website.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: California ( 20 ), phone scam ( 45 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), spoofed calls ( 7 ), virtual kidnapping ( 42 ), Zelle ( 62 )   

  Dangerous scam spoofs your family’s phone number 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Virtual kidnapping scams have been in the news more often than usual lately. This leads us to believe there has been an increase in these harrowing incidents. Typically, in a virtual kidnapping scam, the scammers will call you and claim to have a loved one of yours hostage. They’ll then tell you they will release their hostage if you pay a ransom. The ransom is usually asked for in untraceable means like cryptocurrency, money transfer, or gift cards. Since the advent of the virtual kidnapping scam, the scammers have gotten more aggressive when approaching their victims on the phone.

  For example, a woman from the San Francisco Bay Area recently received a virtual kidnapping call that appeared to come from her mother’s phone number. The caller said he was with the woman’s mother and would harm her if a ransom wasn’t paid. The caller demanded $500 to paid through the Zelle app. After she made the first payment, the scammer demanded another payment of $400, which she paid. The scammer ended the call and the woman called her mother, who had been fine the entire time.

  This story shows a couple of disturbing things. While it’s relatively easy to spoof a phone number, this scammer specifically targeted the woman by obtaining her mother’s phone number. That means the scammer had to at least stalked the family’s social media accounts. Secondly, the scammer used the Zelle banking app to collect the ransom. With stories like this, it seems like Zelle is quickly becoming the app of choice for scammers. Zelle has been used by scammers in several other scams as well.

  As we always like to remind our readers, kidnappings for ransom, while not unheard of, are actually rare in the United States. However, when someone receives one of these phone calls, the pressure of the situation may not allow them to think rationally. If you receive one of these phone calls, the first thing you should do is try to contact the person they’ve claimed to have kidnapped. Since the scammer will try to keep you on the phone, try using another method of contacting your loved one such as text or email if another phone line is not available. These scammers will often have an accomplice posing as the hostage. If they let you speak with the person, ask them a question that only they would know. You can also set up a specific code word between you and your loved ones to verify their identity. Lastly, even if your loved one is safe, contact your local police and let them know what happened, especially if you paid money to the scammer through Zelle.

  In the past, people who have been scammed through Zelle did not get their money back. However, experts recommend that filing a police report will help when dealing with your bank.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 25, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 64 ), check scam ( 76 ), check washing ( 14 ), Connecticut ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Check washing scam hits Conn. town hard 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Police in West Hartford, Connecticut, have been receiving an inordinate number of complaints from residents who had checks stolen from mailboxes. Thieves will steal mail from both residential and public mailboxes in hopes they’ll find a handwritten check. Once they find a check, the thieves will attempt to remove the ink in a process called check washing. The checks will be bathed in a chemical solution that removes the handwritten ink while leaving the rest of the check intact. This allows them to rewrite the check in any amount. As long as there are sufficient funds in the account, the check can be cashed.

  The West Hartford Police are saying that the thieves use a custom-made tool that allows them to steal mail from most mail collection boxes. They also say that the thieves have been taking outgoing mail from residential mailboxes as well. Banks will reimburse customers if their checks are stolen, but that won’t stop the inconvenience of a payment not reaching its intended recipient.

  The best way to protect yourself against check washing is switching to all electronic payments. However, in some cases, only a check can be used. In those cases, when mailing a check, make sure to drop it off inside the post office during business hours. Leaving it in a mail collection box overnight could leave you vulnerable to mail theft. There are also special pens you can buy that are resistant to check washing. Lastly, as a good rule of thumb, you should never leave outgoing mail containing a check in your home mailbox. More mail is stolen from home mailboxes than USPS mailboxes.

  While this most recent story of check washing comes from Connecticut, check washing is a problem that’s been affecting consumers nationwide.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 24, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam ( 65 ), Long Island ( 2 ), new york ( 16 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Grandparent scams the scammers 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We don’t often talk about scammers being arrested for a few reasons. One is that more often than not, scammers are based overseas, which makes them difficult to apprehend and prosecute. Another reason is that in numerous instances, it’s best to just hang up on a scammer than to try to confront them. However, there was a story reported over the weekend that was just too good not to share.

  This particular story involves the grandparent scam. Longtime readers will know the grandparent scam is when scammers call an elderly victim pretending to be one of the victim’s grandchildren. Typically, the scammer will say that they’ve been involved in some form of legal trouble and need money for bail or other legal fees. Then the scammer will ask that the fake fees be paid in some convoluted manner that will be hard to trace.

  Recently, scammers tried this on a 73-year-old grandmother from Long Island. The caller claiming to be her grandson said he had been arrested for a DUI and needed $8,000 for bail. The scammers called the wrong grandmother because not only does she not have any driving age grandchildren, but she’s also a former police dispatcher. She is said to have played along with the scammer. The scammer said a courier would be coming to her house to pick up the money. The woman called police and when the ‘courier’ showed up, she handed him an envelope full of paper towels. That’s when police were able to arrest the 28-year-old suspect.

  While it’s always good to see an alleged scammer get their comeuppance, we don’t recommend letting them come to your home like this. This instance was a special circumstance since the woman had procedural knowledge of law enforcement. In most cases, if you know someone is trying to scam you, hang up and then call police to let them know this scam is in the area. Too often, grandparent scammers are now posing as couriers, and you don’t want them coming to your home. Who knows what they could do later if they know where you live and know that you have money.

  And as always, if you receive one of these calls, contact the grandchild that they’re claiming is in legal trouble. You’ll probably find that they’re in no trouble at all.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 21, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: child trafficking ( 7 ), Human trafficking ( 96 ), Kansas ( 7 ), National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC, Scams ( 1,224 ), WIchita ( 2 )   

  Human Trafficking Scam threatens victims 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Human trafficking is something that affects all communities around the country, regardless of ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Many more people have become aware of the human trafficking problem over the past few years. So, it should come as no surprise that scammers are using the scourge of trafficking in their scams.

  Police in Wichita, Kansas, have been reporting about a new phone scam that uses human trafficking to try to extort money out of local residents. The scammers are calling their victims and claiming that the victims are being investigated by the National Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit for child trafficking crimes. The scam victims are then asked for $5000, or they’ll be arrested and taken to court.

  There are many layers to this scam about how someone can tell it’s a scam. The first is that there is no such organization as the National Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit. However, there is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. As much great work as the NCMEC does when it comes to missing children, they are not an arm of any law enforcement agency. They do assist law enforcement in their investigations by passing on tips that they receive, but they do not arrest people.

  Secondly, if someone is being investigated for a major crime let alone one that involved children, no law enforcement agency is going to announce that to the person being investigated, especially over the phone.

  Lastly, no law enforcement agency will demand money over the phone and threaten arrest if it’s not paid. If someone does need to pay some kind of legal fine, they’ll be notified through the mail. Even then, it doesn’t hurt to call the courthouse who issued the fine to make sure the fine is on the up and up.

  If you receive one of these phone calls threatening you with arrest, hang up and contact your local police department.

  If you’d like to learn more about how human trafficking really happens in America, please read our previous posts discussing the matter.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 20, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: identity theft ( 96 ), impersonation scam ( 113 ), IRS ( 22 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), tax return ( 4 )   

  Tax season scams you should look out for 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This coming Monday, January 24th, the Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting tax returns for 2021. The deadline to have your return submitted to the IRS is April 18th this year. And with tax season starting, there are a number of tax return related scams that you should be aware of.

  The most devastating scam that affects taxpayers is when an identity theft files a return in your name. Unfortunately, the only way to find out if you’ve been a victim of this scam is receiving a letter from the IRS informing you that a duplicate return has been filed. The best way to protect yourself against this scam is to file your taxes as early as possible. If you’ve had your information leaked in a previous data breach, this is the best option for you to avoid having to straighten things out with the IRS. However, if you do become a victim of this scam, contact the IRS right away. The longer you wait, the more difficult it could be to get your tax return.

  Another area where tax season scammers thrive is the tax preparation industry. If you intend to have a professional file your taxes, research that professional or company first. The Better Business Bureau suggests avoiding tax preparers that only set up shop until the tax deadline. If you end up being audited by the IRS, will that tax preparer be there to assist you? Also, be wary of tax preparers who tie their fee to your tax refund. Fees are supposed to be based on how difficult it is to complete your tax return, not your refund.

  Tax season is also when scammers will attempt IRS impersonation scams. The scammers will call their victims, posing as the IRS and demanding payment for any number of reasons. The one thing all these impersonators have in common is that they will try to pressure you into making a payment over the phone. The IRS does not call taxpayers about tax issues. If the IRS has a concern that they need you to resolve, they will always contact you through the regular mail.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 19, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FBI ( 18 ), Pittsburgh, ransom ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), virtual kidnapping ( 42 )   

  Kidnapping scam uses your social media against you 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The Pittsburgh Field Office of the FBI has issued a warning about the virtual kidnapping scam. This scam entails scammers calling people and telling them that they’ve kidnapped a loved one. The scammers may put someone on the phone crying and screaming to make it seem like they actually have taken your loved one hostage. A ransom demand is then made where the scammers will ask for payment through money transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. They ask for these types of payments because they’re mostly untraceable. It’s typically not until after the victim sends the scammers money when they find out their loved one was never in any harm.

  The FBI is now reporting an uptick in this scam in the Pittsburgh area. Recently, 450 people have reported receiving these scam calls. However, the scammers are using a new ploy to try to trick their victims. Scammers are now calling the relatives of people who travel to somewhere near the Mexican border. The perpetrators are combing through social media looking for anyone who has recently shared that they’re planning a trip either to or near Mexico. Then the scammers are calling the relatives of the traveler from Mexico and claiming that they’ve kidnapped the victim’s relative.

  The best way to protect yourself and your family from this scam is to not announce your vacation plans ahead of time on social media. Your first instinct may be to share your vacation pictures as they happen, but this could open you up to a number of scams and dangers, including this one. If you receive a call from Mexico and the caller says they’ve kidnapped a relative of yours, the FBI advises getting as much information you can, including the phone number they called from. It’s then recommended you hang up the call and contact the supposed kidnap victim to make sure they’re ok. Then call your local police or the FBI to file a report.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 18, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: counterfeit goods ( 12 ), covid-19 ( 48 ), face masks ( 2 ), price gouging ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Masks subject to price gouging and counterfeiting again 

  

  By Greg Collier

  With the new variants that COVID-19 seems to keep producing, many states have reinstituted mask mandates. According to the FDA and the Mayo Clinic, masks can not only help you from catching COVID-19, but helps prevent the transmission of COVID-19 as well. Along with preventative handwashing and getting vaccinated, masks are an essential part of trying to curb the tide of COVID-19 infections. But with the rise of demand for masks, scammers and bad actors are looking to prey on those who want to have a part in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

  According to the Better Business Bureau, 60% of KN95 masks sold in America are counterfeits. KN95 masks are one step below the N95 surgical masks that are used by medical professionals, but are still effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Many of these counterfeit masks are sold on websites that may not be the most reputable. A good way to tell if the retailer is questionable is the quality of pictures they use. If pictures of the masks are blurry or of a low resolution, there’s a good chance that the masks will be fakes, if you even receive the masks at all.

  Other retailer may decide to raise the prices of masks to an astronomical amount due to the demand. This is known as price-gouging and may be illegal in the retailer’s state if the retailer is in the US.

  When buying from an unknown retailer, it’s always good advice to do a web search of the retailer’s name along with the words ‘complaint’ or ‘scam’. Legitimate masks should also have the manufacturer’s name, logo, and model number printed on the mask.