Greg's Corner

Updates from June, 2022 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bail scam ( 13 ), grandparent scam ( 65 ), New Hampshire ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,229 )   

  Why scammers strike twice 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably very familiar with the grandparent scam. In case you’re a new reader, the grandparent scam is when scammers will call an elderly victim posing as one of the victim’s grandchildren. They’ll claim they’re in some kind of legal trouble and need money for bail or other legal fees.

  Recently, in Hampton, New Hampshire, an elderly couple was targeted in a grandparent scam. The scammers posed as an attorney’s office, and claimed the couple’s grandson was in a car accident and not only needed money for medical costs, but also legal costs since the scammers said the grandson hit a pregnant woman in the accident.

  As grandparent scammers have been doing lately, the scammers posed as couriers, and picked up close to $10,000 from the couple. However, the scammers are said to have pushed their luck by trying to get more money from the couple. At first, the scammers tried to get $20,000 from the couple, but settled for another $10,000.

  While the couple were withdrawing money from their bank, a bank teller was suspicious and advised the couple about the scam. Local police were contacted and arrested the alleged scammers when they arrived at the couple’s home the second time.

  Many scammers will try to get additional money from a victim if the victim has already paid once. We’ve seen this with sweepstakes scams and other forms of advance fee scam, where the scammers will continue to ask for money but never deliver any benefit to their victims.

  In other instances, if a victim pays once, scammers will make note of that, and try using a different scam on that same victim at a later time. We’ve even hard of some scammers that trade lists of victims with other scammers for money.

  If you or someone you know has fallen victim to any number of phone or internet scams, there’s a good chance they could be targeted again. As such, they should be highly skeptical of phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media messages from strangers.

  As far as the grandparent scam is concerned, anyone who receives that type of call should hang up and call someone who can verify the well-being of the loved one who’s supposedly been arrested. Also, keep in mind police, attorneys, or bail bondsmen will never call you asking for money.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 15, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check washing ( 14 ), mail theft ( 10 ), mail washing, Scams ( 1,229 )   

  Why is mail being stolen from your mailbox? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Depending on where you live, mail theft might be a common occurrence in your neighborhood. While it may not have happened to you, it may have happened to your neighbors. If you belong to a neighborhood group online, you may have seen some complaints of mail theft.

  But why would someone want to steal your mail? Identity theft is a big reason. If you get a lot of credit card offers, an identity theft may fill out the application in your name. Stealing gifts is another reason. For example, if you’ve recently had someone in your home graduate from high school, and had graduation decorations in front of your home, mail thieves may be watching your mailbox for cash gifts being sent through the mail.

  However, what we’re discussing today is outgoing mail. If you leave your outgoing mail in your home’s mailbox for the Postal Service to pick up, you may want to start a new routine. A report out of one Florida city is stating that residents are having their mail stolen for a scam known as mail washing or check washing. This is when mail thieves look for the flag on your mailbox being left upright, indicating that there is mail that needs to picked up.

  The thieves are hoping to find any kind of payment that’s made by check. They’ll take the checks and dip them in a chemical solution that removes the ink from the check. This allows the thieves to write the check to anybody they want for any amount.

  In the Florida town, residents were struck seven times since March and have lost a total of $85,000. One victim lost a total of $14,000 from one check. That victim reported that his security camera caught the thieves taking his mail around 1 or 2 am.

  There are ways to protect yourself from the check washing scam, though. There are special pens you can use that are designed to resist check washing. You may want to also consider switching to electronic payments rather than manual ones. Lastly, if you absolutely have to mail a physical check to someone, it’s best if you take it directly to your local post office and drop off the check inside.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 42 ), Facebook ( 173 ), Facebook Messenger ( 4 ), grants ( 14 ), Messenger ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), workers' comp ( 2 )   

  BBB warns of new Facebook Messenger scam targeting US workers 

  

  By Greg Collier

  An untold number of people around the world use Facebook Messenger as their primary form of communication. Even in America, many users of Messenger have replaced their phone carrier’s text message app with Messenger. This has given rise to just as many scams on Messenger that have plagued text message users.

  One of the more infamous Messenger scams is the government grant scam. In that scam, scammers gain access to a friend’s Facebook account. They’ll then use the friend’s Messenger account to message the victim. The message usually contains something along the lines of that they just received a large federal grant to help pay their bills. The ‘friend’ will then tell the victim that they should apply for this grant, along with instructions on how to request the grant. The victim will be directed to someone posing as the government, who will ask the victim for a processing fee before issuing the grant. At this point, the scammer will either disappear or will keep luring the victim with the promise of a large grant payment if the victim just keeps paying money for additional fees.

  According to a Better Bureau Office in Texas, they’ve received notice about a similar Messenger scam happening in their area. The BBB is saying the scam is targeting people who are owed workers’ compensation. It’s unclear how scammers are obtaining these lists. However, what the scammers are doing is using Messenger to contact the people entitled to workers’ comp, and posing as a service that can get their workers’ comp for them. Of course, this involves paying a fee to the scammers. Much like the grant scams, the scammers will disappear after getting the payment or try to milk the victims for more money.

  However, there are ways to protect yourself from these scams. If a friend messages you about a money making opportunity, use a way to get a hold of them besides Messenger to find out if they meant to send that message. The BBB also recommends that you should never pay money to get money. If money is owed to you through a business or the government, you shouldn’t have to pay any money to get your payout. Lastly, like most scams, if the person asking for money asks for it in non-traditional means like cryptocurrency, gift cards, or pre-paid debit cards, you’re more than likely talking to a scammer.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 13, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin atm ( 19 ), car wrapping ( 10 ), fake check ( 43 ), job scam ( 71 ), Microsoft ( 18 ), prescription drugs ( 3 ), ransomware ( 11 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), tech support scam ( 43 )   

  Scam Round Up: Door to door prescription scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Today, we’re bringing you three more scams happening around the country that could easily show up in your area.

  ***

  With the weather being warmer, even with rising gas prices, more people are taking to the roads. This has allegedly led to a resurgence of the car warp scam. This is when scammers promise their victims they can make money by wrapping their car in advertisements. While there are legitimate offers for this, the majority of them online are scams. The car wrapping scam is just another avenue for the fake check scam. The scammers send victims a fake check they’re supposed top deposit into their bank account and then use the remainder of the check to pay an ad agency who provides the wrap. The supposed ad agency is part of the scam as well. The victim almost always ends up being held responsible for the full amount of the check to their bank.

  ***

  Unfortunately, another elderly victim was recently targeted in yet another computer virus scam. The Massachusetts woman was using her computer when a message said that her device had been compromised. The message contained a phone number that claimed to be from Microsoft and that she would need to call it to have her computer fixed. This number did not go to Microsoft, but instead went to what is essentially a call center for scammers. They instructed her to take $30,000 out of her bank account and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM. Luckily, police were able to intervene, and the woman got her money back. Keep in mind with this scam that companies like Microsoft don’t usually take phone calls, and no computer repair is worth $30,000.

  ***

  Lastly, we have a story out of Oklahoma City, where authorities are warning about a particularly frightening scam. Law enforcement there are saying that people there are posing as pharmacy employees and going door to door asking residents for expired medication. These are not pharmacy employees, and they are looking for narcotics. If someone comes to your door asking for expired prescriptions, you may want to contact your local police. If you do have expired prescriptions, especially if they’re opioids, you can take them to many pharmacies which do have drug disposal programs. It is also recommended that you can dispose of them in the trash if you mix them with something unpleasant like used cat litter or coffee grounds.

  ***

  Hopefully, these scams won’t come to your area, but if they do, you’re now better prepared for them.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 10, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 42 ), gas relief ( 2 ), government scams ( 5 ), grants ( 14 ), Scams ( 1,229 )   

  Gas relief scam sweeps nation 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Recently, we’ve been discussing how scammers will take any tragedy in the headlines and try to use it to their advantage. That’s not just limited to disasters and other tragedies. Scammers can also take advantage of ongoing crises. For example, there seemed to be no end to the number of scams related to the pandemic in the past few years. Now, scammers have turned their greedy eyes to the gas crisis. With the price of gas skyrocketing because of inflation, scammers are looking to take advantage of consumers who are desperate for an economic break.

  In one scam, scammers are calling consumers telling them that the government is offering a gas relief program for qualifying individuals. However, what the scammers are really after is your financial information. One victim from Oklahoma said she signed up for the phony program and lost a lot of money out of her checking account to the scammers.

  A spokesperson for the Federal Trade Commission has stated that the government is not offering any gas relief program.

  If this scam sounds a little familiar, that’s because it sounds a lot like the government grant scam. In that scam, victims receive an unsolicited call or message telling them they qualify for a government grant that the victim can use for any purpose. It’s often pitched to the victim as a way they can pay their bills. The scammers tell their victims they just need to pay a processing fee in order to receive the grant. Once the victim pays, the scammers disappear with the money, while the grant never existed in the first place. This is also known as an advance fee scam.

  These approaches are not just limited to phone calls. They can appear in almost any form of communication, whether it’s calls, texts, direct messages, or emails. If there was such a government program for gas relief, the government wouldn’t be calling you. You would have to reach out to them first.

  While we could all use some relief at the pump, almost any offer to discount gas prices will probably be a scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: couriers ( 2 ), grandparent scam ( 65 ), moneygram ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,229 )   

  Why are grandparent scammers showing up at the door? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The police in a Maine resort town recently reported two separate instances of the grandparent scams, where two victims had been taken for a combined $30,000. In both of these instances, the scammers posed as couriers who picked up the money in person.

  Unfortunately, the grandparent scam has been finding victims for some time now. For new readers, the grandparent scam is when scammers will call an elderly victim posing as one of the victim’s grandchildren. They’ll claim they’re in some kind of legal trouble and need money for bail or other legal fees. In numerous instances, the scammer posing as the grandchild will pass the call off to another scammer posing as an attorney, the police, or a bail bondsman to make the scam seem more believable.

  When the grandparent scam first started making headlines, the scammers were asking for their payment in gift cards or money transfer services like MoneyGram. More recently, the scammers have shown up at the victim’s homes claiming to be couriers to take the money to the supposed grandchild. One could assume that may be just so the scammers could get the money quicker. However, according to police from Maine, there are a couple of reasons why the scammers do this.

  When trying to collect money through a service like MoneyGram, the scammers still have to produce some form of identification. This requires the scammer to have false identification, which takes time and money. Showing up at the victim’s home requires neither. There’s also the perception that since a courier is picking up the money, the courier must be a local person, which adds credence to the scam. However, scammers posing as couriers are usually either from another part of the country or even overseas.

  If you or someone you know receives one of these phone calls, it’s best to hang up and contact the person the scammers are claiming to be. Scammers will try to pressure you into staying on the line, however, if someone is truly in legal trouble, it’s not going to make matters worse if you verify their story.

  As always, we ask that if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and may not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity ( 16 ), charity scam ( 32 ), mass shooting ( 9 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), Tulsa   

  BBB warns of scammers posing as crime victims 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Almost every time there’s a tragedy, whether natural or man made, we’re warning our readers to be aware of charity scams. Typically, these scams involve scammers opening up phony GoFundMe pages or cold calling people asking for donations. Unfortunately, the recent mass shooting at a Tulsa hospital is not immune to these warnings. In this instance, the Better Business Bureau of Tulsa is warning about a different scam when it comes to tragedies like this.

  The BBB of Tulsa is warning residents to be careful of scammers posing as victims of the shooting. While the BBB hasn’t seen any instances of this happening yet, they’re saying to be wary of social media profiles that claim to be one of the victims of the shooting. In previous cases, scammers have copied the profile of other crime victims in order to solicit donations. Scammers have hijacked the accounts of previous crime victims as well. As we’ve mentioned in the past, there’s no tragedy that scammers won’t try to take advantage of.

  If someone cold calls you looking for donations, be careful of any that have generic or vague names. Ask the caller who they represent, then investigate them online before committing any donations. If they try to pressure you into making a donation, there’s a good chance it could be a scam. The same goes for unsolicited emails, texts, and social media messages.

  One of the best ways to donate to an emergency crisis like this is to check with the area’s local news. They usually have a list of charities or entities you can donate to that they’ve verified. As always, you can research most charities at Give.org which is maintained by the BBB, or Charity Navigator.

  If you want to help not only during a current tragedy but a future one as well, spend with your heart, but only trust with your mind.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: real estate ( 118 ), rental scam ( 84 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), zillow ( 14 )   

  Zillow not immune to rental scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  When we talk about rental scams, victims typically find fraudulent listings on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. These are where rental scammers frequently post rental listings that they’ve stolen from legitimate realtor listings. The scammers then claim to be the landlords of the properties while falsely collecting things like application fees, security deposits, and first month’s rent. Since neither of those platforms are regularly monitored for rental scams, it’s easy for rental scammers to find victims.

  One platform we don’t often talk about when it comes to rental scams is Zillow. As a matter of fact, we often recommend using sites like Zillow as a guideline to see whether a rental listing is fraudulent or not. While Zillow is more reliable than Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, it seems their listings shouldn’t necessarily be taken as gospel.

  A woman from New York recently moved her family to North Carolina to find somewhere more affordable to live. She had found a listing on Zillow that was perfect. She contacted the person who Zillow said was the property owner. The man she communicated with was even able to get her into the home by providing the lock box code. However, the supposed property owner kept pressuring the woman by saying there were a lot of other interested renters and if she wanted to rent the property, she needed to act now. The woman transferred a $2000 deposit to the man. She went to the home expecting the man to show up with the keys, but instead a realtor showed up with a client. It was then she found out she had been scammed.

  When asked for comment, a Zillow representative stated that they go to great lengths to monitor for scams and provide scam prevention tips for users.

  If you’re looking to rent a house or apartment anytime soon, Zillow is a good tool to use, but should not be the only one you use. The best way to find out who actually owns a property is by check with the county’s tax office. Even if a potential landlord gives you the code to a property’s lockbox, that doesn’t necessarily make them the landlord. Scammers have been posing as customers of realtors in order to get the lockbox code. Lastly, if a landlord asks for the deposit through apps like Zelle and Venmo, or wire transfer, there’s a good chance they’re a scammer.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 6, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cars ( 11 ), check scam ( 76 ), Facebook Marketplace ( 58 ), fake check ( 43 ), Scams ( 1,229 )   

  Fake check scam costs victim $50K and muscle car 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The fake check scam has been around for so long, and happens so often because it continues to find victims. In this instance, we’re discussing the fake check scam as it affects online sellers. Typically, scammers will pose as buyers and send a fraudulent check to sellers for more than the seller’s asking price. The seller is told to deposit the check, then send the difference back to the buyer. Banks will make that money available to the seller before it actually clears the bank. By the time the bank realizes the check is fraudulent, the money has been sent back to the buyer. Meanwhile, the seller is left paying the bank the full amount of the fake check along with any penalties. Usually, that results in a loss of a few hundred dollars to the seller. That is, as long as you’re not selling a high-end sports car.

  A man from Georgia was selling his 2018 Chevy Camaro on Facebook Marketplace. A buyer sent him a check by phone for $49,000. This was enough to pay off the loan he had on the vehicle. The credit union who lent him the money even sent him confirmation that the loan had been paid in full. The man drove the car to South Carolina to deliver it to the supposed buyer. It wasn’t until days later, he was notified that the check he wrote to his credit union to pay off the loan bounced. That was because the check he received was fraudulent. Now, the man is stuck paying his monthly loan payment for a car that isn’t even in his possession currently.

  When selling high-dollar items such as a sports car, you can never be too careful when it comes to accepting payment. If you receive a check, whether electronically or physically, ask your bank to verify the authenticity of the check before you deposit it. Even if the bank says the check is legitimate, you’ll probably want to wait a few business days to make sure the deposit isn’t reversed.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Airbnb ( 13 ), front desk scam ( 2 ), hotel scam ( 5 ), lyft ( 15 ), rental scam ( 84 ), rideshare scam ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), Uber ( 24 ), vacation ( 8 ), VRBO ( 2 )   

  It’s time for vacation scam season again 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Memorial Day weekend often indicates the unofficial start of the Summer season. With that, many couples and families will be planning their Summer getaways. But the one thing we may not get away from are vacation scams. While some vacation scams may be minor, there are others that could have devastating effects that could end your vacation before it even begins.

  One of the more common and expensive scams is the Summer rental scam. Many properties listed online for Summer rental are often either misrepresented or non-existent. Just like in a regular rental scam, a scammer may have copied a listing from a legitimate realtor and posted it on places like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace as if they own the property. At least in a local rental scam, a potential renter can swing by the property to look for any inconsistencies. It’s almost impossible to do that with a vacation rental, since the property is usually a large distance away. Even with vacation rentals, you should do a web search of the address to make sure the property is actually being rented and who is actually renting it.

  If you’re planning in using a short-term rental service like Airbnb or VRBO, there have been issues in the past where hosts have grossly misrepresented their properties in order to get as many renters as possible. This has included properties in states of disrepair, rooms that looked more like jail cells than a living space, and switching properties on renters altogether.

  Another common scam is the front desk scam. This is where scammers will call your hotel room in the middle of the night, posing as the front desk. The scammers will claim that there is a problem with your payment information and will ask you to verify the information. You should never give this information out over the phone. If there is an actual issue with the front desk, walk down to their office to verify any problems.

  A new scam we’re hearing about is phony rideshare drivers. They’ll claim they work for Uber or Lyft and just had a fare cancel on them. More than likely, they’ll claim there is an outage preventing them from using the service’s app for payment.

  Lastly, when at all possible, book your vacation and plan your expenses by using a credit card. Credit cards offer more protection than debit cards if you happen to fall victim to a scam. While once cash is lost, it’s lost forever.