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  • Geebo 8:00 am on March 13, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Elderly man signed away house for $10, now faces eviction 

    By Greg Collier

    As we’re sure you’re aware of, we typically discuss scams on this blog. However, today’s story doesn’t meet the legal requirement of being called a scam, but can still serve as a warning to those who may find themselves in a similar position.

    A 66-year-old man living on the east coast of Florida lost his mother in 2020. He took her passing very hard and got behind on his mortgage payments. With the real estate market being what it is, the bank started to foreclose on the home.

    Not knowing what to do, the man reached out to an acquaintance for help. The acquaintance allegedly told the man that he would take over the mortgage payments while allowing the man to live in his home. The man then signed a deed which transferred ownership to the acquaintance for $10. However, unknown to the man, the deed gave the acquaintance the right to sell the home if he chose to.

    Eventually, the acquaintance did sell the home, stating the home was too much of a headache. The acquaintance sold the house to a real estate investor. The investor flipped the house by selling it to a New York company for $185,000. Meanwhile, the elderly man not only got nothing out of the sale of his home, but was also being evicted from the home he owned for 23 years.

    The man’s neighbors say that the man is mentally challenged and was taken advantage of by all parties involved. Unfortunately, the courts have ruled that everything was legal, and the eviction can move forward. Meanwhile, the man is trying to sell some of his mother’s possessions to make a little money.

    When dealing with any transaction that involves your home, you should have an attorney look over the paperwork before signing anything. If you can’t afford an attorney, some attorneys give free consultations, or you can reach out to a local law school to see if they have a program where students give free legal advice. There are also some non-profits known as legal aid societies that provide legal help to low-income families and individuals.

     

  • Geebo 9:01 am on March 10, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Payday loan scams target the already vulnerable 

    By Greg Collier

    Payday loan companies are already a shady type of business. They target low-income neighborhoods and hope to keep their customers on a never-ending cycle of dependence through their predatory practices. The high-interest rates and fees make it difficult for borrowers to repay the loan and can result in a cycle of debt. Several states have banned the practice of payday loans, but some lenders have gotten around these bans by opening storefronts on Native-American reservations. However, payday lenders are not the scammers we’re talking about today. We’re talking about scammers who take advantage of the borrowers, even after they’ve paid the loans back.

    According to lifestyle blog Lifehacker, there are many scams that try to take advantage of borrowers. Most of these scams start when the payday lenders have a security breach. We can’t imagine such upstanding businesses having the best security practices when it comes to their customers. In one scam, the scammers will pose as the lending company and try to get the personal and financial information from the borrower under the promise of depositing the loan into the borrower’s bank accounts.

    Another scam is where the scammers pose as debt collectors, hoping the borrower has maybe lost track of some debts owed to a payday lender. Since they typically have the borrower’s personal information, they can make the scam seem more legitimate. Considering how much information payday lenders collect from their customers, this can be an extensive amount of the borrower’s personal history.

    There are also scams where the scammers will pose as payday lenders online and over the phone who either just want the victim’s information, or will ask for money upfront in exchange for a loan that never comes through.

    The best way to avoid these scams is to avoid payday lenders altogether. However, we also understand that not everyone has that luxury. If you’re contacted by someone claiming to collect a debt on behalf of a payday lender, ask them for a written explanation of the debt. Debt collectors are required by law to provide that to debtors.

    Also, if a lender asks for a fee in advance, they are a scammer. This is one of the variations of the advance fee scam is illegal for lenders to do.

    Lastly, even payday lenders will not reach out to prospective customers by phone, email, or text. If someone is offering you a loan through this method, the odds are almost certain they’re a scammer.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 9, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers are hyper-focused on local issues 

    Scammers are hyper-focused on local issues

    By Greg Collier

    Whenever there’s a national crisis or a disaster that garners national headlines, you can bet that the scammers will come out of the woodwork. Some scammers even pop up for international matters too, like the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. If we listed all the scams they usually perpetrate during such times, we’d be here all day. But it’s not just national and international matters that the scammers are tuned into. If there’s an issue in your town that people can take advantage of, they will.

    For example, in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, their local power company is having a bit of a PR nightmare with their customer billing. At least 19,000 customers of Memphis Light Gas and Water have not received a bill in months. MLGW had installed digital meters for their customers, but water from the winter storms got into some of the meters, causing the readings to go haywire. MLGW is trying to get the customers’ bills corrected, but in the confusion, scammers have stepped in.

    This was a perfect storm of opportunity for scammers to employ the shut-off scam. The utility shut-off scam is a type of fraud where scammers impersonate representatives from a utility company, such as an electricity or gas company, and threaten to disconnect the victim’s service if they do not immediately pay a supposed outstanding balance. Since MLGW controls power, gas, and water, the scammers really had their victims over a barrel. One MLGW customer was threatened with shut-off by the scammers and ended up wiring $3,000 to the scammers.

    Utility companies, no matter how big or small, do not threaten immediate termination of service over the phone. If your account is behind, you’ll receive several warnings in the mail before service is terminated. You should even be notified of the day when services will be scheduled to be terminated.

    If you receive one of these phone calls, hang up the phone, and verify the legitimacy of any communication from a utility company by calling the company directly using a number that is listed on their official website or on the back of a bill. Also, please keep in mind that utility companies will typically never demand immediate payment using untraceable methods like wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment apps. They will usually offer payment plans or other forms of assistance to help customers who may be behind on their account.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 8, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Scam Round Up: Scammers use fallen officer’s name and more 

    By Greg Collier

    Our first story in this edition of the Round Up is a reminder to Medicare recipients that Medicare will not reach out to you by phone unsolicited. Scammers often try to obtain a recipient’s Medicare information by posing as Medicare and offering victims a new Medicare card. In the past, scammers have offered new plastic cards to victims. However, Medicare does not use plastic cards. More recently, scammers have said Medicare is sending out new cards to all recipients because of COVID. One of the main tip-offs to this scam is that Medicare doesn’t need your Medicare number, as they already have it. If anyone calls you asking for your Medicare number, there’s a good chance they’re a scammer.

    ***

    Speaking of COVID, even though we’re on the other side of the pandemic, scammers are still using the virus to their advantage. Scammers are still offering at home COVID tests as a way to get either your financial or insurance information. The scammers will offer these supposed tests over the phone while telling their victim they qualify for the free tests under their health insurance. Or, the scammers will ask for payment information for a small shipping fee. In either case, no test is ever sent, and the victim’s information is used for fraud.

    If you need some at home COVID tests, you can still get them for free through the USPS website.

    ***

    Our last story is another example showing there are no depths scammers won’t stoop to. In Tennessee, scammers are using the name of a Sheriff’s Deputy who fell in the line of duty. The scammers are looking for victims on dating apps and threaten them with arrest using the fallen officer’s name. Money is then extorted from the victim.

    While law enforcement does often patrol dating apps looking for potential predators, they will never threaten someone with arrest if they’re not paid.

    If someone calls or contacts you like this, threatening arrest if you don’t pay them, hang up and call your local police. Once you explain to them what happened, they’ll be able to tell you that it’s a scam.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 7, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Thousands lost in SIM-swapping attack 

    Thousands lost in SIM-swapping attack

    By Greg Collier

    If you own a smartphone, how lost would you be without it? We’re not talking about losing your phone in the couch cushions. We mean, how much would your personal life be at risk if your phone was stolen. For many, their smartphone is the only device they need to conduct their lives. For even more, their entire lives are contained in their smartphone. Bank accounts, email, family photos, and schedules are just a few of things that could be accessed through a stolen smartphone. Now, what if we told you that you can lose all these things from your phone without physically losing the device?

    SIM-swapping is a type of cybercrime where an attacker takes control of a victim’s mobile phone number by tricking the victim’s mobile carrier into transferring the number to a new SIM card. Once the attacker has control of the phone number, they can use it to access the victim’s online accounts, such as email, social media, and financial accounts, which often rely on text messaging for two-factor authentication. Then the attacker can not only access your accounts, but they can lock you out of them as well.

    Recently, a man from Colorado lost $24,500 out of his savings account after his phone received a SIM-swapping attack. The victim received an email from his bank that a large transfer was being made, but by the time he was able to contact his bank, the transfer had already gone through. You can almost imagine the shock on his face when he tried to call his bank, only to find out his phone had no service.

    There are several effective ways to protect yourself from SIM-swapping. One is to use an authenticator app instead of relying on text messages for two-factor authentication. Authenticator apps are linked to a device instead of a phone number, making them more secure. Additionally, it’s important to avoid using accurate information for security questions on online accounts, such as high school mascots or pet names, as this information can often be found on social media. Lastly, you can contact your carrier and request that they disallow any device switches on your account, but keep in mind that to unfreeze your account, you may need to visit a carrier store and present identification.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 6, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    AI voices used in grandparent scam 

    AI voices used in grandparent scam

    By Greg Collier

    If you follow the tech news at all, you’ll no doubt have heard about how artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly popular in the past year or so. You may have heard of the art generator known as DALL-E. It can produce images using any prompt you can give it. For example, the above picture was generated with an AI program called Stable Diffusion, using the prompt of ‘AI Voice’. You may have also heard of ChatGPT, a text-based AI that can generate just about anything in text form. Do you want to craft a professional sounding email to your boss? ChatGPT can generate that for you. Do you want ChatGPT to craft the lyrics of a song in the style of The Doors about soup? It can do that too.

    However, the more important question is, is AI advanced enough to be used in scams? Yes, it is.

    This past weekend, The Washington Post published a story about AI being used in one of the more common scams we post about, the grandparent scam. For those who may be unfamiliar, The grandparent scam is a type of phone scam where fraudsters impersonate a grandchild or other family member in distress to trick elderly individuals into sending them money. Typically, scammers will tell their elderly victims that they’ve had some kind of facial injury such as a broken nose as to why their voice sounds different from their actual grandchild.

    According to the Post, scammers are now using AI voice-cloning technology to sound exactly like the person they’re impersonating. Victims from both Canada and the United States have lost thousands of dollars to scammers using this technology.

    While voice cloning technology is nothing new, it has advanced exponentially in the past couple of years. It used to be someone would need vast amounts of recordings to accurately clone someone’s voice. Now, it only takes a 30-second recording to do so. If someone you know has posted a video or recording of themselves on social media where they’re talking, their voice can now be cloned.

    You can still protect yourself from this scam, as long as you disregard what your ears are telling you. If you receive a call from a relative or loved one asking for money because they’re in trouble, you should still follow the same precautions, even if it sounds exactly like them. Hang up on the call and contact the person who’s supposedly in trouble. If you can’t reach them, ask other family members who might know where they are. Tell them the exact situation you encountered, and never keep it a secret. Lastly, never send money under any means.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 3, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers try to sell Airbnb homes 

    Scammers try to sell Airbnb homes

    By Greg Collier

    Some say there are numerous problems with short-term rental services like Airbnb. For example, some critics say the homes could be put to better use as family homes than short-term rentals. Especially while the country is in a housing crisis. Others say that Airbnb renters can be disruptive and destructive to residential neighborhoods. There’s also the problem of Airbnb hosts who rent out properties that are either below living standards or are misrepresented in the listing. Now, Airbnb can add one more problem to the list.

    According to a report out of Portland, Oregon, Airbnb hosts have come across a new scam that could put their rental property in jeopardy. Multiple hosts have reported renting their units out to renters who turn out to be scammers. The scammers then pose as real estate agents and hold showings or open houses of the rental property. The properties are being listed on a real estate website that only deals with sales by the homeowners. Scammers are listing the homes at ridiculously low prices and are offering to sell them for cash in hand to only first-time homebuyers.

    One Airbnb host was able to record a scammer showing the property to first-time buyers through a security camera. Where the camera was installed in the Airbnb is unknown.

    If you’re an Airbnb host, it’s recommended you routinely check to make sure the property isn’t being listed for sale on sites like Zillow, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace.

    If you’re a first-time homebuyer, try to avoid listings that are well below market value. Also, do plenty of research on the property first before making any payments. While paying for a home in full is the dream of every homeowner, finding a cheap home in good condition is more the exception than the rule. And the odds that you found the exception are very low.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 2, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers will sell the land out from under you 

    Scammers will sell the land out from under you

    By Greg Collier

    There are any told number of real estate scams. The most common one has to be the rental scam. This is when scammers will advertise a home for rent even though they don’t own the property. This is done so the scammer can obtain money from their victims in the guise of rent or deposits. The rental scam has led to many families being left homeless after losing the last of their money to the scammer.

    More recently, there has been a new real estate scam that’s making the rounds. It’s not as common as the rental scam, but its victims could still suffer from devastating financial effects. Real estate scammers are now targeting vacant lots. It doesn’t matter whether the lot is for sale or not, scammers will try to sell it as if they own it. This could lead to not only the buyer being swindled out of thousands of dollars, but it could also leave legitimate owners with a nightmare of a legal battle.

    So, how are scammers getting away with this? Not to give them any credit, but they’re really putting in the work on this one. When the scammers find a vacant property with no construction on it, they’ll find out who the owner is. This can be found out through publicly available information. The scammers will steal the identity of the owner and forge identification in the owner’s name. This way, the scammers can list the property for sale with a realtor while appearing to be the owner. Often, the scammers won’t even be in the same area as the lot or the realtor, and will typically communicate through means like emails and text messages.

    There were two reported incidents of this scam happening this week. One happened in New Orleans before the owner was notified by a friend. The other happened in the Washington, DC area, where the buyers realized it was a scam after the seller was unable to answer questions about the property.

    To protect yourself, it’s recommended for buyers to get title insurance. This protects buyers from losing money in a phony sale. For owner’s it’s not so easy. In their case, they have to trust that the local realtors do enough research, so they won’t list a lot for sale that isn’t.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 1, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Bank to scam victim: “This is on you. We’re out.” 

    By Greg Collier

    Just the other day, we posted a story about how banks are reluctant to reimburse scam victims. This was after stories we posted about how one bank accused a scam victim of being the scammer, and another where scam victims were suing their bank for failing to protect their accounts. The question we keep asking is why can’t the banks stop or reverse these transactions?

    The usual M.O. of scammers involves contacting their targets through calls or messages, inquiring about recent significant transactions. Subsequently, the scammers coerce the victims into believing that transferring their funds to a different account is the sole method of safeguarding their bank accounts. Invariably, the account that the money is relocated to is under the control of the scammer. The bank accounts utilized by scammers are typically not offshore accounts. Instead, they are often regular checking accounts that are available through major banks.

    In a recent bank impersonation scam, two of the nation’s major banks were used. A woman from Seattle got a text that appeared to come from Chase Bank. The text asked her if she had just made a $99 purchase in Florida. The woman called the number back where the text came from and thought she was talking to Chase, but was actually talking to a scammer. The scammer told that to protect her account, she would need to make two $15,000 wire transfers to a Wells Fargo account.

    After realizing she had been scammed, she immediately called Chase Bank and was transferred between eight different departments before someone could help her. By the time she got somebody on the line, the transactions to Wells Fargo had already gone through. Chase told her she would need to fill out paperwork before they could investigate, and that would take at least a week. Chase then allegedly passed the buck, no pun intended, to Wells Fargo. The victim was essentially told that it would depend on Wells Fargo on whether she would get her money back. When she asked Chase for some documentation, she was reportedly told, “We don’t provide that, and we’re out. This is on you.”

    Banks contact customers all the time if they believe a fraudulent purchase or transaction has been made. So, why weren’t either bank suspicious about two wire transfers that totaled $30,000? Why aren’t these transactions being put on hold when a customer claims they’ve been defrauded? And again, why are the banks allowing scammers to open and close bank accounts so quickly?

    If you get a text that looks like it came from your bank asking about a fraudulent transaction, don’t use the callback feature in the text. If someone calls you claiming to be from your bank about fraudulent activity, hang up. Then dial your bank directly at the phone number on the back of your debit card.

    The only way to try to prevent financial loss from these scams is to protect yourself, since it doesn’t appear the banks will go out of their way to help.

     

  • Geebo 9:01 am on February 28, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Rideshare drivers used in multi-state scams 

    Rideshare drivers used in multi-state scams

    By Greg Collier

    It wasn’t too long ago when we wondered if scammers were putting rideshare drivers in danger. That’s because scammers are using rideshare drivers as unwitting couriers or chauffeurs. In most instances, the scammers will use rideshares like Uber and Lyft to collect packages of cash from their victims. In other instances, scammers have sent rideshares to their victims’ homes, so the victim can be taken to the bank to get more money for the scammers. This has led to confusion on the part of police, where they don’t know whether the rideshare driver is involved in the scam or not. While no driver that we know of has been injured by police, it can only take one wrong move for the situation to escalate in violence.

    More recently, we’ve learned that not only are the scammers using rideshare drivers as couriers, but the drivers are being asked to drive across state lines to deliver stolen cash. In Western, Pennsylvania, an elderly woman lost $25,000 in a grandparent scam. Believing her grandson was in legal trouble, she gave a package with the money inside to a rideshare driver that the scammers had called for her.

    As can be usual with scammers, once they took money from the victim once, they tried to get more. When the new driver showed up to collect the package, he told the grandmother that his destination was somewhere in New Jersey. If you’re not familiar with the geography of the Northeast, that’s roughly a 12-hour round trip, depending on where in New Jersey the driver was headed. Let’s say that the driver was going from Pittsburgh to Atlantic City. Not only is that a 12-hour or more round trip depending on traffic, but it’s also a $1000 trip. The scammers can afford it since they’re getting thousands of dollars from their victims.

    In case you were wondering, like we were, rideshare drivers get around 25% of the fare. So, a trip from Pittsburgh to Atlantic City would be a thousand dollars, but the driver would have to drive for 12 hours. That comes out to $250 for the driver, which is around $21/hr. This does not take gas and tolls that the driver would need to pay out of their own pocket. We’d love to hear from rideshare drivers if this would be a fare they would be interested in taking. Is it worth the money?

    Thankfully, the second driver was stopped by police after the grandmother realized she had been scammed. State Troopers escorted the driver to New Jersey, where they arrested two men alleged to be behind the scam.

    While both Lyft and Uber both have parcel delivery services, we would suggest that both companies need to educate their drivers on how to be on the lookout for scams and illegal activity. Maybe have their drivers go through a checklist with the sender about various scams, such as the grandparent scam. Such a small step could go a long way in helping prevent scam victims from losing their money.

     

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