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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 13, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: barcodes ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), shut off scam ( 17 ), utility scam ( 31 )   

  New twist on shut-off scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The shut-off scam has increased in number during the summer months, especially in hotter areas of the country. The scam starts when a scammer calls a victim, posing as the local power company. The scammer tells the victim that thy’re behind on their power bill. If the victim doesn’t make a payment right then and there, their power service will be terminated in 15-30 minutes.

  Not wanting to have their power turned off in this sweltering heat, victims typically pay the scammer through gift cards. The victim is instructed to go to a store to buy gift cards before giving the card numbers to the scammers as payment. More recently, scammers have been instructing their victims to send their money through Bitcoin ATMs. In both cases, the victim’s money is virtually unrecoverable.

  Now, a city in Florida has had to deal with a new variation of the shut-off scam. In Kissimmee, Florida, residents there started receiving text messages that claimed to be from the local power company. Again, the victims were threatened with service termination if they didn’t make an immediate payment. However, instead of asking for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency, the scammers sent a bar code in the text message. If the bar code is scanned at certain stores, the victim sends the money to the scammer’s PayPal or bank account. Some victims lost as much as $4000.

  While we all may be more connected than we’ve ever been, utility companies still stick to more tried and trusted ways when it comes to communicating with customers. If a utility account is in arrears, the utility company will send out written warnings in the mail rather than phone calls or text messages. Also, no legitimate company or agency will ask for payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or bar codes that can be scanned from your phone.

  If you receive one of these calls or messages, call your utility company directly to verify that it’s a scam.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 12, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), gift cards ( 101 ), Google ( 30 ), Prime Day ( 8 ), real estate ( 127 ), rental scam ( 87 ), review bomb, Scams ( 1,365 )   

  Scam Round Up: Amazon crime day and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Today in the Scam Round up, we’re bringing you one scam you definitely should be aware of, a new twist on an old scam, and a kind of strange scam.

  ***

  First, we have the new twist on the old scam, the rental scam to be specific. Typically, in a rental scam, the scammers post a home or apartment for rent online they don’t own. They’ll then start collecting security deposits, or rent money, from their victims. This is usually all done without ever meeting face to face. However, a woman from Cleveland, Ohio, is accused of allegedly collecting $20,000 from dozens of victims at the apartment complex she worked at. The scammer would tell victims that their application was approved before taking their money. This included payments in money order, cash, and, of course, Cash App.

  It’s difficult to protect yourself from a scam like this when it’s being perpetrated by an employee of a legitimate apartment complex. While we imagine the odds of this scam happening again are low, if you feel like you’re not receiving enough communication from the property management as you get closer to your move-in date, consider talking to another employee at that complex. If you’ve been scammed like this, don’t hesitate to contact your local police.

  ***

  In our strange scam story, restaurants from across the country are being extorted. A rash of scammers is threatening to review-bomb the restaurants with one-star reviews on Google, if the restaurant doesn’t send a $75 Google Play gift card to the scammer electronically. We’re not just talking about your local Applebee’s, these scammers are also threatening restaurants that have been awarded the much lauded Michelin Stars.

  What makes matters worse, Google isn’t the easiest company to get a hold of when you need an issue like this resolved. Google has even refused to recognize some of the reviews as fake and have refused to remove them from their platform.

  While this scam sounds more like a viral prank than anything, the scammers are not relenting. When a restaurant adds a response to the phony complaint indicating the review is fraudulent, the scammers double down with threats like “We can keep doing this indefinitely. Is $75 worth more to you than a loss to the business?”

  While not a lot of people own restaurants compared to the rest of us, a scam like this can potentially threaten any industry and any business.

  ***

  Lastly, we have the scam that everyone should be aware of. Today starts Amazon Prime Day, one of the online retail giant’s biggest sales event. Cybersecurity experts call Prime Day the Super Bowl for scammers. The biggest threats are said to be phony websites that imitate Amazon and messages that appear to come from Amazon but don’t. If a shopper ends up going to one of these phony Amazon clones, they could be subject to malware, identity theft, and lost funds. Always check the URL, or web address, to make sure you’re on the website you want to be. Scam sites will often have a URL that is spelled like the site they’re imitating, but be one letter off or have left a letter out. They could also have the Amazon name in their URL, but have it direct you to their scam site instead.

  Consumers should also be wary of deals that sound too good to be true. That could also be the indicator of a scam. If you will be shopping online during Prime Day, try to use a credit card whenever possible because they offer more protection than a standard bank debit card.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 11, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: gas card, gas pumps ( 3 ), gas relief ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), skimmers ( 3 )   

  Record high gas prices bring out the scammers 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Scammers probably pay attention to the news more than most. If there’s a crisis they can take advantage of, they will. In this case, it’s the prices at the pump that we’ve all been having to deal with. Leave it to the scammers to make matters worse for people who are just trying to commute to work, take their kids to school, or both. So, here are three scams that could make paying at the pump even more expensive.

  The first gas scam we need to discuss are the promise of gas cards that are spreading on social media. The what this scam works is the scammers will pose as a well-known gas station brand. They’ll then reach out to people on social media to their victims they just won a $500 gas card. The victim will then be instructed to give their payment information because there is a small payment like $1.95 for shipping. Once the scammers have a victim’s payment information, they’ve been charging close to $90 a piece to each victim. Remember, you can’t win anything if you’ve never entered a giveaway.

  The second scam takes the form of a text message scam. In the state of New York, the Department of Motor Vehicles is warning drivers there about a scam that has become prevalent in the Empire State. Scammers have been sending out text messages posing as the DMV, promising recipients a $1500 rebate due to high gas prices. The text contains a link that scammers are hoping you’ll click on. The link takes you to a website that is a clone of the DMV’s website, where you’re asked to enter your personal information. If you were to surrender your personal information, it would open you up to identity theft.

  Currently, no state is offering any kind of gas relief outside of a handful of states that have temporarily repealed gas taxes.

  Lastly, we’re going to talk about a gas pump scam that happens even when gas prices are reasonable. If you pay at the pump with a credit or debit card, you have to be careful of card skimmers that scammers have placed inside of the gas pump’s card scanner. It used to be you could just tug on the pump’s card slot and the skimmer would dislodge. Now, there are skimmers small enough to fit inside the card scanning mechanism. To avoid having your card skimmed, look for any evidence of tampering, like scraped paint, exposed wires, or some kind of tape or sticker. The best way to avoid skimmers is to pay inside the gas station.

   
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  Geebo 8:01 am on July 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity ( 17 ), charity scam ( 34 ), Highland Park, Illinois ( 4 ), mass shooting ( 9 ), Scams ( 1,365 )   

  Mayor warns of scams in wake of Highland Park tragedy 

  

  By Greg Collier

  For the third time in three months, it’s with a heavy heart that we have to discuss potential charity scams in the wake of the tragedy that happened in Highland Park, Illinois.

  As you’ve no doubt heard, a 22-year-old gunman fired on a crowd that was gathered for the Chicago suburb’s 4th of July parade. Seven people lost their lives, including the parents of a two-year-old boy. Scores more were injured in the during the chaos.

  Again, in what has become even more common, the mayor of Highland Park has warned residents about potential fundraising scams during a press conference this week.

  Many scammers take to the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to set up fake accounts posing as victim’s families when a catastrophe like this happens. However, GoFundMe has stepped up and once again posted a list of verified fundraising campaigns that will go directly to those affected by the atrocity. If you find it in your heart to donate, you can find that list on GoFundMe’s website at this link.

  However, there are other charity scams you need to look out for. Scammers love to cold call people, or send them unsolicited messages posing as a charity. These fake charities may have fake but official sounding names, or they might pose as a known charity resource like the Red Cross. You should not respond to any unsolicited communication as this has become the chief tool of the charity scammer.

  To further avoid being scammed or not having your donation going to where it’s needed most, it’s best if you research the charity before giving any money. You can research most charities at Give.org which is maintained by the Better Business Bureau, or Charity Navigator.

  I think I can safely speak for the entire staff of Geebo.com when I say that are deepest condolences go out to the residents of Highland Park and all those affected.

  No one should ever have to go through this.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cattle scam, farm scam, Scams ( 1,365 ), wire fraud ( 21 ), wire transfer ( 4 )   

  Why you should care about a cattle scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The scam we’re about to discuss probably wouldn’t affect the majority of our reading audience. However, we think it goes a long way into showing just how prevalent scams are these days.

  A cattle farmer from Tennessee was looking to add a cow to his livestock. He went on a legitimate livestock marketplace platform called Cattle Exchange. There, he found cattle he was willing to purchase. The seller, who claimed to be from Arkansas, asked for a $15,000 deposit to be sent through wire transfer, with the rest being paid on delivery. After sending the $15,000 deposit, the seller then started asking for the rest of the money before delivery.

  It was at this point the farmer realized that something was wrong. The farmer contacted law enforcement, but unfortunately, his money could not be recovered since the money was sent somewhere out of the country.

  According to the news report, the traditional way to pay for cattle is through a cashier’s check. However, the article states that you should check with the issuing bank before depositing the check to make sure the check is valid.

  So, why should our readers be concerned about a cattle scam? While the odds are pretty good you may not be a cattle rancher, you probably do have an interest which could be considered a niche interest. While I’m sure it’s very profitable, cattle ranching can be considered niche to those of us not involved in the industry.

  No matter how niche or obscure your business, hobbies, or collections can be, the odds are there’s a scammer waiting to take advantage of you. This is especially true when making trades or purchases online. Not only do scams happen on large platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, but they also happen on specialized marketplaces that only cater to a limited audience.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 6, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm ( 25 ), Microsoft ( 21 ), pop-ups ( 26 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), tech support scam ( 50 )   

  Scammer drives elderly victim to Bitcoin ATM 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Scammers showing up at the door of their elderly victims is unfortunately not new. We’ve seen this mostly with the grandparent scam, where the scammers pose as couriers picking up the money to supposedly bail out one of the victim’s grandchildren. We’ve also seen an increasing number of scammers who get their victims to give the scammers their money through Bitcoin ATMs. This mostly happens with shut off scams, where the scammers pose as power companies, threatening the victims with their service being shut off immediately if they don’t pay. Now, take the two most alarming parts of those scams, and you have one of the more frightening scams we’ve discussed.

  In Fresno, California, an elderly woman got a pop-up on her computer claiming her device had a virus and that she needed to call Microsoft. The number included in the pop-up did not go to Microsoft, but to a scammers’ phone. The scammer told the woman that someone overseas is trying to hack into her bank account. She was instructed to go to her bank and withdraw $9,000. The scammer also told her that she couldn’t call anyone else, or their phone would get the virus. She was even told to tell the bank that she was withdrawing her money to buy a new car if the bank asked.

  After withdrawing the money, the bank manager even drove the woman home due to the heat and the fact she was carrying a large amount of cash. She had taken an Uber to get to the bank.

  After she got home, the scammer called her back and said that having a large amount of cash at home was a security risk, so they’ll send someone to her home to take her to a Bitcoin ATM to ‘protect’ her money. Someone picked up the woman and drove her to a gas station, where they instructed her on how to deposit the money into the Bitcoin kiosk. This actually sent the money to the scammers and was unrecoverable. Thankfully, the scammer or their accomplice took the woman home unharmed.

  There are few things more frightening than thinking about an elderly relative being driven by a stranger while they’re carrying a lot of money. We’re sure it also makes the scam victim feel less secure in their own home.

  As is with most tech support scams, computer companies like Microsoft or Apple have no idea whether your computer has a virus or not. If they did, that would be a huge breach of privacy. Also, any time someone you don’t know tells you not to call your family or police is virtually guaranteed to be a scammer. Lastly, you can’t protect your money at a Bitcoin ATM. They are mostly used to convert cash to Bitcoin. In these scams, victims are depositing their cash into the scammer’s Bitcoin wallet.

  Scams like this can be devastating to the elderly, as some families decide to oversee their finances. While this would alert family members to large bank transactions, many seniors feel like this robs them of their independence.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 5, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook ( 178 ), Facebook Marketplace ( 62 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), TikTok ( 10 ), Zelle ( 66 )   

  Online seller gets 8 Zelle scammers in an hour 

  

  By Greg Collier

  It was around this time last week, we first brought you the story about a Zelle scam that’s been targeting online sellers. In this scam, the buyer insists on paying with Zelle. The seller then receives an email that claims to be from Zelle. The email claims you need to upgrade to a Zelle business account, which requires the buyer to send an additional $300. The buyer will then send the seller phony screenshots that make it look like the buyer paid the seller’s price along with the $300, The buyer will then demand the back from the seller. However, the buyer hasn’t really paid anything, and the seller would be out $300 if they send the money to the seller.

  Now, we’re getting some more information about this scam. A woman from New York recently shared her story on TikTok after encountering some Zelle scammers. She was attempting to sell a couch on Facebook Marketplace. At least eight different people tried paying the woman through Zelle within an hour after the listing was posted. The scammers were said to have been asking for the seller’s email address to send the payment through Zelle. That’s not how Zelle works, though. More than likely, the scammers wanted to send the email about signing up for a Zelle business account. These emails will have Zelle in the name, but will often come from services like Gmail. Again, this scam isn’t exclusive to Zelle and Marketplace, but they seem to be the most common avenues for this scam.

  The New York woman told her followers that Zelle is not the scam, which is technically true. But as we’ve been chronicling for almost a year, Zelle isn’t exactly standing by their customers when it comes to scams. In the Zelle app, you should receive a warning that says you shouldn’t send money to people you don’t know, but that seems to be the extent of their user protection. Zelle and its associated banks are very reluctant to offer refunds to scam victims. Most scam victims, who do get their money back from Zelle, usually have to go to their local media first. That doesn’t sound like a very consumer-friendly way of helping a scam victim.

  If you’re selling items online, we recommend following these three rules. The first is to only sell locally. The second is to only accept cash. And the third is to meet the buyer at a local police department. While these rules are not guarantees that you won’t be scammed, they do go a long way in preventing scams.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 1, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: eBay ( 16 ), gift cards ( 101 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), used car ( 33 )   

  Gift cards still popular among scammers 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Within the past year or so, it seems like scammers have been leaning more toward Zelle and cryptocurrency to steal from their victims. Prior to that, gift cards seemed to be used in just about every phone and online scam. Scammers would get their victims to buy scores of gift cards for whatever the scam entailed, and then had the victims read the card numbers to them. The money on the cards would then be depleted immediately by the scammers, and the victim would have no way of recouping their financial loss.

  While git card scams may not be as prevalent as they used to be, they’re still out there. For example, a man from Arizona recently lost $1000 to a gift card scam. This also took the form of a used car scam. The man was looking for a truck and found one online. The seller claimed to be a serviceman and was selling the truck at such a low price because he was deploying soon.

  The seller also claimed that he was selling the car through eBay and needed the man to buy eBay gift cards to purchase the vehicle. The man bought the cards at a local store and was even warned about scams by a store employee. The man went through with the purchase anyway, and provided the supposed seller with the numbers from the back of the cards. Of course, the truck never existed, and the scammer cut off communication immediately with their victim.

  Before we get into the warnings about gift cards, there were a few red flags you should know about first. If an item is being sold at a steep discount and the seller claims to be a military member who is shipping out, that’s a good indicator of a scam. Scammers love using this story, as it tends to make them sound more trustworthy.

  Also, while eBay does have its own vehicle marketplace, you don’t pay the seller directly with gift cards. They also do not have a vehicle shipping program, which many scammers claim.

  Lastly, unless you’re actually giving someone a gift, gift cards should never be used as a form of payment to people you don’t know. No legitimate company, agency, or online seller, will ever ask for gift cards as payment. They are the currency of the scammer, since they’re virtually untraceable once the card is depleted.

  Video: Milan man falls victim to eBay gift card scam

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 30, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: lawsuit ( 47 ), money transfer ( 7 ), moneygram ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), walmart ( 24 ), Western Union ( 3 )   

  Walmart sued over money transfer scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Before Zelle and cryptocurrency became all the rage among scammers, money transfer services were in vogue. In many of the scams we’ve detailed over the years, money transfer services like Western Union and MoneyGram were used to extort money out of scam victims. This was done because once a scammer collects the money from a money transfer location, they can disappear into the wind. This meant that once a scam victim sent their money to a scammer through one of these services, the money was gone and could not be recouped.

  This did not go unnoticed by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC sued both MoneyGram and Western Union for failure to protect their customers from scams and frauds. Both services were ordered to pay restitution to scam victims. As expected, the losses of both companies ended up being in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

  Now, the FTC has gone after the one company that has a MoneyGram or Western Union in each of its locations. That would be the retail giant Walmart. The FTC is suing Walmart, claiming the retail chain also did not do enough to protect their customers from money transfer scams. Walmart is accused of turning a blind eye to scams while collecting money for the transfer fees. In its complaint, the FTC claims Walmart did not properly train its employees and failed to adequately warn consumers of the dangers of using money transfers. The FTC is looking to have Walmart also pay restitution to scam victims.

  To be fair, when we do post about scams that involve money transfers, the victim is almost always instructed to use one of the services at a Walmart.

  In its defense, Walmart claims that the FTC has overreached its boundaries, considering they’ve already won lawsuits against both MoneyGram and Western Union for their failure to prevent fraud.

  What do you think? Is Walmart responsible for allowing scams to happen, or has the FTC done enough already? Please let us know in the comments.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,365 ), Zelle ( 66 ), zillow ( 15 )   

  Zillow scammers list multi-million dollar homes for just thousands 

  

  By Greg Collier

  In a previous post, we mentioned that even Zillow isn’t immune from rental scammers. In that post, we discussed how a scammer claimed a property on Zillow to run a rental scam. That scammer was charging victims for things like deposits and application fees for a property they didn’t own. So, someone might think that homes for sale on Zillow can’t be scam listings. Well, it depends on the home and the price.

  A scammer, or group of scammers, are claiming multi-million dollar properties on Zillow, and listing them for sale at a fraction of the price. For example, in Jacksonville, Florida, a $2 million home was listed for sale with a price of only $21,000. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a $1.3 million home was listed for sale with a price tag of $17,000. What makes this story so incredible is the reason the scammers claim they’re selling these homes at such a deep discount.

  On both listings, the scammers say, “I’m selling my home inexpensively because, my family own many properties across the country. A few times a year we sell one or a few of our homes to first time buyers for under $50,000. This is done as a tax rite off for us, & to bless a family or individual that needs it, & as being a first time buyer, may not be able to get a home otherwise.”

  Of course, the supposed good Samaritan lists a few caveats before the sale can take place. They insist the buyer be a first-time home buyer who has no representation such as a realtor, bank, investor, or attorney.

  So, we’re sure you’re asking where’s the scam? The listings insisted that any prospective buyer has to put down a $2000 deposit just to take a tour of the home. And how is the deposit supposed to be paid? Through Zelle, of course. As you may know, the peer-to-peer payment app has come under heavy criticism in recent times for being one of the favorite tools of scammers.

  But as they say on TV, that’s not all. Not only are the scammers looking to take $2000 from each victim, but they’re probably looking to steal their identity as well. In addition to the Zelle deposit, the scammers are asking their victims for an electronic signature, an email address, and a photo ID.

  In Zillow’s defense, the false listings were removed once they were brought to Zillow’s attention.

  While stories of wealthy people giving something of great value to a needy family makes for great fiction, they rarely happen in real life. As you may have noticed, the listing, as copied above, is rife with spelling and grammatical errors. This is a sure sign that a real estate listing is a scam.

  And once again, apps like Zelle and the like are only supposed to be used between friends and family. Anyone outside of your circle who is asking for payment through Zelle is almost assuredly a scammer.

  If you are shopping for a new home, the best way to protect yourself from false listings is to check with that county’s tax assessment office. They should have all the information you need to find the true owner and realtor.