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  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Rental scam listing stays on Zillow for a week 

    Rental scam listing stays on Zillow for a week

    By Greg Collier

    When looking for a rental property, we recommend using platforms like Zillow to help determine whether a rental listing is a scam or not. Platforms like Zillow can often give you a good idea of not only what market prices for rent are in a certain area, but they can also often tell you who is really renting the property. But what happens when the information on Zillow is wrong? One California landlady recently found out.

    The landlady from Sacramento listed her home for rent on Zillow. However, a rental scammer is said to have duplicated the ad on Zillow as well. The scam was discovered when a prospective renter showed up at the woman’s home looking to take a tour. Except, the landlady had never spoken to the person who showed up at her door.

    Not only had scammers copied the original listing, but they also listed the landlady’s name while asking for $1200 deposits.

    The fake listing stayed up on Zillow for a week after the landlady contacted them. It stayed up so long because the scammer kept arguing with Zillow that they were the legitimate landlord. That could mean that the scammer was collecting $1200 from victims all the while. The landlady is concerned that victims who may have been scammed may come after her, since the scammers used her name.

    While platforms like Zillow and Truila are good tools to use in a search for a rental property, they are not the final authority. They can have scammers like any other platform. Even if a landlord gives you a tour of the property or gives you a code to the property’s lockbox, that doesn’t necessarily make them the true landlord. The best way to find out who actually owns a property is to always check with the county’s tax office or website.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Military family fall victim to rental scam 

    Military family fall victim to rental scam

    By Greg Collier

    U.S. service members are one of the most targeted groups when it comes to scams. They are frequently victims of identity theft, romance scams, and employment scams. Again, this shows that scammers have absolutely no conscience when it comes to finding targets. Our service members have dedicated their lives to protecting our country, but scammers only think of them as a source of loot. Even when service members are looking for housing for themselves and their families, the scammers are lurking.

    A member of the Naval Reserves was recently looking for a home to rent in the Denver, Colorado area. He used a platform designed specifically to help service members find housing near their respective bases. It should be noted that the platform in question is not run by the military itself.

    The service member was able to find a rental to his liking and paid a $2700 deposit. However, the day before he was supposed to move in, the supposed landlord cut off all communication with the service member. Like with most rental scams, the home was actually for sale and not for rent.

    Typically, in rental scams, the scammers will copy the listing of a home for sale. They’ll then repost the listing somewhere else online, claiming the property is for rent, and that the scammer is the owner. The fake listings often list the property at a lower rent than the market value to try to find desperate victims. Scammers will ask victims for security deposits and first month’s rent before disappearing on the victims.

    Rental scams do not discriminate and have taken money from victims in every education and socioeconomic level. Of course, this scam hits lower-income families harder, as they can’t afford the loss of thousands of dollars.

    If you find a rental listing that appears to be a great deal, do as much research as you can on the property. Even a quick Google search of the address can show you information about the actual listing of the property. But when in doubt, contact the county tax assessor’s office or website. They’ll be able to tell you who the actual owner of the home is.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 5, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , cancellations, ,   

    BBB warns of Airline ticket scam 

    BBB warns of Airline ticket scam

    By Greg Collier

    The airline industry has yet to return to pre-pandemic conditions. Many of the airlines are still understaffed and overbooked, leading to record numbers of flight cancellations. As should be expected, scammers have their fingers on the pulse of the airline industry and are using the industry’s problems to the scammers’ advantage. It’s become such an issue that Better Business Bureau offices all over the country have issued multiple warnings about these scams.

    Most of these airline ticket scams start with where someone buys their airline tickets from. Scammers will set up phony websites or phony customer service numbers that promise discounted flight packages. The scammers will act like they’re booking a legitimate flight while taking the traveler’s money. After the transaction is completed, the traveler will receive a phone call from the phony travel company saying the flight has been cancelled, but they can be rerouted for an additional fee. That means the traveler has paid twice for a ticket that doesn’t even exist.

    The BBB warns that no legitimate airline or travel business would call back indicating an immediate price increase.

    In another scam, a traveler has a legitimately purchased flight ticket, but scammers will send out a text message posing as an airline, saying that the traveler’s flight has been cancelled when it actually hasn’t. The text contains a phone number to call which would connect the traveler to the scammers who promise to rebook the traveler for an additional fee.

    With any kind of travel arrangements, always do your research first. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it just might be. Look for online reviews of the company you’re booking your flight with if you’re not dealing with the airline directly. Also, be careful of emails and texts that claim to be rescheduling or rerouting your flight. Never click on any links provided or call any phone number listed in the messages. Instead, call the airline directly at the customer service number listed on their website.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Scam Round Up: Scam targeting service members and more 

    Scam Round Up: Scam targeting service members and more

    By Greg Collier

    This week, in the Scam Round Up, we’re bringing you a warning about a scam you’ve probably heard of and two scams you might not have.

    ***

    Our first scam is one of the more common scams. It’s so common, it even predates the internet. The Pennsylvania State Troopers have issued an alert about the secret shopper scam. Some of the larger retail chains employ secret shoppers to evaluate the customer service in their stores. However, it’s not as common a job as scammers would have you think.

    A woman from the Keystone State lost close to $3000 to the scam. She thought she had been hired by Walmart as a secret shopper. She was sent a check and told to deposit it in her bank account before going out and buying gift cards from Walmart. Once she did, she gave the card numbers to the scammers, who she thought were her employer. The check she deposited was a fake, and the scammers made off with the value of the gift cards.

    If any job asks you to deposit a check into your own account that is supposed to be used for business purposes, the odds are the check is a fake.

    ***

    Do you follow any celebrities on social media? If you do, you may want to watch out for any offers they might make. Recently, a number of celebrities have had their social media accounts hijacked or impersonated. The fraudulent accounts claimed that the celebrities were selling PlayStations at retail price, with the proceeds going to charity. By the time some of the celebrities were able to regain access to their accounts, some victims had already sent money to the scammers.

    Sometimes, celebrities, especially online personalities, will have giveaways, but rarely will they sell anything through social media. If you see one of these posts, be very skeptical, and remember that if something is too good to be true, it probably is.

    ***

    Our last scam is one that is specifically targeting members of our nation’s military. Members of the Illinois National Guard have been receiving phone calls by someone claiming to be a first sergeant. The caller tells the service member that they’re owed back pay. The caller then asks for the amounts of the service member’s last three paychecks. Then the service member is asked to pay a fee of almost $300 in order to receive the back pay.

    According to reports, if a service member is owed back pay, they’ll be notified by their chain of command and not a random phone call.

    ***

    While these scams may not be happening right now in your area, you’re now hopefully prepared if they do.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    How Zelle scammers wear down their victims 

    How Zelle scammers wear down their victims

    By Greg Collier

    As expected, the Zelle scam is still ongoing. For a brief recap, scammers are calling their victims pretending to be a bank fraud department. The scammers tell their victim that there’s been fraudulent activity on their account. The victim is instructed to move their money through the Zelle app to protect it. But what’s really going on is the scammers are directing the victims to transfer their money to the scammers.

    Just today, we found two reports of bank customers falling for the Zelle scam. However, both of these reports give us a good look into how scammers convince their victims to give up their money.

    A woman from New Jersey is a customer of PNC Bank, one of the banks that co-owns the Zelle app. She received a call from scammers posing as PNC Bank’s fraud department. The caller was said to sound professional and told the woman there had been a $1000 Zelle, transfer to a man in Texas she didn’t know. The caller even knew the woman’s name, address and phone number. She was told to use the Zelle app to perform a $1000 reversal.

    The woman started to think the call was suspicious and started asking for additional identifying information from the caller, such as her date of birth or account number. The caller insisted the call was legitimate and time was running out on stopping the phony transaction. The caller refused when she asked to speak with a supervisor. She even said she was going to call PNC directly, but was told she would just be directed back to the fraud department. Then the caller tried to say there was another $5000 charge that just came through. When she started asking more questions, the caller said PNV would call her back tomorrow and hung up.

    A man from Colorado fell victim to a similar scam when he received a call that appeared to come from U.S. Bank’s fraud department. U.S. Bank is also a co-owner of Zelle. That caller had a large amount of the man’s information, including his name, address, and the last four digits of his bank account. Again, that caller sounded professional, and the man heard computer typing in the background like they were really handling a fraudulent activity on his account. He was also instructed to move his money through Zelle, where he lost $1000. These scammers also tried to get more money out of the man, That’s when he hung up and called U.S. Bank directly to find out he’d been scammed.

    In both cases, neither bank would refund the victims their money, with both claiming they can’t do anything since this wasn’t the result of a banking mistake.

    Please keep in mind that scammers aren’t just some guy calling from a run down basement using a burner phone. Often, they’re run exactly like a legitimate business would be run. Don’t fall for phony professionalism.

    And remember, Zelle is only supposed to be used between friends. It’s not for bill paying or ‘protecting your money’. If you get a call like this, hang up and call your bank directly at the phone number on your debit card or from the bank’s website.

     

  • Geebo 8:04 am on August 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers descend on flooded areas 

    By Greg Collier

    If you follow the news, you’ve probably heard of the devastating floods that have affected parts of Appalachia, including Virginia, West Virginia, and especially Kentucky. Countless families have been displaced from their homes. Unfortunately, scammers will be using these disasters to try to fleece an already distraught victim pool. To make matters worse, the scammers will do this posing as federal agents offering assistance.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, is warning residents of the flood-affected areas to be aware of scammers posing as FEMA agents. In one of the more popular FEMA scams, scammers will call affected victims offering assistance with an application for a FEMA disaster grant. What the scammer really wants is the victim’s personal information, including their Social Security number, so the scammer can get the grant money using the victim’s name.

    In a variation of the advance fee scam, scammers, acting as FEMA agents, will ask for a fee that they say is required for a grant application. This is false, as it’s free to apply for a FEMA disaster grant.

    In order to better protect yourself, do not give any personal information to someone claiming to be a FEMA inspector. Inspectors do not need your personal information and are not authorized to do so. Unless you’ve already filed for a disaster grant, FEMA will not call you out of the blue. As with most government agencies, you need to contact FEMA first before any progress on your application can be made. Also, no FEMA agent should ask for your application number, as legitimate agents will already have it.

    Lastly, if you receive a letter from FEMA but haven’t filed an application yet, a scammer may have tried to file for a grant in your name. If this is the case, you can call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

    Please keep in mind that even if you’re not currently residing in a disaster area, you could someday and these tips will apply to you as well.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 1, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , Mega Millions,   

    Lottery scams in the wake of record jackpot 

    Lottery scams in the wake of record jackpot

    By Greg Collier

    We’re sure many of you have heard about the $1.3 billion dollar lottery jackpot that happened this past Friday. A single ticket bought in the Chicago area matched all the numbers in the Mega Millions lottery drawing. However, even if a lottery player matches several numbers, they can still win a substantial prize. This is what scammers are now using to prey on their victims.

    In the state of Connecticut, scammers are calling potential victims while posing as the state’s lottery commission. The callers are telling residents that they’ve won a lottery prize. The resident is then asked for personal information like their Social Security number. More than likely, this is done so the scammers can commit identity theft.

    Keep in mind that if you do play the lottery, even occasionally, you need to claim the prize yourself. In most cases, the state doesn’t know who has won a lottery. They only know where the winning ticket was purchased. Just think about how many stories there have been where a lottery winner never claimed their prize.

    This isn’t the only lottery scam out there. Another popular lottery scam is the advance fee scam. In this scam, the scammers tell a victim they’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes, but they need to pay a tax or processing fee before claiming their prize. The scammers will continue to ask the victim for more money, claiming there are problems with the delivery of the prize.

    There is also the impersonation scam, where scammers claim they’re famous lottery winners who are giving some of their winnings away. In this scam, the scammers will either text or send messages on social media using the names of legitimate lottery winners. The victims are then instructed to click on a link which will help them claim their gift. Victims have reported giving scammers their Social Security numbers along with their driver’s license information. Other victims have reported losing money when asked for processing fees and taxes.

    If you ever receive a text message, phone call, or social media message saying that you’ve won money, you have every right to be skeptical. Because, in the end, it could end up costing you money instead.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Scam victims deserve our sympathy, not our scorn 

    By Greg Collier

    When you constantly post stories about scams, you’ll inevitably get two types of comments. The first types are the ones where people will admonish the victim for being a victim. Those comments usually say something like, “How could they not know this was a scam?” The second types of comments are the boastful kind that say, “I would never fall for a scam like that.”

    Neither of these comments are very helpful. We all benefit from hindsight and can pick out the errors in judgement a scam victim might have made. But unless you’re in the heat of the moment of the scam, no one can say how they would truly react.

    No one can truly say they’re scam-proof. There is a scam out there with your name on it, just waiting for the perfect moment for you to drop your guard even for an instant. It doesn’t matter what level of education you have or your socioeconomic status. According to an article from Forbes written by a retirement plan specialist, the more self-confident a person is about not being scammed, the more likely they are to fall for a scam. People who are well-educated and of sound mind are often victims of scams because they feel like they don’t fit the profile of a scam victim.

    You also have to consider the mental state of the victim at the time of the scam. The Washington Post has a great article about how scams are affecting not only the mental health of victims, but everyone else who is on the lookout for scams.

    In the Post article, they tell the story of a cancer patient who can’t ignore strange phone numbers because she never knows when it will be a doctor or medical lab. She says she’s being bombarded by scammers, receiving 20 scam calls a day. They also tell the story of a couple who almost fell victim to the virtual kidnapping scam. They believed their adult daughter had been kidnapped, and the kidnapper was demanding a ransom. Furthermore, they were able to contact police, who found that their daughter was ok, but can you imagine the terror they felt in the meantime? We can advise people to remain calm all we want, but in the moment that advice may not take hold.

    Lastly, the main reason why we shouldn’t disparage scam victims is because many of them never come forward to police in the first place out of embarrassment. If victims are discouraged from coming forward, more victims fall victim to these scams. Some victims have even taken their own lives after being scammed.

    It takes just as much effort to offer these people some kind words of encouragement than it does to vilify them. Which kind of person would you rather be? What kind of person would you want others to be if you were a victim?

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 28, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Couple loses $350K In Apple scam 

    By Greg Collier

    To be honest, there’s not a lot of information about this story. The report that we’ve read spends more time discussing the amount lost to the scammers, which, to be fair, is a lot. However, we can assume how the scam worked from previous scams in a similar vein. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

    An elderly couple from the state of Michigan are said to have lost $350,000 to a tech support scam. The couple reportedly withdrew money from several different accounts to send money to the scammers through a Bitcoin ATM.

    The county sheriff’s office where this scam took place says that they are familiar with scams like this, but this is the largest amount lost they’ve ever seen.

    What we do know about the scam is that the couple received a message on their computer that appeared to come from Apple Computers with a phone number to call.

    This sounds a lot like the pop-up scams that claim to be from Microsoft. These pop-ups, which can lock up your computer, say things like your computer has a virus, or is in danger of being hacked. These pop-ups usually also instruct victims to call a phone number to resolve the issue.

    When a victim calls one of these phony customer service numbers, they’ll be told some outlandish tale about how their computer is being hacked, and the hackers are about to steal all the victim’s money. The victim will then be instructed that in order to protect their money, they need to move it somewhere safe. This is when the scammers will direct the victim to withdraw their money from their bank accounts and send it to the scammers in the forms of gift cards, cryptocurrency, or some other form of untraceable payment.

    What many victims don’t know is that companies like Apple, Microsoft, or Google don’t really know whether your computer has been compromised or not. If you receive one of these pop-up messages, turn your computer off. Hold down the power button until it turns off, if you need to. If the pop-ups continue, you may need to run a malware scan using a product like Malwarebytes. Malware and viruses are more likely to affect computers that run Microsoft Windows than Apple computers.

    If you still can’t get your computer to function properly, try taking the device to a computer repair store. It will cost you a lot less in the end than sending the money to scammers.

    But whatever you do, do not call the phone number in the pop-up message.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    New elaborate addition to the jury duty scam 

    By Greg Collier

    There’s hardly a day that goes by where we don’t see some police department warning local residents about the jury duty scam. This scam is simple in its design, as it uses a basic human fear to take money from its victims. Typically, scammers will pose as local law enforcement, even going as far as to spoof the police department’s phone number. The scammers will call a potential victim and identify themselves as a police officer. The victim will be told that they missed jury duty and now have to pay a fine to prevent being arrested. Most times, this is enough to get the victim to pay. The scammers will almost always demand payment in some form of untraceable means, like gift cards or a prepaid debit card.

    Now, it seems, jury duty scammers are stepping up their game as authorities in North Carolina are warning residents of a new elaborate twist to the typical jury duty scam. Law enforcement in the Tarheel State have received complaints about jury duty scammers who have set up business-level voicemail systems that mimic those of police departments.

    Instead of just trying to find a victim on a live call, some scammers are now leaving voicemails telling the victims they’ve missed jury duty. The scammers then leave a local return phone number for the victim to call. If the victim does return the call, they’ll be placed into a phone tree that claims to be from a police department. When scammers pick up the call, they’ll identify themselves with the names of real police officers from the department they’re posing as.

    Not only does a scheme like this add the appearance of legitimacy to the scam, it also shows the lengths scammers will go to.

    No legitimate law enforcement agency will ever call you on the phone and threaten you with arrest if you don’t make an immediate payment. Also, no court system ever accepts payment in gift cards, money transfers, cryptocurrency, or any other type of untraceable and nontraditional payment.

    If you receive one of these calls, hang up and call the police department at their non-emergency phone number. Do not use any phone number that may be left by the caller.

     

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