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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 9, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity scam ( 39 ), contractors ( 10 ), hurricanes, natural disasters ( 23 ), price gouging ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,524 )   

  How hurricane season scams could affect you 

  

  By Greg Collier

  With the hurricane season just underway, there are expected to be up to 20 named storms in the Atlantic this year. While not all of the named storms will make landfall, there is still potential for storm related damage to affect those in hurricane-prone areas. If the devastation from the storms aren’t bad enough, damaging storms can also bring all sorts of scammers out of the woodwork. Some of these scams can affect you even if you don’t live in the storm-ravaged area.

  If you do live in the storm area, you have to be aware of scam contractors. These are scammers claiming to be contractors who offer help to repair your home. According to the Better Business Bureau, these phony contractors travel from storm to storm, looking for victims. They’ll claim to be licensed, but they may not be licensed in your state. You should only deal with contractors that are licensed in your state. Another good way to avoid this scam is to get estimates from a few contractors. Also, you should never pay in advance as that could be an indication of a scam.

  Another act of fraud that almost inevitably happens with natural disasters is price gouging. This is when businesses will start charging outrageous prices for items or services that are in demand during a crisis. One of the biggest areas of price gouging comes from hotels when people are trying to find emergency lodging. Not only could this price gouging happen in your area, but it could also happen in areas not affected by the storm as shady proprietors could be expecting an influx of people escaping the storm.

  There are also charity scams to look out for. After every major storm, scammers will start posing as charities looking to pressure you into making a donation to them. These phony charities will often have generic sounding names like ‘Storm Relief Fund’ for example. If you want to financially help those affected by the storm it’s always a safe bet to donate to the Red Cross. You can also check the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org to see if the charity you want to donate to is legitimate or not.

  Even if you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area, the area you live in probably has its own share of natural disasters. Whether it’s blizzards, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, or what have you, these scams will move into your area if a natural disaster occurs.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 8, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FEMA ( 12 ), funeral expenses ( 10 ), obituaries ( 3 ), Scams ( 1,524 )   

  Scammers are combing obituaries for new victims 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As we have discussed before, if you’ve lost a loved one to COVID-19, you could be eligible to have part or all of the funeral expenses paid for under FEMA’s American Rescue Plan. Under the plan you could be reimbursed up to $9,000 for funeral expenses. As you can probably guess, this has led scammers to try to take advantage of the program. In order to accomplish that, scammers need not only the information of the deceased, but the information from the surviving family members as well.

  The way scammers achieve this is by posing as FEMA agents or the organization itself. Scammers will send out robocalls, emails and text messages posing as FEMA asking victims to contact them. Any contact information the victims are given does not go to FEMA but to the scammers instead. The victims will not only be asked for personal information concerning themselves and the deceased., but they may be asked for an upfront payment disguised as a ‘processing fee’. It’s already been documented that scammers have tried to obtain the death certificates of COVID-19 victims so they can try to claim the program money for themselves.

  According to the Better Business Bureau, scammers are even combing the local obituaries to get as much information about the deceased and their families as possible. However, this scam does have its drawbacks if you know a couple of items of information. Government agencies like FEMA very rarely initiate first contact, and if they do, they will do so through traditional channels like postal mail.

  If you have lost a loved one to COVID-19 and require financial assistance for funeral expenses, you have our most sincere condolences. If you would like to apply for FEMA’s assistance you can do so at FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance webpage.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 7, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: disabilities, grants ( 16 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), sweepstakes ( 26 )   

  Scammers target people with disabilities 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We’ve seen no end to the depths that scammers will sink to. We’ve seen them take advantage of disaster victims, the elderly, crime victims, the families of missing persons, and those desperate for housing just to name a few. While we’re sure it’s far from a new thing, we just came across a story where the scammers were purposely targeting people with disabilities. To be more specific, the scammers were targeting those with hearing difficulties.

  An Indiana woman was recently convicted in Federal Court for scamming a Pennsylvania couple out of $500,000. While the report doesn’t say which particular scam was used against the Pennsylvania couple, the woman was said to use a combination of scams. One of the scams was a variation of the sweepstakes scam. The victims were contacted by text, email or social media and were told that they had won a special ‘deaf’ lottery, but they had to pay taxes and processing fees before they could receive the prize.

  The other scam used was said to be the grant scam. Victims were told that they could receive federal grant money. But just like the sweepstakes scam, the victims would need to pay a fee before they receive the grant. The scammers even hijacked social media accounts to make it look like the grant offer was coming from a friend.

  If the victims made an initial payment, the scammers would continue to try to squeeze more money out of their victims for as long as they could.

  The Indiana woman worked as part of an international scam ring that is said to have scammed millions from victims with the woman taking a cool million for herself. We’re pretty confident that these scammers would steal candy from babies if there was any money in it.

  It is actually illegal to charge someone for entering a sweepstakes or charging them to get their prize. That is why sweepstakes always say that no purchase is necessary. As for grants, there are no fees associated with applying for grants. Also keep in mind that the government will not reach out to you to offer grants. You have to approach them. Communication from the government is almost always done through the postal mail.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 4, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: DOJ ( 3 ), FTC ( 18 ), money transfer ( 9 ), moneygram ( 6 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), settlement   

  MoneyGram scam victims can get money back 

  

  By Greg Collier

  It’s not often that we have good news for readers, but today we have some good news.

  Often, we like to remind our readers that gift cards are the currency of scammers due to the ease in which scammers can empty the funds from gift cards. Prior to the rise in popularity of gift cards, money transfer services like Western Union and MoneyGram were the tool of choice for scammers to take money from their victims. These services are still used by scammers because a scammer can just walk up to a money transfer county, get their money, and disappear. That and the fact money can be transferred just about anywhere in the world.

  Late last year, we discussed how Western Union settled with the Department of Justice for $153 million after Western Union was accused of turning a blind eye to scammers. In that post, we also discussed how victims of Western Union scams could try to claim part of that settlement. Now, it’s MoneyGram’s time to do the same.

  On June 1st, the Federal Trade Commission announced that victims of MoneyGram scams can claim their portion of a $125 million settlement MoneyGram made with the DOJ. However, there are some requirements before you can file for your claim. You have had to have been a victim of a scam that used MoneyGram between Jan. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2017. Then you can go to the MoneyGram Remission Website and start your claim. However, you don’t have too long to file a claim as the deadline for filing a claim is Aug. 31, 2021.

  Money transfer services should only be used if you need to send cash to someone you know personally, and you’re 100% sure that they’ll be receiving the money. If not, then there is a good chance you’re sending money to a scammer.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 3, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam ( 72 ), hotel scam ( 6 ), hotels ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), timeshares ( 3 ), traveling ( 15 ), vacation ( 10 )   

  Summer vacation is scam season 

  

  By Greg Collier

  With the weather getting warmer and more pandemic restrictions being lifted, many families are looking to book vacations for the summer to make up for the time lost last year. However, traveling away from home can open consumers to a number of different scams they need to look out for. We’ve already discussed the rental car scam that is happening due to the rental car shortage. Now, warnings are going out about several scams that are related to vacation travel.

  The Better Business Bureau has put out a warning about various hotel scams. Since lodging is your home away from home during your vacation, it’s imperative to keep an eye out for these scams. According to the BBB, you should be aware of fake food delivery services. Scammers are said to distribute fake menus to hotels. When you call the number listed on the fake menu you’ll be directed to scammers who will take down your credit or debit card information and use it for their own purposes. Check with the front desk or look online to make sure the restaurant actually exists.

  Another popular hotel scam is when scammers will call your room posing as the front desk. The scammers will say that there is an issue with the card that was used at the front desk. Of course, they’ll ask you to verify your card number, which again will be used for theft. A hotel should never do this and will have patrons settle any billing issues at check out.

  Another problem that vacationers are facing is dealing with timeshares. Many people tried to get out of their timeshares over the last year due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, many people fell victims to scammers who promise to help get consumers out of their timeshare agreements. It’s been suggested that if you deal with your timeshare company directly, it will be cheaper to get out of your timeshare than hiring someone to do it who may not do anything after being paid.

  Lastly, the grandparent scam picks up during the summer months. With so many people being away from home, it’s easier to convince someone that a loved one is missing. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a loved one who’s in some kind of dire trouble, and they ask for money, that call could be nothing more than a scam.

  Hopefully, you can now have an even better vacation now that you know some of the scams to look out for.

  You can be scammed at any vacation lodging | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 2, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: California ( 21 ), charity scam ( 39 ), gofundme ( 10 ), mass shooting ( 9 ), San Jose, Scams ( 1,524 )   

  Scammers take advantage of another tragedy 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Last week there was yet another mass shooting in America. In San Jose, California, a 57-year-old man shot and killed eight people at a rail yard. The gunman was a rail yard employee who is said to have had a grudge against his workplace. Before police could apprehend the gunman, he took his own life. While the loss to the victims’ families can’t be measured in a dollar amount, many of them found themselves in immediate financial need. As has become common in these scenarios, many of the families set up GoFundMe pages as fundraisers for the families’ expenses. As has also become common, it didn’t take long for the scammers to move in.

  According to local news reports, the victims’ names had not even been made public yet before scammers started setting up phony GoFundMe pages. One scammer set up a GoFundMe using the name of someone who was not one of the victims while purporting to be for one of the victims. Another phony GoFundMe claiming to be for funeral services for one of the victims had already collected pledges before being shut down as a fraud.

  We’re not saying that you shouldn’t donate to a charity or fundraiser to help out victims of a tragedy like this. What we are saying is to take a step back before you click that donate button. While it’s commendable that your heart wants you to help those in need as soon as possible, it’s an unfortunate fact that scammers will try to take advantage of that generosity. We’re not even saying don’t use GoFundMe as they’ve worked with the victims families to verify their GoFundMe pages. A list of those pages can be found here. What we are saying is that you should do a little research before giving money to a fundraiser that could be taking money away from those who desperately need it.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 1, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 77 ), phishing ( 84 ), PNC Bank ( 3 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), text messaging ( 37 )   

  Responding to a scam text 

  

  By Greg Collier

  PNC Bank has been dealing with many text message scams. Like many banking scams, the text messages say that there is an issue with the recipient’s PNC account. The text message then gives a phone number that the recipient can call to rectify the issue. As you’ve probably guessed, the phone number doesn’t belong to PNC and instead goes to a phony customer service department. But aren’t you just a little bit curious to know what happens if you were to call that phone number?

  A cybersecurity expert in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area recently received one of these PNC scam texts. He knew right away it was a scam because he didn’t bank with PNC. However, he decided to call the number provided in the text to see what happens. He was greeted by an automated message that instantly asked for his Social Security number. The automated message then asked for not only his banking PIN but his debit card number as well. As you can imagine, if a scammer were to get a hold of this information, someone’s bank account could be immediately emptied.

  It’s not just PNC that is dealing with this. Fifth Third Bank is also currently dealing with a similar scam. Considering scammers will send out these texts en masse no matter who you bank with, you should be suspicious of texts that claim to come from your bank. Especially if they’re claiming there’s an issue with your account. If you receive a banking text like this, and it appears to be coming from your bank, do not click on any link in the text or call the number the text might provide. Instead, call the number on the back of your debit card or go to the bank’s website to find the actual customer service number.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 28, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Michigan ( 7 ), Publishers Clearing House ( 12 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), sweepstakes ( 26 )   

  Mich. residents taken for $150,000 in sweepstakes scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  By now, most of us are familiar with Publisher’s Clearing House. They’re the magazine marketing company that also runs its eponymous sweepstakes. We’ve all seen the commercials where their prize van pulls up to someone’s home and surprises them with a novelty-sized check that represents a substantial pay out. Since PCH is so well known, their name is often used by scammers so they can dupe their victims. Unfortunately, two residents of Michigan found that out the hard way.

  Two married residents of Troy, Michigan were contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of PCH. The residents were told that they had won $5,000 a month for life, or they could take the lump sum payment of $2.6 million. If they took the lump sum, however, they would need to pay $129,000 in state and local taxes before they could be paid. The supposed PCH agent even told the residents that they shouldn’t tell anyone about their winnings because of cyberattacks. Before the scam was discovered by the post office after they intercepted one of the cash payments being sent to the scammers, the two residents found themselves in the hole for close to $144k.

  There’s a reason that the disclaimer on every sweepstakes in America says ‘no purchase necessary’. If you’ve entered a sweepstakes, you don’t have to pay to receive your winnings. It’s illegal for any sweepstakes to make you do so. Also, you can’t win a sweepstakes that you never entered. Cash prizes are not handed out to random citizens for no reason. Publisher’s Clearing House has quite an extensive web page showing all the ways that scammers may try to fool you while using the PCH name.

  This post is not an endorsement of Publisher’s Clearing House. But since their name is synonymous with American sweepstakes, it’s also become synonymous with sweepstakes scammers.

   
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  Geebo 8:17 am on May 27, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: florida ( 31 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), spoofed calls ( 9 ), virtual kidnapping ( 47 )   

  Kidnapping scam becomes even scarier 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The reason the virtual kidnapping scam is named that way is because the kidnapping victim is virtual. In essence, there is no kidnapping victim. However, that hasn’t stopped scammers from scaring families into making ransom payments for someone who was never in any danger. For new readers, in this scam, the scammers will call someone and claim to have kidnapped one of their loved ones. The scammers will even have someone screaming or crying in the background to make the call seem real. The victim of the scam will then be instructed to make a payment through untraceable means like gift cards, money transfer, prepaid debit card, or cryptocurrency. By the time the victim figures out that there was no kidnapping, the scammers are long gone with the victim’s money.

  Unfortunately, not everyone has been educated about this scam. Recently, a couple in South Florida received such a call telling them that their daughter had been kidnapped. The callers made threatened to murder their daughter if they didn’t pay $1500 in ransom. What made this call particularly terrifying was that the call appeared to be coming from the daughter’s phone. It wasn’t, though. The scammers had spoofed the daughter’s phone number which is concerning in itself. Luckily, the couple reached out to a friend they have in law enforcement who informed them this was a scam. It’s unknown how the scammers were able to obtain the daughter’s phone number.

  Scammers use tactics like this to catch you off guard to say the least. They want you to think emotionally rather than logically. The more emotionally charged the scenario is, the more likely the scammers are able to convince a victim into making a payment. If you ever receive a call like this don’t give the scammers any personal information. If they say they have your daughter, for example, don’t say your daughter’s name. Then have someone else contact the person the callers claim to have kidnapped. More often than not, that person will be just fine and will have no idea that people are claiming that they’re holding them hostage.

  Remember, kidnapping for ransom in the United States is extremely rare, but is kept in the public’s consciousness thanks to popular media.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 26, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: impersonation scam ( 175 ), police scam ( 38 ), Scams ( 1,524 ), sweepstakes ( 26 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 8 )   

  Law enforcement scam claims to give you money 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Police impersonation scams are probably one of the most common scams out there. We’ve seen scammers imitate everyone from your local sheriff’or police department to federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency. The scams are generally the same, however. The impersonators will threaten you with arrest if you don’t pay them to resolve some imaginary indiscretion. Usually, this involves some nontraditional form of payment like gift cards, money transfers, or cryptocurrency. Now, we’re seeing a law enforcement agency being used in a typical scam along with a not so typical scam.

  Some scammers are now said to be posing as agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In a familiar sounding scam, the phony Border Agents will call their victims and tell them that they’ve intercepted a package that was addressed to the victim. It will then be claimed that the package contained drugs or some other illicit substance. In some cases, the scammers are asking for personal information to ‘verify’ who you are. This is done to steal your identity. In other cases, you’ll be asked to pay the phony agents to avoid arrest. In both cases, you’ll be threatened with arrest if you don’t comply.

  In a twist on the police impersonation scam, some scammers are posing as CBP Agents to tell you that they’ve intercepted a package that contains a large sweepstakes prize for you. Rather than being threatened with arrest, you’re asked to pay a large fee to pay for special shipping labels. This is a new variation of the sweepstakes scam where scammers will typically ask you to pay a processing fee to receive winnings from sweepstakes that you probably didn’t even enter. These scammers usually claim to be from Publisher’s Clearing House instead of a federal law enforcement agency.

  In either instance, a wary consumer needs to keep two things in mind. The first is that no real law enforcement agency will threaten you with arrest for not making a payment over the phone. The second thing is that you can’t win sweepstakes that you never entered. There’s really no such thing where someone is called out of the blue and told they’ve been chosen at random to win a big prize. That only happens in TV and movies.