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  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 23, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers threaten to turn power off in winter 

    Scammers threaten to turn power off in winter

    By Greg Collier

    Just as Texas slowly starts a return to normal, the scammers there are pulling out all the stops while they still can. The latest scam to descend on Texas is not a new one, and it’s one that can be perpetrated in any state that has cold weather. Even though Spring may be less than a month away, scammers will try this trick as much as they can until then.

    Residents of Austin, Texas have been reporting that they have been receiving calls from scammers posing as their local power company. The scammers threaten to have the power turned off in 30 minutes if the customer’s ‘bill’ isn’t paid right now. With stories of Texans receiving outlandish power bills after power was restored to the state, we can see how this could be such an effective scam. While the report we saw doesn’t state it, we imagine the scammers are probably asking for payment through gift cards or prepaid debit cards.

    As usual, there are a few red flags that tip you off that this is a scam. First off, most utility companies won’t call you demanding a payment. Secondly, no legitimate business or agency is going to ask you for payment in gift cards. Scammers always try to get their victims to pay in some form of untraceable means and gift cards appear to be the most untraceable. Next, most utility companies will send you a notice in the mail if you are in danger of having your service disconnected, and they’ll give you plenty of notice and not just 30 minutes.

    As we stated previously, this scam appears in just about every state. Scammers will even perpetrate the scam during heat waves as well by trying to pressure their victims into believing they’ll lose the cooling in their home during the warmer months.

    If you receive one of these calls, just hang up. Don’t engage the scammer as they can use the smallest amounts of information they receive for possible future scams. If you want to be absolutely sure that the call was a scam, contact your local utility company, and they’ll be able to give you the current status of your account.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 22, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    The scams after the storm 

    The scams after the storm

    By Greg Collier

    Even though temperatures are returning to normal in Texas, there is still a lot of clean-up that needs to be done in the Lone Star State. Power lines still need to be restored and many Texas residents experienced substantial home damage after frozen pipes burst in their homes. After any disaster, scavengers will descend upon the area looking to take advantage of those in need. The Texas winter storm is no different, and it’s not just Texas residents that have to look out for scammers.

    If you live in the affected areas of Texas, you might want to keep an eye out for shady or phony contractors who appear out of the blue offering to repair your home. If you receive unsolicited calls offering repair service or someone just shows up to your home, there’s a very good chance that they are a scammer. We’re obviously not saying that all contractors are scammers, however, there are many scammers who pose as contractors.

    If you were to accept one of these offers, you could be looking at unfinished work at best and loss of potential federal assistance funds at worst. The Texas Department of insurance recommends getting multiple bids from contractors before settling on one to repair your home. You might be tempted to go with the first offer since you want your home operating properly as soon as possible, but that could possibly lead to even more problems. In turn, that could potentially further delay your home from returning to normal.

    You should also avoid anyone who says they’ll waive your insurance deductible or asks for a large down payment or full payment up front. In many cases, these actions are illegal in Texas.

    For people living outside of Texas, you have to be wary of charity scams. If you receive a phone call, text, email, or social media message soliciting for donations, ignore them and delete them. Most scammers will use vague names of charities like ‘Storm Relief’. They’ll also try to pressure you into making a donation at that very moment. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t donate to a legitimate charity to help those in need in Texas. CNN has a list of legitimate charities assisting in Texas disaster relief. You can also go to Charity Navigator to make sure the charity you’re donating to will actually get help to where it’s needed most.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 19, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    More cold weather scams to be aware of 

    By Greg Collier

    When we think of natural disasters, we normally think of things like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes. However, the current brutal winter conditions that a large part of the country are currently enduring is also a natural disaster. As such, the current climate crisis is bringing scammers out of the woodwork. We’ve already touched upon how scammers are using the power outages to steal your information or gain access to your home, but other scams are starting to emerge as well.

    In Texas, where residents have been the hardest hit by the cold, FEMA is warning residents about a scam propagating on social media. In this scam, fake social media accounts are posing as FEMA and are listing a phone number for residents to call so they can be provided with a free hotel room. As of the time of this writing, FEMA is not providing any hotel room assistance, however, they are providing other emergency services to the Lone Star State. FEMA hasn’t stated what the purpose of this scam is, but one could assume it’s designed to steal your identity, money, or both.

    While Texas is feeling the brunt of the current weather situation, other states are dealing with the record-breaking weather as well. States in The Great Plains and Midwest are also dealing with rolling blackouts, just not on the level of Texas. Like any other natural disaster, this has the potential for some retailers and lodgings to start price gouging. Most states have laws preventing vendors from excessively raising their prices during a time of crisis. If you encounter price gouging, it’s recommended that you document the incident and report it to the state’s Attorney General office. Price gouging can also happen where an emergency has not been declared, so be on the lookout for that if you’re leaving your current state for a neighboring state that may not be going through the same crisis.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 18, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers send man ‘suitcase full of cash’ in lottery scam 

    Scammers send man 'suitcase full of cash' in lottery scam

    By Greg Collier

    Many of us dream about the day we finally with the lottery and have enough money to at least live comfortably for the rest of our lives. We know that the odds of winning the jackpot are astronomical, but we keep telling ourselves that someone has to win, so why not us? If you lean too heavy into that kind of thinking, it could leave you vulnerable if a scammer comes calling.

    For example, a man in Phoenix received a registered letter that said he had won $4.5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. The letter also stated that the man qualified for the prize because he paid his utility bills on time. The man was also sent a locked suitcase that contained $1 million. Here’s where the catch comes in.

    In order to receive the code to safely open the suitcase the mad had to send a series of payments. If the man tried to open the suitcase without the codes, dye packs would supposedly explode rendering the cash useless. Unfortunately, the man made $25,000 in payment to the scammers before realizing he had been swindled. He was eventually able to open the suitcase on his own, and it was filled with gardening magazines.

    The most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with scammers like this is, you can’t win a prize for a contest you never entered. It’s also illegal in the United States for any sweepstakes to ask for a payment before you receive any kind of prize winnings. Sweepstakes winnings are hardly ever that elaborate either. At the most, you might have a minor celebrity show up at your home with an oversized novelty check.

    While you may not fall for such an elaborate scam, you may know someone who is a potential target. If someone you know starts talking about how they’re about to come into a lot of money, you may want to make sure they’re not being scammed.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 17, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammers take advantage of Texas power problem 

    Scammers take advantage of Texas power problem

    By Greg Collier

    Currently, most of the country is experiencing record-breaking cold weather. Probably the state that’s been the hardest hit by the below freezing temperatures is Texas. Millions of Texas residents have been without power for days now. The Texas power gird has been overworked since it’s easier to make a home 30 degrees cooler in the heat than it is to make a home 60 degrees warmer in the freezing cold. Many Texans are desperate to have their heat and power restored. Unfortunately, this leaves them vulnerable to scammers.

    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is better know as ERCOT. ERCOT manages the power grid that supplies electricity to 90% of Texas. The Council has issued a warning about a scam that is currently preying on Texas residents.

    According to ERCOT, scammers have taken to social media posing as ERCOT telling residents that if they give their account numbers to the phony ERCOT social media accounts, residents will have their power restored. It’s unknown why scammers want the account numbers, however, with those account numbers, scammers can cause all sorts of havoc for the ERCOT customer.

    Meanwhile, reports from Houston are saying that scammers are impersonating utility employees to gain access to customer homes. Officials there say that no power utility employee will need to enter the home but may be by your outdoor power meter. They also suggest that real employees will drive a company marked vehicle and not an unmarked personal vehicle.

    With more winter storms supposedly headed to Texas, residents need to be on the lookout for these scams. Scammers love nothing more than a time of crisis and despair to try to take money, information of both from their victims.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 16, 2021 Permalink | Reply  

    How the unemployment scams could affect your taxes 

    How the unemployment scams could affect your taxes

    As we have posted previously on numerous occasions, unemployment scams have been a major problem in our country since the pandemic started. As we’re sure you’re aware of, overseas scammers have been applying for unemployment benefits using stolen identities. The majority of these identities were taken from major data breaches where major corporations had their customers’ data exposed. Employment benefits have been stolen from people who are both employed and unemployed. Nationwide, states have paid billions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment claims collectively.

    Now that it’s tax season, even more taxpayers are finding out they’ve had fraudulent claims filed in their name. As unemployment benefits are taxable income, many taxpayers all over the country are being surprised with 1099-G forms. Think of the 1099-G form as a W2 for unemployment. But again, the problem is that many of these taxpayers never filed for unemployment.

    If you receive a 1099-G form and did not file for unemployment, you need to contact a number of agencies to get the matter corrected. First, you would need to contact your state’s unemployment agency to report the fraud. You’ll also need a corrected 1099-G from your state that reflects you collected $0 in unemployment to correctly file your tax return. Do not claim the fraudulent benefits on your tax return.

    It’s recommended that you do not hesitate in getting a corrected 1099-G form. You could potentially miss the tax deadline of April 15th if you wait too long. While you can file for an extension, you should try to get your return filed as soon as possible to avoid identity thieves filing a fraudulent return in your name.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 15, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Don’t let strangers take Grandma to her vaccination 

    Don't let strangers take Grandma to her vaccination

    In most states, seniors age 75 or older are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. One of the problems these seniors face is that they may not have reliable transportation to get to one of their state’s vaccination centers. In order to combat this problem, the state of Massachusetts has adopted a program where those who transport the senior citizen to the vaccination center can also receive the vaccine.

    The program was intended to give caregivers such as a spouse or adult child to take their loved one to get the vaccine. However, like most things that have good intentions at heart, there are those who look to take advantage of the program. Almost as soon as the program was announced, there were those who took to Craigslist offering money to seniors who would let them accompany them to the vaccination center. At least one person has offered over $1000 to allow them to accompany a senior to their vaccination.

    While it’s natural for people to be desperate to receive the vaccine, some of these offers could potentially be from scammers. Since seniors tend to be the largest target for scammers, this program has opened a golden opportunity for con artists. These scams could range from identity theft to a Medicare scam and anything in between. That’s not even taking the senior’s safety into account. Craigslist has been known to have a less than stellar reputation when it comes to user safety.

    When most of us were children, we always heard the warning of not getting into cars with strangers. If this is what we tell our children, then it should apply to our older family members as well. Do you really want a parent or grandparent getting into a vehicle with a stranger so they can get their vaccine?

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 12, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    No, a hitman is not coming for you 

    No, a hitman is not coming for you

    Two of the more disturbing scams to be a victim of are the cartel scam and the virtual kidnapping scam. Both of these scams use threats of violence to try to get a victim to make a large payment to the scammer while under duress. However, the victim is usually in no real danger. It’s this kind of subterfuge that scammers will stoop to in order to deceive their victims.

    In the virtual kidnapping scam, the scammer will claim to have one of your loved ones held hostage. In reality, the person is unharmed. With the cartel scam, the scammers will send you violent and graphic images while threatening this will happen to you if you don’t pay them. As the name suggests, the scammers pose as a criminal cartel. Now, there are reports of a new scam that have similar vibes to these two.

    In this new scam, the victim will receive a message claiming to be from an actual hitman. The elaborate message states that they were instructed to kill you, but the hitman has had a change of heart. However, in order to call off the hit, the victim needs to pay off the hitman.

    If you receive one of these messages, the odds are pretty good that you’re in no actual danger. This scam is using the movie idea of a hitman to threaten the victims into paying. Much like how kidnappings for ransom in America usually only happen on TV, hitmen are very unlikely to message their targets. Actual hitmen tend to be employed by organized crime while their targets tend to be from rival crime factions.

    If you do receive one of these messages, you are asked to report them to your local police or the FTC’s Fraud Website.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 11, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Tax scam season is starting 

    It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that we were all filing our taxes for 2019. Due to the pandemic, the IRS gave us all a generous extension to file our income taxes. This year, we’re not so lucky. The deadline for filing your taxes this year is the traditional April 15th. So, with tax season also comes a number of tax scams which are made even more difficult to avoid due to 2020s unprecedented circumstances.

    The best tip we can give to avoid being scammed is to file your taxes as soon as possible. Last year, scammers were known to file for false returns using stolen identities. If you wait too long you could receive a notification from the IRS that someone has already filed a return using your Social Security number.

    Also, if you’re not going to do your own taxes, and you’re looking to use the services of a tax professional, research the person or company first. Dome fraudsters will set up shop looking like a legitimate tax preparer only to steal your identity and your refund while charging you to do it. Try to avoid any service that’s promising you a ‘too good to be true’ return.

    Tax season is also when scammers will attempt IRS impersonation scams. The scammers will call their victims posing as the IRS and demanding payment for any number of reasons. The one thing all these impersonators have in common is that they will try to pressure you into making a payment over the phone. The IRS does not call taxpayers about tax issues. If the IRS has a concern that they need you to resolve, they will always contact you through the regular mail.

    If you suspect one or more of these scams you can call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 10, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    More fraudulent unemployment claims have been filed than real ones 

    More fraudulent unemployment claims have been filed than real ones

    The state of Colorado has been just one of the many states that has been dealing with record numbers of unemployment fraud. Since last year, unemployment scammers have overwhelmed all 50 states with unheard of amounts of fraudulent unemployment claims. Most, if not all, of the states found themselves unprepared for the onslaught of fraudulent claims. California infamously have paid over $1 billion in fraudulent claims.

    The fraudulent claims are coming from scammers who are using stolen identities to apply for fraudulent unemployment benefits. It doesn’t matter if the identity belongs to someone who is employed, they’re still being used in the scam. Some scammers will use the same identity to apply for fraudulent benefits in multiple states.

    While not sending out as nearly as much money as California, it’s been recently reported that the state of Colorado has had more fraudulent unemployment claims filed with Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment than legitimate claims. According to reports, Colorado has issued approximately $6.5 million to fraudsters. The state is looking at that as a win considering they’ve paid $7 billion to actual applicants.

    That’s not to say that legitimate recipients haven’t been having problems getting their benefits. While the state is investigating fraudulent claims, some innocent recipients have had their benefits held up until they can verify their identities. Colorado offers options both online and over the phone where recipients can verify their ID. However, the phone lines have been flooded as you might imagine and the online option can be daunting for some.

    It’d also not helping that Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment is also dealing with a phony Facebook page that is impersonating them. The impostor page is asking residents for their personal information.

    You may ask why we’re bringing you this story. It’s not to chastise Colorado, but to make our readers aware just how prevalent unemployment fraud has become and that it shows no signs of slowing down. It affects both the employed and unemployed in all 50 states.

     

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