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  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 12, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Grandparent scam still sending strangers to your door 

    Grandparent scam still sending strangers to your door

    The grandparent scam is terrifying enough as it is. It preys on the elderly and convinces them that a family member is in grave danger. Then if the scam is successful, it can take thousands of dollars that an elderly person needs to survive. That’s not even taking into account the embarrassment victims often feel after being scammed. In recent times, scammers have even sent strangers to victims’ homes to pick up the money that the victims think is getting their loved one out of trouble. Such a thing just happened to an elderly couple in Michigan.

    The couple received a call from someone claiming to be their granddaughter. She said that she had been arrested after a vehicular accident. The impersonator then instructed the couple to call a friend’s father who happened to be a lawyer. When the couple called the supposed lawyer, they were told their granddaughter was in serious trouble and would $12,000 for bail. The phony attorney then sent a ‘courier’ to collect the money. The next day the lawyer called back saying he needed an additional $14,000. Thankfully, the actual granddaughter showed up before they lost any more money.

    These couriers that the scammers send could literally be anybody. They could just be an unwitting participant, or they could be the scammer themselves. At best, you’re ‘just’ losing money to the scammer. At worst, they could be someone who is scouting out the home for a possible burglary or worse. If you’ve already given the scammer money, they could always come back and try to get more, or your valuables.

    As always, it is recommended that if you receive a call like this to contact the person first who is supposedly in trouble. If you can’t contact them, you can always call the police department where they’re supposedly being held, and they should be able to tell you if this is a scam or not.

    And as we always recommend, if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam. Also, consider setting up a family password for just such emergencies, so you can verify the person calling is who they say they are.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 11, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Virtual kidnapping scam has a new twist 

    Virtual kidnapping scam has a new twist

    The virtual kidnapping scam is one of the more disturbing scams going today. The scam works with a scammer calling someone and telling them that they’re holding one of their loved ones hostage. They often have someone who is supposed to be your loved one screaming in the background. The victim will be threatened with harm coming to their loved one if the victim hangs up the phone. The scammers will often claim to be with a criminal cartel. They’ll then demand payment in some untraceable way. Meanwhile, your loved one is actually safe and has no idea they’re being used in a scam.

    Scammers are always looking to improve on scams like this to put more pressure on the victim to pay up. One such scammer recently did that to a family in New Mexico. The family received a phone call that their daughter had been in a car accident. Now, this sounds like the start of a grandparent scam where the scammer will ask for money to bail the daughter out of jail or something similar. Instead, this scammer told the family they were holding their daughter hostage. This scammer also put a woman on the phone posing as the daughter. $1000 was demanded for her safe return. As with most scams, the scammer demanded payment in gift cards.

    Even with this new variation of the virtual kidnapping scam, your reaction should always be the same. Call the person that’s been supposedly kidnapped and make sure that they’re ok. In an instance like this, you can also call police wherever the accident is supposed to have taken place, and they can tell you if a crash happened or not. What you shouldn’t do is panic. Please keep in mind that according to law enforcement kidnappings for ransom are quite rare in the US. Once the scammer knows they have you reeled in, they can use this emotional extortion to take a large sum of money from you.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 8, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Scams around the vaccine start to emerge 

    Scams around the vaccine start to emerge

    Previously, when the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine was announced, we discussed potential scams that could emerge during the rollout. Some of these scams are no longer theoretical as scammers have begun to try to find new victims.

    While each state has their own distribution schedule, one thing remains constant across the country. The COVID-19 vaccine will be afforded to most people at no cost outside a small administration fee charged by some providers. Historically, these administration fees have been largely negligible. This fact hasn’t stopped scammers from using a promise of the vaccine from stealing your money or information.

    In Missouri, scammers are posing as contact tracers and called at least one victim to tell them that the victim had been exposed at a local business. The scammer than read off the victim’d credit card number to them and asked for the three-digit security code. Legitimate contact tracers will never ask for your financial information.

    Upstate New York is said to be experiencing a similar scam. Scammers are not only posing as contact tracers, they are also asking for information such as your driver’s license number along with other identifying information. According to officials, contact tracers will only ask for your name, address, date of birth and phone number. They will never ask for your Social Security number.

    In Florida, one particular scam is disturbing. At least one scammer has been driving around in a van claiming to be from the county health department. He’s been going to people’s houses and asking residents for copies of their insurance cards in preparation for receiving the vaccine. Again, the vaccine is free and health insurance is not required to receive it.

    If you have concerns about when you’ll be able to receive the vaccine you can usually check with your state or county’s health department website.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 7, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Police impersonation scams are never ending 

    Police impersonation scams are never ending

    We haven’t discussed police impersonation scams in a while. We felt the need to remind our readers about them because they are probably one of the most common scams occurring today. Whenever we are researching a new type of scam, we’ll come across multiple stories about scammers posing as local police departments. Just today we found stories of police impersonation scams from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and they happen in towns both big and small.

    Police impersonation scammers will spoof the phone number of a local police department. That will make it appear like your local police department is calling you. The scammer will identify themselves as a police officer, and they often use the name of an actual police officer. They’ll give one of several reasons why they’re calling you. It can be as something as innocuous as a traffic fine or something as serious as a major criminal investigation that your name has been implicated in. The most common scam is that you have a warrant out for your arrest. The scams all have one thing in common. They’ll want you to make a payment over the phone to ‘clear everything up.’

    They’ll want that payment to be made in non-traditional means like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. These are all potentially untraceable once the payment is made.

    No real police department will ever ask for payment over the phone. If you’re overdue on a traffic fine you’ll receive a notice in the mail. If police are investigating a crime, they’ll send an officer to your home to speak with you. No legitimate agency or business will ever ask for gift card payments over the phone.

    If you ever receive one of these calls it’s recommended that you contact your local police department at their non-emergency number. Don’t just press redial because that will just have you back talking to the scammer.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 6, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Unclaimed property scam making the rounds again 

    Unclaimed property scam making the rounds again

    Every once in a while, you might see a news report about unclaimed property in your state. The stories usually recommend you check with your state’s treasury department to see if you have any unclaimed property. Usually, this property is money from old bank accounts you may have forgotten about or a small inheritance you may not have been aware of. You may think to yourself that you’d probably remember any bank accounts or inheritances, but you may be surprised what you find when you check with your state. That’s not to say that everyone will have unclaimed property when they check with their state. However, scammers may try to convince you otherwise.

    In the state of Kansas, the Treasury Department there is warning residents about an unclaimed property scam that’s been going around. Scammers have been sending text messages telling residents that they have unclaimed property with the state. As with most text messaging scams, the texts contain a link where you can supposedly claim your property. This is a trick designed to get your personal information. If you click on the link you’ll be asked to input your personal information for ‘verification purposes’. If you do input your information you will more than likely have your identity stolen.

    There is another ploy that also uses unclaimed property as its motivator. Some people will go through the state’s records of unclaimed property holders. They’ll then contact the inheritor unsolicited to let them know that they have unclaimed property with the state. They’ll claim to act on your behalf to procure you those funds for a fee, of course. This may not be illegal per se, but if you make the claim with the state yourself there is no fee involved.

    A good resource to use on how to check for unclaimed funds is the USA.gov website. Good luck on your hunt but don’t be taken in by those who would give you false promises.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 5, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    Two PayPal scams you should be aware of 

    Two PayPal scams you should be aware of

    PayPal is probably one of the most trusted online payment systems today. There aren’t many online retailers that don’t accept PayPal as a payment option. PayPal also allows those who are underrepresented by banks to not only shop online but to also have a debit card that the consumer can use like any bank debit card. However, this post isn’t meant to be free publicity for PayPal. While PayPal does offer many protections to their users, it can still be used in various scams as we’re about to take a look at now.

    Security experts are warning about a new series of text messages going around that are designed to steal your PayPal login information. The text messages claim that there has been fraudulent activity on your PayPal account and that your account is now limited. That would mean that you would be restricted in the use of your own PayPal account. The text then directs you to click on a link to verify your account. If you click on the link, you’ll be taken to a phony PayPal page that resembles the genuine article. If you enter your login information on this phony page, your information has just been stolen. Since many PayPal accounts are linked to bank accounts, your bank account could be in jeopardy as well. If you feel like you’ve clicked on one of these links and given them your information you should immediately change your PayPal password.

    The other scam is more hands on so to speak. A woman in Georgia was selling a cell phone on Facebook Marketplace. She met a buyer at a local restaurant. The man agreed to buy the phone using PayPal. The buyer showed the woman a fake email that looked like he had just paid her through PayPal. However, the woman wasn’t seeing the payment in her account. The man then made it appear as if he was calling PayPal himself and told the woman that the payment would be in her account in a couple of hours. As you can expect, the payment never showed up. PayPal doesn’t work like this as payments are almost instantaneous. Once you make or receive a payment you should be notified by PayPal right away. If you’re not notified you shouldn’t take a stranger’s word for it that you’ve been paid.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 4, 2021 Permalink | Reply
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    New unemployment and stimulus scams emerge 

    New scams involving both unemployment and stimulus

    Two of the biggest scams that dominated the headlines in 2020 were scams involving either the stimulus payments or unemployment benefits. Early in the year, scammers were hot to get their hands on the $1200 economic impact payments issued to eligible citizens. Then later on in the year, a massive wave of scammers filed for billions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits taxing already overburdened unemployment systems in each state. With 2021 just barely being underway, it seems like we’re in for more of the same for now.

    Previously in unemployment scams, the scammers would file for fraudulent benefits using stolen identities. Sometimes, they would be filed in the name of people who were still employed. This tipped off the employers that unemployment benefits were filed falsely for current employees. Employers could then notify employees who could notify the state about the fraudulent filing. More recently, the state of Illinois has discovered a new tactic being used by unemployment scammers. Somehow, the scammers are changing the employer’s address when filing for benefits, so the employer does not get a notice. This removes a key barrier to preventing fraudulent benefits from being claimed. The state says they are already taking steps to prevent this information from being altered and are notifying any potential victims.

    In Florida, scammers are looking to take advantage of not just the unemployed but those awaiting their economic impact payments as well. Phishing emails have already gone out that look like they’re from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The legitimate looking emails are being sent to those already on unemployment and promise recipients a payment of $12,600. The email then asks you to click on a link that says ‘Accept My Claims’. A copy of the email can be viewed here. If you’ll notice, the email says that payment will be in USD. That’s kind of redundant since this supposedly from a US-based organization. Anytime USD is used in an email like this, it’s almost a guarantee that it’s an overseas scam.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 31, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Inside the life of an unemployment scammer 

    Inside the life of an unemployment scammer

    We’ve been discussing the current spate of unemployment scams for quite some time now. In case this is the first time you’re hearing of it, the unemployment systems in all 50 states have been assailed by both foreign and domestic scammers. The scammers use stolen identities to apply for fraudulent unemployment benefits. The state systems have been overwhelmed. Not only have they issued billions in fraudulent benefits, but they’ve also had little to no success in recouping the money.

    Recently, USA Today published an expose where they spoke with one of these scammers. It might surprise you how easy it is for these scammers to file for fraudulent benefits.

    The scammer that USA Today spoke with said that it only costs $2 to purchase a stolen identity online. That gets them a name, a date of birth, and a Social Security number. In most states, that’s all they need to file a fraudulent claim. If the state requires more information like a maiden name, the scammer can usually find that information publicly online. The scammer claims that they’re able to successfully file for benefits one out of 6 attempts. So far the scammer claims they’ve made $50,000 in 2020 alone. When asked if they have any remorse the scammer says their victims are nobody to them.

    The reason that the unemployment scammers have been so successful is that the state unemployment systems are not designed to catch these kinds of fraudulent claims. Instead, they’re designed to catch regular people who are lying in their applications. So far, the states have been very slow in reacting to these new scams and that has hurt legitimate unemployment recipients in the process. Some recipients have even been cut off by their state while the scammer collects their money. Even if you discover the fraud and report it to the state, it may take them a while before they can even react. Meanwhile, the scammers are collecting money hand over fist.

    We don’t know what the states need to do to turn back the tide of scammers, but the longer they take to act, the more money ends up in the pockets of scammers. Meanwhile, American citizens go hungry while the states try to figure this out.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 30, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    New scam threatens you with human trafficking arrest 

    New scam threatens you with human trafficking arrest

    Police impersonation scams are nothing new. They can range from something innocuous like owing a traffic ticket to something major like your Social Security number being involved with a major crime. All of these impersonation scams rely on one thing, and that’s a fear of being arrested. Scammers will use that fear to try to pressure you into either making a payment to them or giving them your personal information. A new scam not only tries to take advantage of that fear of arrest but also uses the fear of potential public embarrassment.

    Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado are warning residents about an impersonation scam that’s affecting their area. Scammers are posing as police detectives and calling their victims to tell them that the victim’s phone number was found in a human trafficking ring. While the report we’ve seen doesn’t specify, we imagine that the scam’s victims are being told that their phone number was found to have been used soliciting the services of a human trafficking ring.

    Usually, in a scam like this, victims are told that payment can make a situation like this go away. The payment is almost always made in some form of untraceable funds like gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. However, in the case of the Colorado Springs scam, the scammers are directing victims to a website and enter their personal information. The victims are also being told that if they don’t go to the website, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. It seems like these scammers aren’t after a quick payout but are after identity theft for a bigger score.

    More often than not, if your phone number were to pop up during a police investigation, investigators would be sent to talk to you personally. However, if you were to receive one of these phone calls, it’s recommended that you take down the caller’s name and badge number then contact the department’s non-emergency number to verify if what the caller says is true or not.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 29, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Be careful of that Christmas gift card 

    Be careful of that Christmas gift card

    With so many people unable to visit their loved ones this holiday season, gift cards were a popular choice among the socially distanced. If you received a gift card for Christmas this year, remember it’s the thought that counts and you might want to check the balance on the card before you try to spend it. Not only are gift cards used in any number of payment scams, but they’re also vulnerable to scams when used for their intended purpose.

    Scammers will go into a store and take down the serial numbers on a series of gift cards. Once the cards are activated by a paying customer, the scammers will immediately drain the balance off of that card. Check to see if the card has already been scratched off or if the scratch-off area has been replaced by a sticker. That could indicate the card has been tampered with. Gift cards usually have a phone number or a website where you can check the balance before you spend it. This will prevent a possibly embarrassing trip to where you want to use the gift card.

    You should also be wary of anyone who tries to sell you a partially used gift card. Often, the scammer will approach someone in the parking lot trying to sell the gift card at a discounted rate. They’ll show you that the card has a balance on it but once you buy the card from them, the scammer will transfer the balance off of the card they just sold you.

    Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do once the funds have been drained from a gift card. The best thing to do once you receive a gift card is to try to use it as soon as possible and hope that you’ve beaten the scammer to the punch.

     

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