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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 4, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist ( 129 ), Lousiana, real estate ( 140 ), rental scam ( 92 ), Scams ( 1,651 )   

  Scammer collected deposit in person for home they didn’t own 

  

  Normally in home rental scams, the scammer will give any excuse as to why they can’t meet you in person. So what can you do when the scammer agrees to meet you at your home? Well, to collect your money anyway. That’s exactly what happened to a mother of six from Lousiana when she found a home reasonably priced home for rent online.

  The woman found the listing on Facebook Marketplace which led her to a listing on Craigslist. She contacted the number on the ad and the man on the other end said that he would be happy to rent her the home. The victim that was sent an application that we’re sure asked for a lot of personal information that could potentially be used for identity theft later.

  The scammer is said to have shown up at the woman’s current residence to have her sign a legitimate-looking lease. She was then instructed by the scammer to buy two pre-paid debit cards. One for the rent and one for the deposit. Each card carried $750 in funds. Later on, the scammer asked her to take pictures of both the front and back of each card.

  She had all her belongings packed up and ready to move when the scammer told her that he couldn’t meet her to give her the keys because of a ‘family emergency’. That was the last time she heard from the man who claimed to be renting her a new place to live.

  As it turns out, like most rental scams the Craigslist listing had been copied from a legitimate realtor’s website. The scammer is believed to have copied the listings of multiple other properties. All the other properties were actually listed for sale instead of being for rent.

  If you’re looking for a new place to live, you should take the time to do your research into the property. We always recommend checking with the county’s tax assessor’s office or website to find out who the true property owner is. Along with that we also recommend doing a reverse image search to make sure the photo’s from the property ad aren’t being copied from a legitimate realtor or landlord. You should also be wary of any landlord who can’t tell you anything about the property but is anxious to collect a deposit. Also, be wary if the landlord tries to collect payment through apps like Venmo, Cash App, or other non-traditional means that could be untraceable.

   

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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 3, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FBI ( 34 ), gift cards ( 108 ), impersonation scam ( 206 ), phone scam ( 51 ), Scams ( 1,651 )   

  Scammers keep elderly victim from asking for help 

  

  An elderly Pennsylvania woman was recently taken for over $5,000 by scammers pretending to be FBI agents. The scammers called her and claimed that her bank account had been compromised by criminals. They then told her not to tell anyone else as it could jeopardize the investigation. However, in order to assist with the investigation, they needed her to withdraw money from her account.

  The scammers kept her on the phone while she withdrew money from the bank. The bank was concerned that this withdraw may have been part of a scam. When they asked the woman what the withdraw was for, the scammers were said to have instructed the woman to tell the bank it was for an emergency medical procedure.

  It was at this point the scammers instructed the woman to purchase gift cards with the money she withdrew. The store where she bought the gift cards even tried warning her that this was a scam. Unfortunately, she went through with the purchase anyway. She then gave the phony agents the numbers off the back of the cards.

  While it’s not expressly mentioned in the news report, we can imagine that there were probably some threats of arrest if the victim didn’t comply with the scammers’ requests.

  Keeping the victim on the phone while they withdraw money and buy gift cards is a disturbing new trend that we saw start to take hold this year.

  If you receive one of these phone calls with someone claiming to be from a law enforcement agency asking you to make some kind of payment, hang up. No law enforcement agency will ever ask you for any kind of money over the phone. Also, no real law enforcement agency would ever have you buy gift cards for any reason.

  Due to their almost untraceable nature, gift cards have become almost the de facto currency for scammers. If anyone asks for payment in gift cards, it’s almost guaranteed to be a scam.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 2, 2020 Permalink | Reply  

  New pharmacy scam taking hold 

  

  A new scam has popped up around the country that involves your prescription medication. For many communities, gone are the days when you went to your local corner drug store. Now, many of us get our prescriptions from national retail chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart and that’s what the scammers are betting on.

  According to reports, scammers are posing as employees of the big pharmacy chains. The scammers are then calling their victims and telling them that the victim has a prescription ready at a pharmacy they don’t normally go to. The scammers will then ask for personal information like your Social Security number, driver’s license information, and health insurance information.

  While the report we’ve seen doesn’t explicitly state it, we believe that Medicare recipients are probably more targeted in this scam than people with private insurance. With all that information scammers could either bill phony items or procedures to Medicare or they could use the information to obtain prescription narcotics to sell illegally. Or the information could be used for identity theft purposes.

  If you receive a phone call from a pharmacy you don’t normally use, ask them what the prescription is for and what doctor prescribed it. If it’s for something you don’t normally take, hang up and call that pharmacy directly. Do not use the phone number that the scammer used as that can be spoofed and you could be right back talking to a scammer. You can also just tell the caller that’s not your prescription. Your insurance won’t be billed unless someone picks up the prescription and pays for it.

  Never volunteer your personal information over the phone because once it’s out in the wild, it’s near impossible to get it back.
   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 1, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fake websites ( 15 ), Playstation 5 ( 2 ), retail ( 49 ), Scams ( 1,651 ), video games ( 3 ), Xbox Series X   

  Video game consoles are the new scam item 

  

  The hot new items this holiday season are the latest generation of video game consoles, the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X. The consoles were released last month and due to the pandemic and scalpers, the consoles have been in short supply. The demand has gotten so high that some scalpers have even been robbed when trying to sell an overpriced unit. While we can’t tell you how to get your hands on one of the new consoles, we can tell you how not to get scammed if you’re looking to buy one this holiday season.

  The main way to prevent yourself from being scammed is sticking with known retailers, both online and brick and mortar. While you’re searching online for a console, you may start to see ads for websites advertising the new consoles from retailers you’ve never heard of. Before clicking on that ad, research the retailer. Do a web search of the retailer’s name with the word ‘scam’ and see what comes up. If you try to use one of these scam sites, you could potentially end up providing scammers with your credit or debit card information.

  If you’re the type that has no reservations about dealing with scalpers, stick with sites like eBay that offer some kind of purchase protection. If you’re lucky enough to find one of the consoles on a classifieds site, make the exchange at your local police department. Also, inspect the box before buying as some scammers will put things like bricks and phone books in the box to make it seem heavy.

  The best advice we can give you is to just keep periodically checking with known retailers. You may just get lucky with your perseverance. However, if for some reason you’re not able to get a console this holiday season, keep in mind that there really aren’t any must-have games for either console yet.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 30, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam ( 74 ), Maine ( 2 ), Police ( 12 ), Scams ( 1,651 )   

  Police dispatcher foils grandparent scam 

  

  In recent times, we’ve posted about how scammers are upping their game so to speak when it comes to grandparent scams. As you may know, the grandparent scam specifically targets the elderly as the name implies. The scammer will pose as one of the victim’s grandchildren and claim that they need money for bail or some other kind of emergency. They’ll ask the victims not to say anything to the rest of the family.

  Since the grandparent scam has become prevalent, we’ve seen stories of scammers sending someone to the victim’s home to collect the money, scammers keeping their victims from hanging up the phone, and scammers claiming there is a gag order in place to prevent the victim from talking to relatives. Now, at least one scammer has tried to get local police involved to convince the victim that they were a grandchild.

  In Falmouth, Maine, a police dispatcher was able to thwart one of these instances. The scammer is said to have called police claiming to be a relative of an elderly resident. The scammer asked police to check in on the woman since they had not heard from them in a while. This type of call is not unheard of by police as many people will ask police to conduct a welfare check. The thought here is that if actual police visit the victim’s home, the victim will believe the scammer is actually one of their grandchildren. Luckily, the dispatcher personally knew the victim in this instance. The dispatcher was able to ask the scammer questions that only a family member would know before the scammer’s story started to fall apart.

  While the dispatcher is to be commended, we can’t all have personal friends at the police department looking out for us. As with any grandparent scam. never let the caller keep you on the phone. Always reach out to someone who knows the grandchild’s whereabouts or call the grandchild directly. Reach out to family even if the caller says not to. Even if the call is real no one is going to be sentenced to life in prison if you hang up on the phone call from the supposed grandchild.

  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.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plgnxwZ-WNA

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 25, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Black Friday ( 8 ), Christmas shopping ( 27 ), gift cards ( 108 ), holiday shopping ( 19 ), online shopping ( 41 ), retail ( 49 ), Scams ( 1,651 )   

  Why you should really avoid Black Friday this year 

  

  In the past, we’ve always advised our readers against going to a brick and mortar store on Black Friday. This year, it should be quite obvious why you should avoid the big box stores this year. Not only has the CDC urged Americans to not travel this Thanksgiving due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, but many retailers have also reversed the previous trend of starting Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day. However, if you insist on braving the current landscape on Black Friday, there are still the annual pitfalls you have to look out for.

  The first thing to beware of is the so-called doorbuster deals. These items are usually very limited in stock. These items are generally designed to get you in the door and try to get you to buy something more expensive once the limited stock is exhausted. Some have even said that the doorbuster products are manufactured with cheaper components to keep profit margins high for the store.

  Shopping online is a much better alternative, but there are pitfalls online that need to be avoided as well. While shopping with the major online retailers is relatively safe, scammers will try to trick you into believing you’re using one of those retailers. Scammers will send out phishing emails using the actual logos of famous shopping sites but will leave a link in the email that will take you to a phony site that resembles the real thing. They’ll then try to gain your financial information for possible identity theft and other potential abuses. Along the same vein, scammers will pose as retailers and send you an email asking you to download something in order to get a deal. This will instead infect your device with malware which could allow bad actors to access your device remotely and steal as much information as they want from it. Always go directly to a retailer’s website rather than clicking on anything in an email.

  If at all possible when shopping online, use a credit card over a debit card when making purchases. While both debit and credit cards offer protection against scam purchases, credit cards have better protections and won’t take any money directly from your bank balance. Also, keep an eye on both your debit and credit card accounts to make sure that no unauthorized purchases have been made on them. Many of these services can be set up to send you a notification every time the account is used. While the notifications may be a bit annoying, they can go a long way in preventing fraud on your accounts.

  Even if you’re just buying gift cards for the family this year, there are still hazards to look out for. If you get a card with the PIN already being exposed it’s likely that card has been purchased already with the scammer putting the card back on the shelf hoping that someone will add additional funds to the card that the scammer could then use without your knowledge. Another variation of this scam is when a scammer will scratch the protective coating off of the card’s PIN then replace it with a sticker after writing down the number.

  To all our readers, we hope that you have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 24, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: identity theft ( 132 ), Ohio ( 5 ), pandemic unemployment assistance, phishing ( 91 ), PUA, Scams ( 1,651 ), unemployment benefits ( 23 ), unemployment scam ( 30 )   

  New unemployment scam promises $7600 

  

  If it seems like we’re hitting you over the head with unemployment scams, we’re sorry. We try to keep the content as diverse as possible but it seems that new unemployment scams have been popping up all over the country lately. This time, the scam is coming out of Ohio.

  The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is warning residents of an email phishing scam. The scam is said to be targeting anyone in the state that has received pandemic unemployment assistance. This is an assistance program Ohio uses to help those not normally eligible for unemployment such as the self-employed and gig workers.

  The email, which can be viewed here, states that applicants can receive an additional ‘7,600 USD’ if they click on the link that says ‘Accept My Claims’. If you were to click on the link it would no doubt take you to an official-looking but phony web page where you’ll be asked to input your personal information. If you’re on a laptop or desktop computer you can hover your cursor over any link to see where it’s really going to take you.

  There are a couple of red flags with this scam if you know what to look for. The first is that the email said payment would be 7,600 USD. USD is normally only used outside of the country to indicate how much something may be if you’re purchasing it from overseas. There are also some grammatical errors in the email that you may overlook if you’re not too careful.

  The whole situation in Ohio leaves a question that we think needs to be asked. How were the scammers able to obtain the email addresses of people who are and were on the pandemic unemployment assistance?

  We’d also like to remind you that just because it’s happening in Ohio doesn’t mean a similar scam couldn’t come to your state. If you receive an email like this, do not click on any of the links contained in it. Instead, if you think there’s an issue with your unemployment go directly to your state’s unemployment website.

   
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  Geebo 9:01 am on November 23, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: pennsylvania ( 9 ), phishing ( 91 ), Scams ( 1,651 ), sweepstakes ( 28 ), unemployment benefits ( 23 ), unemployment scam ( 30 )   

  New sweepstakes twist on unemployment scam 

  

  The Keystone State of Pennsylvania was one of the first states hit hardest by the nationwide problem of unemployment scams. For those who may not have heard, scammers are filing for unemployment benefits in all 50 states. The scammers use the identities of people who had their information exposed in corporate data breaches. Due to the sheer number of unemployment claims that have been filed since the start of the pandemic, most states’ unemployment systems have been overworked. This has allowed scammers to take advantage of the crisis and slip through the cracks and steal benefits.

  Now it seems that the scammers aren’t content with using the stolen identities they got through data breaches. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, residents there have reported receiving emails and social media messages about having won a prize. The messages contain a link that takes them to a page that requests personal information so the ‘prize’ can be claimed. This is what’s known as a phishing attack. Once the scammers have the victim’s information, they allegedly use it to file for unemployment benefits in the victim’s name.

  Since this new variation of the unemployment scam is appearing in Pennsylvania it’s more than likely happening in your state as well. The unemployment scam is one of the rare instances where a scam has happened almost everywhere in the country at once.

  As with all sweepstakes scams, if you’ve never entered anything you can’t win anything. So any online message that claims you’ve won something is more than likely a scam. Once you give your personal information to a scammer it’s out there for good and can never be retrieved. Even if you clear things up with your state’s unemployment office, there’s a good chance that this could be the first in a long line of instances where you have to fight to prove your true identity.

  Lorrie is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Lorrie 3:13 am on November 28, 2020 Permalink

    I never got mine and I’m a victim of iidenty theft help!!!

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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 20, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: airport ( 5 ), airport jail scam, family impersonation scam ( 4 ), impersonation scam ( 206 ), Scams ( 1,651 )   

  A new airport scam just in time for the holidays 

  

  With many people getting ready to travel for the holidays, even though they should stay home, a new scam has popped up. It’s a type of impersonation scam that takes many of its cues from the grandparent scam. Let’s call it the airport jail scam.

  In this scam, the scammer calls the victim pretending to be a friend or relative. They’ll claim that they’re being detained at the airport for whatever reason and need you to wire them money so they can be released. Sometimes the scammers will have a second person pose as someone in authority like a lawyer or police officer to make the scam sound more convincing and to place extra pressure on the victim. As with most scams, once you wire the money, the scammer disappears and you never see the money again.

  Now, most major airports do have a detention center where people who have been arrested are held. However, unless they’ve been arrested on a federal offense, an arrestee wouldn’t be able to make a phone call until they were transferred to the local police department for processing. We first heard of this scam using Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, California as the place where the alleged friend was being held in ‘airport jail. This airport is not a major airport like LAX or Newark International and does not have a detaining area.

  And just like in the grandparent scam, it is recommended that if you receive one of these phone calls that you don’t immediately make arrangements for payment. Instead, you should try to contact the person claiming to be in ‘airport jail’. You can also ask the person a question only they might know that couldn’t be gleaned from social media.

  While you think you may not fall for a scam like this, reports say that some people have already fallen for it. It’s easy to be led down that path when you think a loved one may be in danger. if your friend or relative is being detained, they will not get into any additional trouble if you verify their story.
   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 19, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Arizona ( 12 ), Scams ( 1,651 ), Tennessee ( 5 ), unemployment benefits ( 23 ), unemployment scam ( 30 ), West Virginia ( 3 )   

  Unemployment scams continue to plague states 

  

  We’ve been keeping our readers informed of the various unemployment scams for months now. One might assume that the states may have put a stop to these scams by now but that assumption would be incorrect. As we’re about to show, many states are still having trouble putting a stop to the abuse of their unemployment benefits.

  West Virginia has had over 50,000 of its residents receive unemployment benefit debit cards that they did not apply for. This isn’t just abusing the West Virginia system as many of these claims were filed out of state. For example, one woman who lives in Morganton received a debit card for unemployment benefits that was issued out of Colorado. This could be particularly difficult for West Virginia residents as their unemployment rate is above that of the national average. These scams could be taking away benefits from the people who may need it most.

  The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has issued a warning to residents about a nationwide email scam that is targeting the unemployed. The email states that there is a problem with an applicant’s claim. The applicant is then directed to click a link that takes them to a malicious website where they’ll be asked for their personal information. The TDLWD is reminding applicants that any email from them will come from a tn.gov address which could also be applicable in many other states. The address will come from whatever the state’s website is. Most states use the two-letter state abbreviation followed by .gov but there are a few exceptions.

  Arizona is another example of where scammers are filing for benefits in other people’s names. The scammers get this information from previous data breaches where personal information has been exposed. They then file for unemployment benefits using this stolen information. The scammers attempt to change the address or banking information to steal the benefits but when they can’t, the benefits get delivered to the victim’s possession. One woman had filed for unemployment in Arizona where she lives on May 10th. Scammers then applied for benefits in her name in Michigan two weeks later. Arizona is said to be investigating one million cases of fraudulent unemployment activity.

  Considering that the nation is seeing a rise in coronavirus cases and more states are issuing new lockdown orders we could be seeing even more unemployment in the foreseeable future. This will give more scammers even more opportunities to scam each of the 50 states.