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  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 22, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Contact tracing scam is still being used 

    Contact tracing scam is still being used

    Contact tracing is basically medical detective work when it comes to contagious diseases. While it’s currently being used to try to disrupt COVID-19 infections, in the past, it’s been used to try to prevent infectious diseases like tuberculosis and measles from spreading. It works when treating an infected person and finding who they have been in close contact with and trying to get those individuals tested for the infection.

    If someone was found to have been in contact with an infected individual, they should receive a text message from their local health department saying that they will soon receive a phone call from their health department. The process behind modern contact racing still has a lot of hurdles to overcome as shown by the following video.

    Now, that hasn’t stopped scammers from trying to imitate the legitimate text messages that would be sent out in case of a potential infection. The phony texts are sent out en masse hoping to trick as many victims as possible. It will appear like the legitimate text messages but instead of telling you’ll receive a call from the health department, it will instruct you to click on a link.

    Once you click the link, you’ll be asked for personal information like your social security number, bank account information, and credit card number. None of this information would be needed by your local health department. At least not your financial information.

    Being told that you’ve been in contact with someone who has contracted the coronavirus can be scary. Scammers prey on that fear to try to get you to make rash decisions that you normally wouldn’t make otherwise.

    If you receive one of these texts that asks you to click on a link, take a breath and think about it for a moment. If there is any concern that you may have actually been in contact with someone who has been infected, your best bet is to contact your local health department.

    The CDC has a website where you can find information for each state’s health department.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 21, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    If you were expecting a paper stimulus check you may not get one 

    If you were expecting to receive your stimulus payment by paper check, you may not be receiving one. Instead, the Treasury Department has announced that they’ll be sending some four million payments on prepaid debit cards. The Treasury Department claims that it will be quicker to send out the debit cards than it would be to issue paper checks.

    The majority of people who will be receiving the debit cards are those who did not provide the IRS with direct deposit information and had their tax returns processed by the IRS centers in Austin, Texas, or Andover, Massachusetts. The Andover service center processed returns for much of New England while the Austin service center processed returns for taxpayers in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Austin service center also covers those who use a military mailing address like an APO or FPO.

    There are very few restrictions on the card and consumers will be able to use it like a normal debit card. There are no fees for purchases or withdrawing money as long as the money is withdrawn from an in-network ATM. If your card were to be lost or stolen it would cost around $25 to have it replaced.

    While the debit card will be more convenient for most people rather than a paper check, there are still some safeguards you should take after receiving yours. No matter how ecstatic you may be about receiving your payment, do not post a picture of the card on social media. It will take bad actors no time at all to drain your funds off of the card with just the card number. Also keep in mind that if someone claims to be from the government calling about the debit card, they’re almost assuredly a scammer.

    Lastly, for individuals with privacy concerns, the Treasury Department says that the government cannot track your spending habits from the card.

     

    • Andrenikki 2:47 pm on May 24, 2020 Permalink

      Wassup wit The Stimulus Check

  • Greg Collier 8:39 am on May 20, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    COVID test scam targets elderly 

    COVID test scam targets elderly

    During the current crisis, the elderly are not only the most vulnerable to the virus but could also be the most vulnerable to coronavirus related scams. Once again, an old scam has been repurposed for the global pandemic and it involves seniors’ healthcare.

    According to the Better Business Bureau, scammers are posing as Medicare employees offering coronavirus home testing kits. They ask their victims for personal information including seniors’ Medicare information. Tests are sent to the victims but again, no home test has been approved for use by the FDA. The BBB says that these scammers are more than likely committing Medicare fraud and are billing these tests to Medicare. If Medicare is paying the scammers for these tests, this could affect Medicare coverage for future coronavirus testing by doctors.

    If you receive one of these calls or possibly an email from someone claiming to be from Medicare offering you a test kit, either hang up on the call or delete the email. Whatever you do, please do not respond to any of these offers. Keep in mind that if Medicare was actually calling you, they wouldn’t need to ask for your Medicare number.

    This also goes for people on private health insurance as well. Your insurance company isn’t going to offer you an at-home test kit and won’t ask you for your ID number. If your insurance company ever does need to call you, they’ll already have that information on hand.

    Both Medicare and private insurances mostly communicate with patients by postal mail. Anybody claiming to be them with some kind of offer is either an identity thief or an insurance fraudster.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 19, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Scams targeting those trying to return to work 

    Scams targeting those trying to return to work

    With many states trying to return to normal, many people are looking to gain employment after record numbers of workers have been unemployed. Never ones to miss out on an opportunity to seize ill-gotten gains from tragedy, scammers and con artists have been increasing their scams that target job seekers.

    One particularly disturbing scam is targeting the unemployed in at least one state. In Washington, scammers are using stolen identities to try to collect unemployment benefits. This takes much needed financial relief out of the hands of the people that need them and put them potentially into the hands of overseas scammers. It is recommended to check with your state’s unemployment office to make sure your payments are being sent to the correct destination. In some states, you can even sign up for an account through the state without even needing unemployment benefits.

    Of course, scammers have also been trying to fool job seekers with legitimate-looking positions. One man looking for employment posted his resume to a number of job boards like Indeed and Monster hoping to find a position that would take advantage of the years of his experience. Instead, he received a job offer that just tried to take advantage of him. He received a job offer from a company that he had not even applied to. Everything about the position looked legitimate so he accepted the position. However, the ‘company’ sent the man his payment by a check that was over the amount he was supposed to be paid. They told him to deposit the check and return the difference to them. Thankfully, the man was familiar with the phony check scheme and did not deposit the check. But he was devastated that this was not a legitimate job.

    Lastly, old employment scams are finding new victims after so many have been unemployed for the past few months. One of those scams is the car wrap scam. In it, the scammer will promise you so much money a week to display advertising on your car. More often than not, these offers are scams. One woman in California accepted one of these positions and once again, she was sent a check that was more than she was supposed to receive. She was also aware of the phony check scam and did not deposit the check.

    While these may be lean times, always do your due diligence when looking for a job. If you are offered a position, always research the company that’s offering you the job. Sometimes, something as simple as checking their address on Google Maps can reveal their true intentions.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 18, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Still haven’t received your stimulus check? This might be why. 

    Still haven't received your stimuls check? This might be why.

    The majority of stimulus payments were supposed to have been issued by this past Wednesday, May 13th. However, there are still a substantial amount of Americans who have yet to receive their economic impact payments. While many have very complicated situations that may affect their payments, we’ll try to provide as much information as we can with publicly available information.

    We’ve received a number of comments from our readers who are Supplemental Security Income representative payees and are concerned about the status of their payments. According to the Social Security Administration’s website, if you filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return the payment should have been sent to the bank account provided on your tax return for an electronic tax refund, or mailed to the address provided on your tax return. However, if a 2018 or 2019 tax return was not required, the payee should receive the payment in late May either to their bank account by direct deposit or the Direct Express card depending on how the SSI payment is normally received. More information for SSI recipients and payees can also be found here.

    For everyone else who hasn’t received their stimulus payment yet, it could be just a matter of waiting. The deadline to provide your direct deposit information to the IRS has passed if they didn’t already have it on file. If you used a tax preparing service for your last tax return, your payment may have been sent to a temporary bank account set up by your tax preparer. If that is the case, the payment will be sent back to the government who will issue you a paper check.

    If your plan was to get a paper check all along, they are still in the process of being issued. Your annual income for 2018 or 2019 will determine how long you’ll be waiting for your check. Lower-income taxpayers will receive their paper checks first.

    Lastly, if you filed a paper tax return for 2019, your payment may be delayed as paper returns have been put on hold by the IRS.

    Unfortunately, we can’t answer why payment has been delayed for every situation, but we hope this post answers the questions that some of our readers have had.

     

    • Anonymous 9:58 am on May 18, 2020 Permalink

      What if you didn’t file taxes at all. Just do odd jobs will they get stimulas check

    • Geebo 11:06 am on May 18, 2020 Permalink

      Yes. You’ll need to go to the Get My Payment page for the IRS and click on non-filer. However, we believe you may have missed the deadline for direct deposit and will probably receive a paper check. That may take some time. https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment

    • Eddie 11:58 am on May 18, 2020 Permalink

      I have not get my money

    • Anonymous 2:34 pm on May 18, 2020 Permalink

      I don’t have a computer and I’m on social security have had the same.bank for 25 years with direct deposit so where my money t w odell

    • Sharlene Bolen 3:30 pm on May 18, 2020 Permalink

      My husband is on disability and we are married he received his 1200 $ stimulus but nothing for me will I get a separate check from his

    • Evelyn 2:48 pm on May 19, 2020 Permalink

      My son gets ssi ssa an I’m his payee an he still hasn’t received his

    • Vickie Vowell 9:32 am on May 21, 2020 Permalink

      My husband got his we are married an I haven’t gotten mine

    • Vickie Vowell 9:33 am on May 21, 2020 Permalink

      My husband got his we are married an I haven’t gotten minehe got his in his account

    • Charlene Manzone 2:56 pm on May 21, 2020 Permalink

      I get ssd I got my money on time but still no stimulus payment I have direct deposit with direct express I don’t understand what is taking so long for me to get my stimulus payment

    • Diana Kennedy 7:18 pm on May 21, 2020 Permalink

      I don’t understand why my daughter has not received her stimulus yet she has three children taking care of them. She owed back taxes but she should still get her stimulus package as well it’s not the children fault. They are the ones who need it the most.

    • Lisa Coursey 4:44 pm on May 22, 2020 Permalink

      My husband got his I have not he is on SSI

    • Kathy A Showalter 4:12 pm on May 23, 2020 Permalink

      My husband is on ssi with no payee and still have not got his yet

    • FELIX COLON 5:38 am on May 28, 2020 Permalink

      MI ESPOSO ESTA EN SSI HACEN TRES DIAS ME METI A LA PAGINA DE CHEQUEAR EL PAGO Y ME INFORMO QUE EL PAGO ESTARIA HOY 28 DE MAYO Y NO HAY NADA. COMO ES QUE ESA PAGINA LA INFORMACION NO SEA CIERTA NO HAY PERSONAL POR TELEFONO. CHEQUES PAPEL NO ES EL RESUELVE.

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 15, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Used car scams have this one thing in common 

    Used car scams have this one thing in common

    With so many states reopening and taxpayers are flush with cash from their stimulus checks many consumers are looking to purchase a new vehicle.

    eBay has been selling vehicles on its platform for over a decade now. eBay Motors can be a good place to search if you’re looking for a specific make and model of vehicle. eBay even has a Vehicle Protection Plan that will cover certain losses associated with fraud. However, con artists are using eBay’s name and branding to rip off people looking to purchase a new vehicle.

    Within the past week there have been a number of reports of used car scams that have had an eBay element to them. Please keep in mind that eBay is not actually involved in any of these scams.

    In Louisiana, the Better Business Bureau there is warning consumers about purchasing cars where an online ad promises the eBay Vehicle Protection Plan. They’re saying that if you see the promise of the Vehicle Protection Plan on any other platform besides eBay, like craigslist, there’s a good likelihood that the ad could be a scam.

    In another scam that seems to be occurring in multiple locations across the country, scammers are asking for payment in eBay gift cards for vehicles that don’t exist. In Virginia, scammers are said to be using emails with official-looking eBay branding to lure unsuspecting victims into paying for vehicles with eBay gift cards. A similar scam is also taking place in Omaha, Nebraska where a couple lost $4500 after trying to pay for a motorcycle with eBay gift cards.

    Anybody with a half-decent knowledge of computers can claim that their vehicle is protected by eBay’s Vehicle Protection Plan or make their email look like it’s from eBay. So unless you’re actually shopping on eBay, those promises and branding are more than likely nothing more than stolen assets. Also, gift cards are the currency of scammers since they’re virtually untraceable once the serial numbers are given out. If someone online ever asks you to make any payment using any kind of gift card, there’s a high probability you’re being scammed.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 14, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Increase in scam that could land victims in jail 

    Increase in scam that could land victims in jail

    Just like every other scam, the reshipping or repackaging scam has seen an increase since the start of the current pandemic. In the reshipping scam, scammers post online ads for a work at home job. The phony job entails receiving packages in the mail that the scammer will say you need to inspect for damages before shipping them to a third party. The items usually have been purchased with a stolen credit card. This way it becomes harder to track the stolen item. Police in Boise, Idaho recently recovered $7,000 worth of stolen goods from the home of someone who had been scammed into reshipping them.

    The biggest hazard with the reshipping scam is the fact that even if you’ve been conned into reshipping, you can still be held criminally liable depending on what you were asked to do by the scammers. For example, if you were instructed to lie on US Customs Service forms for packages leaving the country, you could be charged with fraud.

    Another drawback of this scam outside of receiving stolen merchandise is that you could be paid with fraudulent checks or money orders. Once again, if you deposit these into your bank account and then spend the money for whatever reason, you’ll be responsible to the bank for the check’s amount once they discover it’s fraudulent.

    And since the reshipping scam usually stems from phony job ads, your identity could be compromised as well if you provided personal information to the scammers. Could you imagine if all three of these things happened to you at once? That could cost you untold amounts of money just for being an unwitting participant in the scam.

    If you think you may be a victim in a reshipping scam there are steps you can take. If you’ve already received items don’t mail them. Instead, contact the USPS Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 13, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    The other victims of romance scams 

    The other victims of romance scams

    When we’ve discussed romance scams in the past, we usually focus on the victims who have lost money. However, there are other victims of the scam that we may not have considered.

    If you’re unfamiliar with romance scams, they also go by the name catfishing. A scammer will set up a phony social media or dating profile. They’ll then approach a victim online like they’re seeking a romantic relationship. They might string the victim along for weeks or months. They’ll often give excuses as to why they can’t meet in person, usually business-related but not always. Eventually, they’ll approach their victim for money. A lot of the time the scammers will claim they’re stuck in some remote location and need the money to get home. Other times they’ll say it’s for a business venture that could make the victim rich. Sometime they’ll even flat out ask for gifts.

    This scam is prevalent among the military. Not as financial victims, but as the ones having their pictures stolen to be used on the scammers’ fake accounts. Scammers prefer using the pictures of military members as it gives them a built-in excuse as to why they may be overseas or unable to meet in person. Sadly, these military members are victims too as they often find themselves being sought out by the financial victims of the scam.

    For example, a Naval Petty Officer stationed in Virginia says that he receives several messages a day from victims of a romance scam that used his picture. Too often the victims believe that the person in the picture is the actual scammer. He says that he even had victims go after his girlfriend online. In some cases, he says, victims will even physically track down the military member used in the picture.

    We’re sure we don’t have to instruct military members on how to conduct themselves on social media because they’re probably given guidelines for that all the time. However, if you want to protect yourself or someone you know from one of these scams, one of the best things you can do is a reverse image search. This will allow you to see if the picture being sent is one being used somewhere else online under a different name.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 12, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    Work at home scams continue to rise 

    Work at home scams continue to rise

    According to the Better Business Bureau, work at home scams were on a sharp rise even before the COVID-19 crisis started. Now, with so many people having been laid off or furloughed these scams have become even more prevalent over the past couple of months. These scams start off with tempting online ads promising decent money for relatively easy work without having to leave your home and risk infection. However, you could be risking something that’s almost as devastating.

    For example, a woman in Minnesota recently responded to an online ad for a data entry position. The ad promised to pay $15 an hour and promised at least a 40-hour workweek while maintaining a flexible schedule. After she responded to the ad she was instructed to download WhatsApp so an interview could be conducted. WhatsApp is a messaging app that’s popular overseas and often used in place of text messaging. Essentially, she was being interviewed for this job over text message. This is usually done so scammers can avoid sounding like they’re calling from another country.

    The scammers had said that they were going to pay for her to buy a new laptop for the job. They claimed they were going to send her a check to buy the equipment from an approved vendor. However, they told her that she only had 24 hours after receiving the check to purchase the equipment. If she had received the check it would have been a counterfeit check that she would have been responsible for if she had deposited it into her bank account. The 24-hour turnaround is a way for the scammers to get the money moved quickly before her bank could realize it was fraudulent.

    It wasn’t too long before the scammers started asking her for personal information like a copy of her driver’s license and who her cell phone carrier was. They then sent her a form that asked for her banking information along with security passwords. Thankfully, she realized this was a scam before her identity could be compromised.

    While there are legitimate work at home positions to be found, they are not as common as online ads may have you believe. If the offer sounds too good or it feels a little off, listen to your gut and avoid giving out any information to the scammers.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:00 am on May 11, 2020 Permalink | Reply
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    More info on when people on SSI will get their stimulus check 

    More info on when people on SSI will get their stimulus check

    According to our previous posts about the economic impact payment, a number of people who are on Supplemental Security Income still haven’t received their stimulus payment. To better help our readers who still have questions, we have found additional information that might help alleviate their anxiety over the delivery of their stimulus payment.

    If you’re on SSI and still haven’t received your stimulus payment, you’re supposed to receive it by mid-May. So hopefully, you should receive your payment by the end of this week at the time of this posting. The IRS is said to be putting these payments on your Direct Express cards. However, if you used the Non-Filers tool on the IRS’s Get My Payment page and provided the IRS with a bank account or opted for a paper check, you will receive your payment that way. We would imagine that the direct deposit to your bank account would also take place by mid-May but paper checks could take even longer. While lower-income families are supposed to get their paper checks sooner rather than later if they requested one, it could still be some time before a paper check is received.

    If you have a Direct Express card, you’ll be allowed a one-time free ATM withdrawal to access your stimulus payment. This will be in addition to the free withdrawal you already receive. You can also sign up for text or email alerts at the Direct Express website to be alerted when you get your payment.

    The IRS has also said that the Get My Payment website has been improved to help you get a better idea of where your payment is. If in the past you received the dreaded error message from the IRS website, you should now be able to get the status of your payment. If you still get the error message, try typing out your information in all caps as some have reported that it has helped them with getting their payment information.

    The most reliable and up to date information should be found at the IRS’s Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments website.

    For non-stimulus payment news about COVID-19/coronavirus please go to Coronavirus.gov.

    (H/T to USA Today and cnet)

     

    • Anonymous 9:51 pm on May 12, 2020 Permalink

      I ha e. Not. Got my check. Ssi. I need it

    • Mary Howard 8:29 am on May 13, 2020 Permalink

      When will ssi get theirs if they have a payee everyone else is getting it tofay of they don’t have a payee not fare

    • Anonymous 8:31 am on May 13, 2020 Permalink

      Not fare people that geta SSI that had a payee isn’t getting there payments today whwre people taht dont have a payee got theirs today when will they get them??

    • Senobia 12:52 pm on May 13, 2020 Permalink

      I’m on ssi and I haven’t gone a check and they already talking about a second check can someone please tell me how this happen

    • Colten Ennis 8:25 pm on May 13, 2020 Permalink

      Will people on SSI that have payee get a get a stimulus check

    • Geebo 11:54 pm on May 13, 2020 Permalink

      Unfortunately, we do not have the answer to every situation however we found a link that we hope answers some of your questions.

      https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/info-2020/representative-payees-stimulus-role.html

    • Anonymous 3:13 pm on May 14, 2020 Permalink

      My son gets ssdi I am his payee and they say they can’t find him something why

    • Anonymous 5:14 pm on May 14, 2020 Permalink

      they say may 27 u will have it

    • Anonymous 9:51 am on May 16, 2020 Permalink

      When will the rest of the SSDI and Retirement get there money still waiting need it.

    • Anonymous 11:13 am on May 16, 2020 Permalink

      My son had direct express card for his monthly checks from ssi and he gets social security from his father he’s not received his stimlas money yet when will be get it

    • Anonymous 9:27 am on May 17, 2020 Permalink

      I get SSI too haven’t got mine I don’t understand what’s going on how do I find out if I don’t get it where do I catch it

    • Phylistine Ervin for Johnny Harvey 12:20 pm on May 17, 2020 Permalink

      My son is 46 he gets a ss check from his decease dad he is handy cap never filed taxes I am his payee well he get a check

    • Anonymous 12:33 pm on May 17, 2020 Permalink

      R we still going to get any additional income

    • Kenneth Grugin 8:12 am on May 18, 2020 Permalink

      Still waiting. Irs.gov site is a joke . i have direct express.

    • Ellen. Merrell 9:15 am on May 20, 2020 Permalink

      I. Get. Spouse. Benefits.

      Social. Security. Did. Not. Check. From. Yet

    • FELIX COLON 4:34 pm on May 20, 2020 Permalink

      MIESPOSO RECIBE SSI Y NO A RECIBIDO NADA. YO SOY SU REPRESETANTE. CUANDO LO RECIBIRA.

    • Anna shuck 4:06 am on May 21, 2020 Permalink

      Me and my husband get SSI on a direct Express card he got his but I did not get mine he is a Rep payee for me so I don’t know if the rep payees get it or not I have no clue

    • FELIX COLON 7:33 pm on May 21, 2020 Permalink

      DICEN QUE EL 27 MAYO 2020 LOVAN RECIBIR. SERA VERDAD

    • Connie boshell 1:51 am on May 22, 2020 Permalink

      I’m on Windows pension I haven’t git my and I don’t no how to check to see when I will get it

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