It’s a rare occurrence for a scam victim to be arrested for allegedly being part of a scam, but it does happen. Typically, it happens in the reshipping scam. In those cases, scam victims can be charged with a crime if they willingly falsify shipping documentation as directed by the scammers to bypass US customs. This isn’t a story about that, but it’s just as heartbreaking.
A 71-year-old man from Des Moines, Iowa, fell victim to a police impersonation scam. It hasn’t been reported which police impersonation scam he fell for, but the scammers did pose as federal agents. It wasn’t enough to take the man’s money, as the scammers used him to pick up money from their victims. The man is said to have collected money from the scammers’ victims, and deposited the money to the scammers at a Bitcoin ATM.
The regrettable part of this story is that even after being scammed himself, the man thought he was legitimately helping federal investigators. Des Moines police even warned the man what he was doing was illegal, but the man persisted anyway. The police say they had no choice but to arrest him. The man has been charged with money laundering.
Protecting yourself from police impersonation scams involves being vigilant, informed, and cautious when dealing with any situation involving law enforcement or authority figures. Remember, legitimate law enforcement officers will not threaten you over the phone, demand immediate payments, or use aggressive tactics. Taking the time to verify the authenticity of any communication can go a long way in protecting yourself from scams.
We didn’t intend for it to be disaster week here on the blog, but that’s how the news cycle went this week. However, today’s story shows that a disaster doesn’t have to be a major catastrophe like the ongoing Maui wildfires. It can be as something as simple as a storm. This week, portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin dealt with severe weather that included hail storms. Some areas received golf ball sized hailstones. When hailstones become that big, they can do a number on your home, especially your roof.
While roof damage can be a major inconvenience in someone’s life, the damage isn’t too small where scammers won’t show up to someone’s door offering their repair services. One man in Minnesota who does have roof damage from the storm told local media he’s had nine supposed roof repairmen show up at his door. The man said that all nine looked like they were from legitimate contractors, but legitimate looking credentials can be easily counterfeited by scammers.
The roof repair scam is a type of fraudulent activity where scammers pose as legitimate roof repair contractors but engage in deceitful practices to exploit homeowners. These scams typically involve offering roof repair services at a seemingly attractive price, but the quality of work is often subpar or unnecessary.
Scammers might knock on doors, make unsolicited phone calls, or send out flyers offering their services. They may claim to have noticed issues with the homeowner’s roof that require immediate attention, such as damage after a hail storm.
Scammers often provide extremely low bids compared to legitimate contractors, making their offer seem like a great deal. Homeowners are enticed by the prospect of saving money on necessary repairs.
To start the work, scammers may demand upfront payments or a substantial deposit. Once they have the money, they might either perform minimal, shoddy repairs or vanish without completing any work. They could also begin the repair work but leave it incomplete, citing unexpected complications or issues that require additional funds to resolve.
To protect yourself from falling victim to a roof repair scam, always research contractors before hiring them. Look for reviews, check their website and contact information, and verify their credentials. Get quotes from multiple contractors to compare pricing and recommended repairs. Seek recommendations from friends, family, or neighbors who have had positive experiences with roofing contractors. Lastly, be wary of contractors who pressure you into making quick decisions or demand immediate payment.
By being cautious and thorough in your evaluation of potential contractors, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to a roof repair scam.
The other day, a branch of the Federal Government issued two warnings about scams involving the Maui wildfire. Now, another federal office has issued an additional scam warning. And while the warning currently is intended for Maui residents, it can be applicable anywhere in the country.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), has issued a warning about scammers who will offer mortgage rescue or mortgage assistance to homeowners affected by the Maui wildfire.
A mortgage rescue scam is a fraudulent scheme that targets individuals who are struggling to make their mortgage payments or are facing the risk of foreclosure on their homes. Scammers prey on the vulnerability and desperation of homeowners in dire financial situations. They promise assistance in avoiding foreclosure or obtaining more favorable mortgage terms, but instead, they exploit the homeowners’ financial distress for their own gain.
These scams can take various forms, but the most important one to look out for is property deed transferring. In some cases, scammers may pressure homeowners to sign over the deed to their property in exchange for promises of temporary relief from foreclosure or the ability to remain in the home as renters. This can result in homeowners losing ownership of their property entirely.
Homeowners should also be wary of any mortgage relief program that asks for any fees upfront. Scammers may claim that these fees are necessary to initiate the process of refinancing, modifying the mortgage, or negotiating with lenders. Once the homeowner pays the fees, the scammers disappear without providing any actual assistance.
To avoid falling victim to a mortgage rescue scam, homeowners should exercise caution and skepticism when approached by anyone offering assistance with their mortgage troubles. It’s crucial to verify the credentials of individuals or organizations claiming to offer such services, and to consult trusted legal or financial professionals before making any decisions.
Legitimate assistance programs and organizations don’t demand upfront fees and provide transparent information about the services they offer. If something seems too good to be true or feels suspicious, it’s best to do thorough research and seek guidance from reputable sources.
The pop-up scam is one of the more prolific online scams out there. It tends to target elderly victims, who may not be tech-savvy enough to recognize the scam. The scam starts out while the victim is online, and they receive a pop-up message on their device. It doesn’t matter what kind of device it is. They can be using a phone, tablet, or computer and the scam works the same.
The pop-up message typically says there is something wrong with the victim’s device. The message can even end up locking or freezing the device. There is almost always a phone number included in the message that claims to offer the solution to the victim’s tech problem. These phone numbers often claim to be from Microsoft, Apple, or some other tech giant, so they can appear more legitimate.
As we’re sure you’ve surmised, the phone number actually goes to a call center full of scammers. The scammers will usually tell their victims that their computer or bank account is being hacked. In either instance, the scammer will have the victim download an application that allows the scammer to have remote access to the victim’s device.
From there, the scam can go in any number of directions. Personal information could be stolen from the victim’s device, the scammers can access the victim’s financial accounts, or the scammers will ask for a substantial payment to ‘fix’ the device. This can be in the thousands of dollars in some cases. However, all of this is typically done remotely. Now, there is a group of scammers who are going to the victims’ houses to collect the victim’s money.
In Colorado, a number of elderly victims have reported falling victim to this new scam. It starts out the same with the victim getting the pop-up message, but from there it takes a wildly different turn.
In one instance, an 83-year-old woman was told the reason she got the message was because her bank was failing. She was also told not to tell anyone in her family or the police. They directed the woman to buy another cell phone they would use to communicate with her. She was then instructed to empty her bank account because the bank couldn’t be trusted, but someone from the ‘new bank’ would come by to pick up her money, so they could ‘protect’ it. A man showed up at her door to collect the money and the cell phone she was using to communicate with the scammers.
Similar scams happened to at least two other victims in the scam county. One victim was told to buy gold, which they gave $125,000 worth to the scammers. Another victim lost $36,000 in cash. Police were given different descriptions of the people who came to pick up the money, leading them to believe the collectors may not even be part of the same scam ring.
Anytime someone you don’t know tells you not to talk to your family or police, they’re trying to isolate you, so they can take advantage of you. If you receive one of these pop-up messages, try turning the device off and back on again to see if that resolves the issue. You should never call the phone number in the pop-up because it only goes to scammers, even if they claim to be from a large company.
In case you haven’t been following the news, the island of Maui in Hawaii has been experiencing the worst wildfires in over a century. And whenever there is a natural disaster of this scale, the scammers are sure to follow. In that vein, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is trying to get ahead of the scammers and has issued a warning not only to the residents of Maui, but also those looking to help the victims of the fires.
The first type of scam the FTC is warning residents about is the FEMA impersonation scam. After natural disasters, scammers will often impersonate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to try to get personal information or money from victims of the disaster.
Fraudsters masquerade as FEMA representatives and contact individuals, offering aid related to disaster relief or financial support.
These impostors deploy a variety of tactics to target potential victims, utilizing means like phone calls, emails, text messages, or social media posts. They might assert that the person has been granted financial aid, or insist on the need for personal particulars to facilitate aid distribution.
After winning the victim’s confidence, the scammers proceed to request sensitive personal and financial data, including Social Security numbers, bank account specifics, or credit card particulars. Additionally, they might solicit funds or persuade the victim to acquire gift cards under the guise of receiving assistance.
In actuality, authentic FEMA representatives never solicit personal or financial details through phone calls or emails, nor do they ask for monetary contributions or gift cards as prerequisites for disaster relief. Should you receive a suspicious communication purporting to be from FEMA, it’s advisable to directly contact the agency to authenticate the legitimacy of the message.
Then there are the charity scams, which almost always appear following a disaster like this. Individuals seeking to contribute to a relief fund should exercise caution when encountering phone or email solicitations from entities with generic names such as ‘Disaster Relief Fund’. If a charitable organization seems to be exerting undue pressure on you to donate, whether via phone conversations or online platforms, there’s a strong likelihood that they are operating as scammers.
You have the option to verify a charity’s authenticity by visiting platforms like Charity Navigator and Give.org. These resources can provide insights into which charities are genuine and which ones should be approached with skepticism. Additionally, you can cross-check with the IRS to determine whether a charity is officially registered with them; this step significantly contributes to establishing the legitimacy of the charity.
And please keep in mind, you can always donate money or blood to the Red Cross. This will not only help the people of Maui but the victims of other disasters as well.
You know a scam must be bad when one of the national news networks covers it. NBC News is warning its viewers and readers of one of the most despicable scams going today, the funeral home scam.
Most people aren’t familiar with the scam, since it only targets families who have recently lost loved ones. As much as we deny it to ourselves, there will unfortunately come a day when we have to assist in laying a loved one to rest. It’s better to be aware of the scam now, then having to experience it for the first tile while you’re mourning.
Fraudulent individuals exploit obituaries of recently departed individuals for their schemes. These obituaries often include the funeral home responsible for the deceased’s final arrangements. These scammers manipulate the situation by falsifying the funeral home’s contact number and contacting the grieving family under the pretense of representing the funeral home. Their usual approach involves asserting that there are discrepancies in the billing or that an extra insurance payment is required. They swiftly proceed to demand an instant payment via phone. Shockingly, there have been cases where these scammers go to the extent of implying that they will withhold the deceased’s remains until the payment is settled.
In NBC News’ report, they detail the stories of two people who were targeted by scammers during the worst time of their lives. In the first story, scammers targeted a woman who had just lost her husband of 22 years the day before. They claimed she owed the funeral home an additional $5000, but she could pay $2500 first through Zelle or Apple Pay. The victim tried to make payments, but they kept getting flagged as suspicious. Luckily, her son overheard the conversation and advised her to end the call.
In the other story, scammers called a woman making arrangements for her husband while she was at the funeral home. The scammers had spoofed the number of the funeral home and were using the name of an actual funeral home employee. The funeral director got on the phone and identified herself, which caused the scammers to hang up.
In the regrettable circumstance of having to arrange a funeral for a cherished individual, it is advisable to secure a comprehensive breakdown of expenses from the chosen funeral home. This practice can significantly contribute to safeguarding both you and your family from falling victim to such deceptive scammers.
Also, please keep in mind legitimate funeral homes, and most businesses, will not ask for payment through a mobile payment app like Zelle. In the unfortunate event, you receive a phone call like this while arranging a loved one’s funeral, hang up and call the funeral home directly.
If you use the mobile payment app Venmo, there are already a ton of scams you have to look out for. However, most of them are about whom the user is sending money to. Remember, Venmo is only supposed to be used between friends and family. Most legitimate businesses and organizations do not request payment through Venmo.
But now there’s a new Venmo scam that’s determined to empty your account. The Ohio Division of Financial Institutions has issued a warning about the latest scam.
The scam starts when the victim receives a text message that appears to have come from Venmo. The text asks the victim if their Venmo account was used in another part of the country. The message also contains a link to click on if you didn’t make that transaction.
So, how do the scammers know their victim has a Venmo account? In most instances, they don’t know. Scammers will send out these texts randomly while hoping someone will take the bait.
There are a couple of ways you can protect yourself from this scam. The first is to never click on any links that appear in text messages from people you don’t know personally. Instead, log in to your Venmo account and review it for any potentially fraudulent charges. The other way is to enable two-factor authentication on your account. If your device has a fingerprint reader, it’s recommended to use that as your 2FA method as the fingerprint will be tied to your device, and not something that can be easily duplicated.
And if Venmo is being used in a scam like this, it’s only a matter of time before it comes to Zelle, PayPal, and Cash App.
She’s young. She was successful. She’s a professional therapist who had her own private practice. She doesn’t fit the profile of your typical romance scam victim. Yet, she and her children are bing sheltered at a church because she lost everything in a romance scam.
A romance scam occurs when scammers fabricate fraudulent online personas to establish a sense of trust with their targets, often aiming to swindle them out of funds. Employing tactics of flattery, emotional maneuvering, and counterfeit images and aliases, the perpetrator gradually forges a connection with the victim. Once this bond is solidified, the scammer commonly solicits money or sensitive particulars, such as bank account specifics or credit card data. The impact of romance scams can be especially devastating, as victims might experience humiliation or guilt, deterring them from reporting the offense to law enforcement.
The victim in today’s scam was approached by a man through her TikTok account. She was becoming quite smitten with the man, but ended up blocking him because she received warnings from other women that the man was asking them for money. That didn’t deter the scammer, as they came back under a new alias.
The scammer then used the name of a famous fitness YouTuber with over one million followers. The YouTuber’s identity was assumed by the scammer, with the scammer using the YouTuber’s pictures as their own. The scammer even went as far as to email the victim while posing as the YouTuber’s mother, frequently asking the victim how she was doing.
Like in most romance scams, the scammer would never allow video calls or have videos sent to the victim. They claimed that due to their fame, they couldn’t let private videos or pictures become public.
Then the requests for money started. It started out small, like for the price of a pizza, then increased from there.
The scammer even convinced the victim they were about to get married. She ended up selling everything she owned, thinking they were going to elope this month. Of course, the marriage never came to pass, and after sending so much money to the scammer, she and her family are now homeless.
The allure of scams can ensnare even the most cautious individuals due to their clever tactics and exploitation of human psychology. Scammers often prey on people’s vulnerabilities, using persuasive techniques that exploit emotions such as fear, greed, or trust. A combination of social engineering, sophisticated technology, and convincing storytelling can create an illusion of legitimacy. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of modern life can lead to hasty decision-making and a lack of thorough scrutiny. In a digital era where information is abundant and connections are formed online, anyone can become a target. In essence, anyone can fall for a scam.
When encountering a potential romantic interest online, it’s advisable to initiate a reverse image search on their photograph as a first step. Scammers frequently appropriate images from unsuspecting individuals’ social media accounts, unbeknownst to the actual owners, for use in romance scams. If your potential partner appears evasive about meeting face-to-face, it often serves as a noteworthy sign of a possible scam. Similarly, if you’re engaging through a dating app or platform and are urged to shift the conversation away from that platform, this could indicate a potential scam. Notably, a significant warning sign is if they request monetary assistance before an in-person meeting.
When attempting to assist someone who might be ensnared in a romance scam, it’s often challenging to persuade them of the deception. Sharing this blog post or other relevant articles that outline the mechanics of a romance scam could be beneficial in helping them recognize the situation.
It seems like more and more families are being put out on the street because of rental scams. This is when scammers pose as landlords and collect money from victims in the guise of security deposits or rent. Scammers will copy the listings from legitimate realtor sites and post them on places like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace as if they own the property. In too many cases recently, scammers will even obtain access to the property to make their claim of ownership more authentic. The rental scam has been around as long as online marketplaces have existed. In the early days of the scam, fake landlords would ask for payment in money transfers. Now, the scammers have even easier access to their victims’ money thanks to personal payment apps like Zelle and Venmo.
To make matters worse, many rental properties can be viewed using various rental apps that allow renters to have unguided access to the rental home. Not only has this allowed scammers to circumvent these apps to fool their victims, it’s also allowed the victims to move into homes they thought they legitimately rented. Once the actual landlords find out people have moved in to one of their properties without their say so, the scam victims are usually evicted within days. Many of the victims do not have any other housing options and become homeless. However, do landlords and property management companies share some blame for not securing their properties better?
A family from Wisconsin recently fell victim to a rental scam and are now facing an uncertain future. They found a listing online for a townhouse that was perfect for them. They only spoke to the supposed property agent by phone and text. The family was given an access code to a lockbox that contained keys to the property. This allowed them to tour the townhouse alone. The family forwarded the payment to the person they were dealing with. While the report doesn’t state how the payment was sent, it’s safe to assume a personal payment app was used.
The day after the family moved in, another family showed up also looking to move in. That’s when the actual property management company stepped in and gave the family one week to move out.
When reached for comment by local media, the management company said they use a third-party platform to perform the unassisted tours. The third party is said to verify potential renters by doing a driver’s license and credit card check. However, it seems once an ID check is passed, the code to access the lockbox can be accessed over and over again. That makes the lockboxes vulnerable to scammers, as they can easily pass an ID check with stolen information. There’s already a housing crisis in this country. It doesn’t need to be worsened by scammers and shoddy security.
If you’re looking to rent a new home, we can’t stress enough to do as much research on the property as possible before committing any money. Even as something as simple as doing a web search on the property’s address can turn up a trove of information that may help you avoid a rental scam. Also, never use apps like Venmo or Cash App to make any kind of deposit or rent payment. These apps are too easily manipulated by scammers to get your money and then disappear. Lastly, read any and all paperwork carefully to make sure the documentation isn’t fake.
We often say the most common scam we see in the news is the jury duty scam. Hardly a day goes by where we don’t see a police department or sheriff’s office warning their local residents about police imposters who are trying to trick victims out of their money.
The jury duty scam is a type of fraud where scammers attempt to deceive individuals by posing as law enforcement officials or court representatives. They typically target people through phone calls claiming that the recipient has missed jury duty and is now facing legal consequences. The scammers then ask their victims to pay a fictitious fine that supposedly clears the arrest warrant.
But the scammers don’t want you to go to the courthouse to pay the fine. They want their payment then and there, usually through payment apps like Zelle and Venmo, gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or cryptocurrency.
If you receive a communication about jury duty, contact your local courthouse or law enforcement agency directly using official contact information to confirm its authenticity. Remember that legitimate government entities will not use aggressive tactics, threats, or demand immediate payments over the phone or email. If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency and relevant authorities.
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