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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 5, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity scam ( 42 ), insurance ( 8 ), natural disasters ( 23 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), tornadoes ( 5 )   

  State warns of storm scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Recently, the Wichita-area of Kansas experienced severe weather, which resulted in at least one tornado that tore through the town of Andover. The EF-3 tornado was only on the ground for 21 minutes, more than 1,000 buildings were destroyed in the 13 miles the tornado traveled. As with any natural disaster, scammers will start popping out of the woodwork looking to take advantage of storm victims. In an attempt to get ahead of the scammers, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office issued a warning to residents of the Sunflower State.

  Even though the warnings issued are relevant to Kansas residents right now, every state has its fair share of natural disasters. Whether it’s flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, or what have you, scammers will descend on that area like a plague. So what’s pertinent to Kansas today could be pertinent to your area tomorrow.

  The most common scam after disasters like this are from shady contractors. These phony contractors travel from storm to storm, looking for victims. They’ll claim to be licensed, but they may not be licensed in your state. You should only deal with contractors that are licensed in your state. Another good way to avoid this scam is to get estimates from a few contractors. Also, you should never pay in advance as that could be an indication of a scam.

  Another disaster-related scam is when scammers offer to assist you in qualifying for FEMA relief assistance. FEMA does not charge any kind of application fee. So if someone claiming to be from FEMA asks you for money, they’re more than likely a fraud.

  This can go for scammers posing as your insurance company as well. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your insurance company, don’t give them any personal information. Instead, you should hang up and either call your local agent or the customer service phone number listed on your policy.

  For those of you living outside of disaster areas, you still have to be wary of scams as well. While you may have a charitable streak, be careful of donating to any random charity claiming to be for disaster relief. Real charities will never ask you to donate through gift cards, money orders, or wire transfers. Scammers will also try to pressure you into making a donation as quickly as possible.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fake check ( 54 ), job scam ( 92 ), jury duty scam ( 38 ), mystery shopper ( 5 ), police impersonation scam ( 89 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), secret shopper ( 15 ), teachers ( 2 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 8 )   

  Scam Round Up: Teachers targeted in scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Today, we’re presenting our readers with three scams that, while not new, deserve to be reviewed.

  ***

  Reports from Pennsylvania are saying that the Mystery Shopper or Secret Shopper scam is making the rounds again. Many retail chains do employ secret shoppers who go around to the various stores and rate their experience. However, scammers would have you believe these positions are plentiful, which they are not.

  In Pennsylvania, reports there state that victims of the scam are being given fake checks to deposit in their bank accounts. They’re then asked to purchase hundreds of dollars in gift cards using the money from the fake checks. The victims are then asked to give the gift card numbers to their fake employer. By the time the victim’s bank notices the check is fake, the scammers have made off with the amount of the gift cards, while the victim is responsible for the amount of the fake check to their bank.

  Remember, no legitimate employer will ever ask you to deposit money into your bank account that is supposed to be used for business purposes.

  ***

  Our next scam comes to us from the Jacksonville, Florida-area. Reports there state that a police impersonation scam is ongoing there. In this particular police impersonation scam, the scammers are posing as U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. The scammers tell their victims that a box of drugs intended for the victim was intercepted. In order to avoid arrest, the victims are asked to make some kind of payment.

  If you receive a phone call like this, it’s recommended not to give the caller any personal information before hanging up.

  Again, no law enforcement department or agency is going to call you and threaten you with arrest if you don’t make a payment to them.

  ***

  Lastly, we have another police impersonation scam, and it’s the most common one. What’s different about this scam is who the scammers are targeting.

  Reports out of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-area are reporting an increase in the jury duty scam. This is where the scammers pose as local police and tell their victims they missed jury duty and a warrant is about to be issued for their arrest. Of course, a payment over the phone will make the warrant magically disappear.

  Like we said, this is hardly a new scam, but the scammers are specifically targeting school teachers in the Pittsburgh-area. The scammers have even been calling schools and are asking to be patched in to teachers while they’re teaching class.

  The report doesn’t say why scammers are targeting teachers, but if we had to hazard a guess, they’re targeting a profession where teachers usually have their hands full with what’s going on in the classroom and could be distracted easily by the scammers.

  When it comes to matters concerning jury duty, all communication is usually done through postal mail and not over the phone.

  ***

  These three scams can happen at anytime, anywhere in the country. Hopefully, we’ve armed you with enough knowledge to protect yourself.

  Scam Round Up: Homeless victim loses savings in scam and more | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check scam ( 85 ), employment ( 43 ), job scam ( 92 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), work from home ( 13 )   

  BBB warns of work from home job scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  During the height of the pandemic, many jobs that had previously been done in offices were changed to work from home positions. To many, this showed that commuting to an office every day wasn’t necessarily needed for their jobs. When companies started calling their workers back to the office, many workers decided to find other work from home positions instead. While this can be seen as a positive for workers looking for more of a balance between their work and home lives, it’s also been a positive for scammers.

  Work from home scams are hardly new and even pre-date the internet. In the analog days, scammers would take out want ads in newspapers offering work at home jobs stuffing envelopes. Now, with our modern internet, work from home scams have become more prevalent and more dangerous. Then add to that the pandemic showed us the viability and legitimacy of work from home positions, work from home scams are experiencing a renaissance.

  With this, the Better Business Bureau is issuing a new warning about an old job scam. In this scam, the scammers will tell a victim that they found the victim’s resume online and want to hire them. The victim will then be instructed to move the conversation to a messaging app like Telegram. After a faux-interview over the messaging app, the victim is hired and is asked to sign a contract that asks for their name, address, and date of birth, along with their banking information. This leads to identity theft, but the damage doesn’t always end there.

  In some cases, the victims are sent checks and are told to deposit them in their bank accounts. They’re then instructed to use that money at a specific vendor to purchase office supplies, such as a laptop. Both the phony employer and phony vendor are in on the scam. Once the victim’s bank discovers the check is a fake, the victim will be held responsible for the amount of the check.

  With any job offer that you didn’t apply for personally, you should always research the company first. Use the company’s name along with the terms ‘scam’ or ‘review’ to see how other people have interacted with them. Be wary of any company that doesn’t perform interviews in some personable manner. If everything is done over text, email or messaging app, there’s a pretty good chance you’re being scammed. Lastly, no legitimate company will ever ask you to use your personal bank account to pay for company expenses.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Scams ( 1,603 ), shut off scam ( 19 ), utility scam ( 34 ), Zelle ( 74 )   

  Why is Zelle being used in a shut-off scam important? 

  

  A few months ago, we published a blog post entitled ‘Will Zelle replace gift cards in online scams?‘ In that post, we wondered if the payment app Zelle would become the new currency of scams, replacing the old standard of gift cards. The reason we wondered this was not just because of the increased use of Zelle by scammers, but also because of the limited protection Zelle offers its users.

  Typically, when we post about a Zelle-related scam, it’s because a scammer used Zelle to empty a victim’s account while posing as their bank’s fraud department. You can read more about that scam here. However, we’re seeing Zelle being used more and more in other scams, where traditionally the scammers would demand payment in gift cards.

  For example, the shut-off scam is one that’s becoming increasingly popular among scammers. This is where a scammer will pose as a victim’s power company and threaten the victim over the phone with termination of service unless they make an immediate payment. Previously, these scammers would make the victim’s pay in gift cards, then Bitcoin ATMs became a popular avenue.

  Recently, a mother from Ohio fell victim to the shut-off scam. Instead of the scammer asking for payment in gift cards, they asked the victim to make a payment through Zelle. But the scammers didn’t get her to make just one payment. They got her to make four payments during one phone call.

  At first, they told her the Zelle payment didn’t go through, it did. Then they told her that Zelle only accepts whole dollar amounts and got her to make a second payment. She was then told to use a code when making the payment. Again, they told her the payment didn’t go through when it had. Lastly, they informed her that the code must have been entered wrong and instructed her to enter the code in all caps, marking the fourth payment. By this time, her account was drained.

  In previous instances like this, many of the banks that offer Zelle, throw up their hands and say that since the victim authorized the payment, it’s out of their hands. The consortium of banks who own Zelle could easily offer better protections for Zelle users, but choose not to.

  Much like other payment apps such as Cash App and Venmo, Zelle is only supposed to be used between friends and family. Unless you know someone personally, you shouldn’t pay them through Zelle. No legitimate company will ever ask you to pay bills through Zelle. Also, please keep in mind that no power company is going to threaten you over the phone with a termination of service. Instead, you would receive a warning in the mail before the service is turned off.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: job scam ( 92 ), money mule ( 5 ), repackaging ( 23 ), reshipping ( 24 ), Scams ( 1,603 )   

  Dangerous job scam back in the news 

  

  By Greg Collier

  There are several different job scams that someone could find online. In most instances, these scams will either steal your personal information, steal your money, or both. However, there is one job scam that potentially puts its victims in real danger.

  We’re referring to the reshipping or repackaging scam. In the reshipping scam, the victim is asked to inspect goods that are sent to their home before putting the goods in new packaging and sending them to a third party, usually overseas. The goods themselves are typically purchased with stolen credit card information. The scam is typically part of a larger money laundering operation.

  This scam is so lucrative that the scammers will even use paid employment platforms like Indeed. These same scammers will often claim they represent major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or that they’re contracted with them.

  Recently, in South Carolina, authorities there have received numerous complaints about a supposed shipping company that was supposedly employing reshippers all over the country. In this instance, the reshippers were never paid after sending out packages. When the victims would try to contact the shipping company about payment, the shipping company would block all communications. The company claimed that their main office was in South Carolina, but no actual company existed at the address listed.

  The real problem with the reshipping scam is that even victims could find themselves in legal trouble. If the victim knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, that is considered mail fraud and could get the victim serious jail time.

  Please keep in mind that there are no legitimate jobs that involve receiving packages and shipping them to someone else from your home. If you see an ad listing for such a job, it’s a scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 28, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 80 ), customer service ( 58 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), Zelle ( 74 )   

  Is Zelle deflecting blame for role in scams? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The Zelle scam has been grabbing headlines since at least last October. In that time, the seven banks that own Zelle have done little to prevent scammers from using their platform to steal from their customers. It seems the only way victims can ever get their money back is by contacting their local media. This should not be the way for customers to resolve issues over an app that is obviously plagued with security issues. Recently, a representative from Zelle gave a comment to the media that seems to sum up their ongoing stance on the scam.

  But before we get into the nitty-gritty, Zelle is a payment app that is owned by seven of some of the biggest banks in the country. Zelle is supposed to only be used between friends for things like settling a restaurant bill. Instead, scammers have used it as a virtual open door into the customer’s bank account, where the scammer can just walk in and take what they want.

  Typically, the scam works like this. You get a text message that appears to come from your bank. The text message asks if you’ve recently made a large purchase or payment. You’re then asked to reply either yes or no to the text message. When you reply to the text message, your reply will be followed up with a phone call from scammers posing as your bank’s fraud department. The scammers will walk you through a process on the Zelle app that the scammers say will protect your account from any fraudulent activity. What’s really going on is the scammers are instructing you on how to put your money in the scammer’s account.

  As we previously mentioned, the only way victims have been able to get any kind of restitution is by contacting their local media. Once the victim is featured in a news story, it’s usually just a matter of time before the bank returns their money.

  This recently happened in the Denver-area. A victim there lost $3,000 to the scam, but had her money returned by her bank once she appeared on the local news. It’s in this story where Zelle gives a comment that basically sums up their largely inactive stance on the matter.

  In a statement to Contact Denver7, the operator of Zelle wrote, “Zelle does not hold the funds. We provide messaging between financial institutions.”

  I think it goes without saying that this isn’t the correct attitude to take.

  Zelle has claimed that they have published tips on the app to help avoid scams, but that doesn’t appear to be enough since the scam keeps finding victims. It also doesn’t help that Zelle offers little in the way of protections if it’s used in a fraudulent manner. Since Zelle is owned by seven different banks, it gives the illusion of protection, whether that’s warranted or not.

  If Zelle and its owners want to encourage users to use their app, staying silent while their customers lose money isn’t the way to go about it.

  If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from your bank, politely end the call and call your bank’s customer service department back at the correct customer service number. The number can usually be found on the back of your debit card or on the bank’s website.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Microsoft ( 22 ), remote access ( 6 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), tech support scam ( 53 )   

  Tips to detect the tech support scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Yesterday, we discussed how the jury duty is one of the most common and well-known scams, yet it still continues to find victims. Today’s scam is another scam like that, and it’s the tech support scam. This is where you’re using your computer and an invasive message pops up saying that your computer has been compromised.

  These pop up messages can even prevent you from closing any windows or shutting down your computer. The messages claim to be from some well-known tech company like Microsoft or McAfee and that you need to call them right now at the number they’ve provided. However, the customer service number provided is a fake, and instead leads you to scammers posing as one of these companies. Before you know it, you’ve lost thousands of dollars to a scammer for some phony service you didn’t need to begin with.

  A woman from Baltimore almost fell for one of these scams. She states that a message that appeared to come from Microsoft popped up on her husband’s Google Chromebook. This should have been a red flag that this was a scam, but not everyone knows the ins and outs of computer operating systems. If you’re using a Chromebook that runs Google’s Chrome OS, then why is Microsoft, who make Windows 10 and 11, letting you know about a problem on a competitor’s system? The same would go for an Apple Computer. Microsoft would not tell you about a problem on your iMac or MacBook.

  Getting back to the story, the woman called the number and was told to download an app that would let the phony technical support rep have remote access to her computer. This is another giant red flag. Letting anyone you don’t know personally have access to your computer is always a bad idea. This allows bad actors to go through all the personal files on your computer. Much of this information can be used in identity theft or selling your identity to identity thieves.

  The scammer then told her that there was fraudulent activity on the woman’s bank account and that she needed to move her money to avoid further fraud. She was then asked for the customer service number from the back of her debit card and that the phony rep was going to connect her to her bank and help her move the money. Of course, the bank rep was just another scammer. It wasn’t until the woman was asked to send a copy of her driver’s license when she said she felt uncomfortable and terminated the call. Luckily, she didn’t lose any money.

  If you think about it, even the pop-up messages that overtake your screen are a tip off to a scam. Real word hacks and viruses are designed to be undetected. It’s their purpose to remain as hidden as possible to collect as much information as possible or cause as much damage as possible before being detected.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 28 ), jury duty scam ( 38 ), police impersonation scam ( 89 ), police scam ( 40 ), Scams ( 1,603 )   

  The most common scams are the worst 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The most common scams are also the most profitable scams. The reason scammers keep committing these scams is that victims keep falling for them. As we research the news for the latest information about scams, there’s one scam we continually see on an almost daily basis. If we were asked, we’d probably say that the most common scam in this country is the jury duty scam.

  The scam is almost elegant in its simplicity. Many of us grew up being told that if we miss jury duty, you can be arrested. Scammers take that one kernel of truth and twist the reality around it to make their scam seem so plausible.

  For example, a woman from the Houston-area of Texas almost fell victim to one of these scams. She received a phone call that appeared to come from a local phone number. The man on the other line spoke with a Texas accent and claimed to be from the Sheriff’s Office. He informed the woman that she had missed jury duty. The caller gave the woman three options to rectify the matter. She could either go to the Sheriff’s Office and be held in custody for 8-10 hours, have a warrant issued for her arrest, or drive to a nearby address with $900 in cash.

  This scammer is good at what he does. His threats for not paying the cash are more of an inconvenience than life and death stakes, making the scam seem more believable. As well as only asking for $900, as that can appear to seem like a reasonable court cost to many. However, I think he overplayed his hand by asking the woman to go to an address with cash that I’m guessing wasn’t the Sheriff’s Office.

  While the woman admitted that the scam seemed very real, she did not fall victim to it. Her husband contacted a lawyer friend of his, who told them it was a scam.

  Our point is that just because a scam is common doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone has heard of it. We deal with this subject every day, so we know. You read our posts, so you know. But there are so many more people out there who don’t.

  The only thing the others are missing is just a small amount of knowledge to protect them from that scam. And that knowledge is police departments don’t call citizens to threaten them with arrest over jury duty. Everything concerning jury duty is typically done by the postal mail. That includes missing jury duty. So if you haven’t received anything in the mail about jury duty, you’re not on the verge of bring arrested.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 25, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check scam ( 85 ), college ( 18 ), fake check ( 54 ), job scam ( 92 ), paypal ( 12 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), Zelle ( 74 )   

  Job scam hits college student hard 

  

  By Greg Collier

  When we think of scam victims, we tend to think of the elderly. However, a very close second to the elderly are college-aged adults. While the former has a wealth of life experience, they may not be savvy with modern tech. Meanwhile, the latter typically tend to have little life experience to draw on to help protect hem from scams. It may even be that since they were raised with the technology, that could make them even more susceptible to scams.

  For example, a college student from Florida was looking to supplement his income while taking classes. He received an email from someone who was using an email address issued by his college. If you’re not a student or faculty member of said school, then it is almost impossible to get access to one of the school’s email addresses.

  The job was said to pay $500 a week and would have the student helping out foster homes and orphanages in the area. The employer sent the student a check for $4500. The student was instructed to print out the check before making a mobile deposit of the check. He was told to keep $500 for himself, while sending the rest of the money to other employees of the company through PayPal and Zelle.

  It wasn’t too long before the student’s bank contacted him to let him know the check was a fake. The student texted his supposed boss, who sent him another check and told him to deposit that one too. That check was recognized by the bank as also being fake and denied the deposit. The bank even informed the student that he would be responsible for the overages in his account.

  If you know someone in your family who is about to head off to college or has just started college, please let them know about this scam. Let them know that no legitimate employer will ever ask them to use their own bank account for business purposes. Even in today’s marketplace with non-traditional employers, they will never ask you to deposit anything in your bank account to pay someone else. If they do, they’re not a legitimate employer.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 22, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App ( 44 ), cash flipping ( 8 ), money-flipping ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,603 ), venmo ( 29 ), Zelle ( 74 )   

  Cash flipping scam not confined to one app 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We’ve discussed cash flipping scams in the past. They are mostly associated with the payment app Cash App. Cash App has giveaways on Fridays that they call #CashAppFridays. If you follow that hashtag on Twitter or Instagram, you could be eligible for a cash prize from Cash App. This has led to a number of scammers who have hijacked the hashtag to commit the cash, or money, flipping scam.

  The scammers try to convince their victims that they’ll give the victims a lot of money in exchange for a little money. For example, a scammer may promise victims $500 if the victims send the scammers $50 through Cash App. Once the victim sends the money through Cash App, the scammer blocks the victim and keeps their money. Cash App policies have been said to give little recourse to victims in scams like this. Payments can often only be refunded if the person who receives the payment cancels the transaction.

  More recently, the cash flipping scam has migrated from Cash App and onto other payment apps such as Venmo and Zelle. A Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina has recently warned residents there that the scam was finding victims. The Sheriff even said that it’s almost impossible to recover your money once it’s sent to a scammer, since transfers are made instantly, making it incredibly difficult to find the scammer.

  As we always say, cash flipping is not a real thing. You wouldn’t give money to a stranger on the street who promised to invest it. So, why would you give it to a stranger on social media? It’s understandable that people in dire financial straits may be desperate enough to do anything to keep their heads above water. However, there is no true way to get rich quick, and if someone tries, they could find themselves in deeper financial trouble than before.

  https://youtu.be/owhLdGXeNWg