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  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 21, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , , , , , , , ,   

    Scammers accuse victim of money laundering 

    Scammers accuse victim of money laundering

    By Greg Collier

    A woman from Rochester, Minnesota, recently lost thousands of dollars to scammers. It started when the woman received a robocall that claimed to be from Amazon. The recording said that she had been charged for several Amazon purchases, and to press 1 if she did not make them. After she pressed 1, someone claiming to be an Amazon representative spoke to her. The caller said that they would speak to her bank about the charges.

    Not too long after that call, the woman received another call from someone claiming to be with the Federal Trade Commission. This caller told her that her identity had been stolen. The caller told the woman to protect her money, she would need to withdraw the money from her bank account. However, she was told not to contact police, or she could be accused of money laundering. She was then instructed to deposit the money into a Bitcoin ATM that was at a gas station. The victim lost $7,000 in total.

    This scam has a lot of moving parts, but each one is a red flag if you know what to look for. For example, Amazon does not call customers about fraudulent charges. Even on Amazon’s own help page, they say that if you received any communication about a charge you didn’t make, it likely didn’t come from Amazon. If you receive any communication like this, first check your Amazon account for any fraudulent charges. If there are any fraudulent charges, you can dispute them with Amazon, but you need to make first contact. Amazon will not call you.

    While the FTC is a branch of the Department of Justice, they typically do not call consumers to let them know they’ve been a victim of identity theft. Unfortunately, identity theft is usually only detected by the victim and not law enforcement. Also, no government or law enforcement agency will ever call you and threaten you with arrest while supposedly trying to assist you. If someone tells you to not contact the police, your best bet is to contact the police immediately.

    Lastly, no government entity is going to ask you to move your money to Bitcoin, especially if the Bitcoin ATM is at a gas station. While cryptocurrencies may have gained a modicum of mainstream acceptance, it’s nowhere near the point where the government is using it as a consumer protection platform.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , , , , Wish.com   

    Brushing scam continues to plague consumers 

    Brushing scam continues to plague consumers

    By Greg Collier

    On the surface, the brushing scam seems like a victimless crime. You receive a package in the mail addressed to you that you didn’t order and probably didn’t pay for. By law, you get to keep whatever was in the package. No harm, no foul, right? Well, not exactly.

    In the brushing scam, third-party vendors that sell products on platforms like Amazon, Walmart and Wish, will send hundreds of their products to unsuspecting users of those sites. They use the fact that you received the package to use your name in a product review as a verified buyer. This allows the vendor to give themselves phony five-star reviews for a product that more often than not is cheaply made and shoddy. In turn, this tricks unsuspecting consumers into buying this product because of the false positive reviews. As you can see, while the scam is quite elaborate, it’s not without its victims.

    The State of New York, recently issued a warning to its residents about the brushing scam. They suggest that if you receive anything organic, like food, plants, or seeds, to dispose of them as they could pose an ecological threat, especially if they’re from overseas. If the package comes from a platform like Amazon, you should notify them and have them remove any false reviews made in your name. Lastly, you should check all your retail accounts to make sure that you weren’t charged for any of these products. Just as a precaution, you should change your passwords to these accounts every few months or so.

    In some cases, the recipients of these products have had their personal information compromised. So, if you receive one of these brushing packages, you may also want to keep an eye on your credit history to make sure your identity hasn’t been stolen.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , , , , ,   

    Major surge seen in this job scam 

    Major surge seen in this job scam

    By Greg Collier

    Between the unpredictability of the pandemic and the ‘Great Resignation’ movement, more people are seeking work from home opportunities. But even before the pandemic, work from home positions were not only few and far between, but many of them were straight up scams. Even going back decades, there were positions advertised for envelope stuffers where the applicants had to pay an upfront fee to start working. Then they would barely get paid, if they were even paid at all. Work from home scams have barely changed since then, except that the scammers now have a larger reach through the internet and social media.

    The Better Business Bureau has stated that the reshipping or repackaging scam represents 65% of all work from home scams. In the reshipping scam, you’re asked to inspect goods that are sent to your 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 whole scam is frequently part of a money laundering operation. Even victims of the scam can find themselves in legal trouble if they did anything to try to skirt US Custom laws, even if they were instructed by the scammers to do so.

    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 they’re contracted with them. Anytime that you see a position on a platform like Indeed that seems too good to be true, check the employer’s website to see if that’s a legitimate employment opportunity.

    While a work from home position is one that many consider ideal, they are also rife with scams that you should be aware of.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 24, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , buskers, , , , , violin scam,   

    Scam Round Up: The violin scam and more 

    By Greg Collier

    As we move into the holiday weekend, here are three more scams that you should be aware of.

    ***

    Most of us have seen street musicians known as buskers. They’re performing out on the street with a hat or an open guitar case, where people can leave tips if they enjoy the performance. I’m sure you’re wondering what could be scammy about that? It seems that there are several people from around the country have been using busking to trick people into giving them money. They appear to be playing a violin that’s hooked up to an amplifier, along with a sign that says they need money for food or rent. Here is one such episode from the state of New York. The phony violin players are actually pretending to play the violin, while the actual music comes from a recording. Some of these phony buskers will even list their Venmo or Cash App accounts, so you can donate to them electronically. If you see one of these fake musicians, you should just avoid them and not give them money.

    ***

    It seems the brushing scam has also picked up during the holiday season. This is where someone will receive items from a site like Amazon that they didn’t order. In most brushing cases. This is done so the seller of the item can post a positive review of the product using the victim’s name as a verified purchase. While you can keep anything you receive as part of a brushing scam, the goods are usually not worth keeping. In some instances, like this one, the Amazon account of the recipient has been compromised and is being charged for the items they receive. If you start receiving items you didn’t order, check your Amazon account for fraudulent activity and change your password.

    ***

    Lastly, residents in the state of Wisconsin have been receiving text messages claiming to be from the state’s DMV. The texts are requesting that residents follow a link to confirm personal information. However, the texts are also threatening residents with a suspension of their license if they don’t comply. No state is going to threaten their residents with suspension of their driver’s license for not following a text link. Not only that, but identity thieves can do a lot with your driver’s license number if they already have some of your other personal information. It’s almost as valuable as your Social Security number.

    ***

    Thank you for reading, and here’s hoping our readers have a safe and happy holiday.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 22, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , , , , ,   

    Delivery scam more common during holidays 

    By Greg Collier

    If you’ve ordered any last-minute Christmas gifts online, you’re probably checking your phone or laptop for delivery updates. After all, we all want to be able to give everyone the gifts they want on Christmas Day. However, the holiday season is fraught with its own sets of pressure and confusion, and scammers are looking to take advantage of that by preying on your anxiety of a potentially missed package delivery.

    The delivery text message scam is not a new one, but like many scams, its activity increases during the holidays. This scam starts out when you receive a text message that claims to be from either Amazon or any number of delivery services, including the US Postal Service. The text message says that the scheduled delivery for your package has changed. The text message also includes a link that it wants you to link for confirmation of the new delivery schedule.

    Links in text messages from people you don’t know are almost always bad news. In the past, these links have led to phony websites that look like Amazon but aren’t. You’d be asked for your Amazon login information before being asked to fill out a survey for a free gift. You’ll then be asked for your payment information to pay for the shipping of the supposed gift. What really just happened is that you’ve willingly given your information to identity thieves who now have access to your Amazon account. These links can also inject malware or ransomware into your device.

    So, how do the scammers know that you’re waiting for a delivery? They don’t. They’re texting random people by the boatload, hoping to get just a few people to fall into their trap.

    Please keep in mind that delivery services will not text you out of the blue unless you’ve signed up for their texting service. The links in the phony texts are often from a web address that has nothing to do with the company they’re pretending to be from.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on November 3, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , , , , security card   

    Gift cards are not ‘security cards’ 

    By Greg Collier

    We have long said that if someone is asked to use a gift card for anything besides a gift, it is almost assuredly a scam. Once a scam victim buys a gift card and gives the scammer the card number, that money is immediately lost to the scammer. We can’t stress this enough that no legitimate company or agency will ever ask for payment of a debt or service in gift cards. As more consumers become aware of gift card scams, scammers have to adapt their tactics in order to fool their victims.

    Lately, there has been a rise in the Amazon impersonation scam. This is where scammers send out emails or text messages that look like they’ve come from Amazon. The messages say that an expensive item was fraudulently purchased through the victim’s Amazon account. The messages include a fake customer service number to call. Once the victim calls the fake customer service number, they leave themselves open for a number of scams.

    For example, a woman in Colorado recently fell victim to this scam. She says she received a call from someone posing as an Amazon agent. The victim was told that in order to prevent her account from being hacked that she needed to buy a ‘security card’ from a local retailer. She was informed that both Apple and Google have these kinds of cards. However, security cards aren’t really a thing, and these were just gift cards. After she gave the card numbers to the scammer, the scammer continued to hound the victim for more money, promising that the next payment would definitely secure the victim’s Amazon account.

    If you receive a message or call from someone claiming to be from Amazon and there’s fraudulent activity on your account, don’t just take their word for it. Before taking any action given by the message, check your Amazon account for any fraudulent activity. If there isn’t any, then you can disregard any instructions you received as being part of a scam. And just because a scammer calls something a ‘security card’ doesn’t make it so.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 6, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, ,   

    Brushing scam not as harmless as it seems 

    By Greg Collier

    The brushing scam is one of the more confusing scams if you’re not in the know. For clarification, the brushing scam is when third-party Amazon retailers send you a bunch of their products. You didn’t pay for it, but you didn’t order it either. The vendors do this so they can say you’re a verified purchaser and use your name to give themselves a five-star review. Legally, you can keep the stuff they send you, even though it’s usually low-quality items that you probably have no need for. So what’s the harm?

    According to the Better Business Bureau, it means that the scammers have a lot of your personal information. Enough of it in fact that they can open an Amazon account in your name even if you already have one. While you may not be losing money while getting free stuff delivered to your door, it does mean that your identity and privacy have been compromised.

    If you start receiving these unsolicited items from Amazon, the first thing you should do is make sure that your account isn’t being charged for the items you’re receiving. Just as a precaution, you should change your Amazon password to something that’s not easily guessable, like your birthdate or one of your kids’ names. Then you should contact Amazon to let them know that a vendor is brushing, as this is forbidden under Amazon’s terms of service. Go to Amazon’s website to find their customer service info. Don’t do a web search for their phone number, as that can lead you to a phony customer service department who is also looking to scam you.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 16, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: AirPods, Amazon, , , , ,   

    Amazon raffle text is a scam 

    By Greg Collier

    The Better Business Bureau is reporting that they’ve received complaints in the hundreds about a new texting scam. Considering the number of people who report things to the BBB, there are probably thousands more who are receiving this scam text message. And once again, due to their popularity and ubiquity, online retailer Amazon is having their name used in this new scam. The same could be said for Apple, as one of their more popular products is being used in the scam.

    As you can see above, the text message gives off the impression that you’ve won a pair or Apple AirPods from Amazon. All you have to do is click the link in the text message. The link takes you to a fraudulent website that looks like Amazon but isn’t. You’re then asked to enter your financial information to pay for a $6 shipping charge. Except, your card isn’t charged for $6 and instead is charged for close to $100. For your trouble, you still get a pair of earbud style headphones in the mail, but they’re a cheap knockoff that are probably worth less than the supposed shipping charge.

    When it comes to things like online raffles and sweepstakes, you need to keep one rule in mind. You can’t win a contest that you didn’t enter. Corporations like Amazon don’t do random surprise drawings to give away prizes. It’s also illegal for any contest or sweepstakes to make you pay for your prize, this includes shipping. It’s also recommended that you don’t click on random links in text messages and emails. These links could lead you to scam websites such as this or inject malware into your device.

    It might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. If sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 21, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , ,   

    Brushing scams return in time for Prime Day 

    Brushing scams return in time for Prime Day

    By Greg Collier

    Amazon’s popular Prime Day promotion starts today. Prime Day has gotten so popular that other major retailers have started their own version of Prime Day to compete with Amazon’s industry-leading sale. While these online sales could be a great value for consumers, they could also be a great burden for some. According to reports, one of the more annoying scams has been making the rounds again just in time for Prime Day.

    Of course, we’re talking about the brushing scam. The brushing scam is when you get sent packages to your home of things you didn’t order. Usually, these packages come from Amazon and contain low-cost items. This is done so third-party vendors that sell through Amazon can give themselves good online reviews in your name, and the review shows up on Amazon as a verified purchase, giving the phony review more legitimacy. In turn, this leads to these products being recommended more often by Amazon. One family in New York State recently received thousands of face mask brackets that they didn’t order. They received so many that the boxes were piled higher than their front door.

    While you may think it’s great to be getting free stuff, the brushing scam could have longer lasting results. If you receive unsolicited packages like this, it could mean that your Amazon, or other retailer, account could be compromised. It’s recommended that you check your account for any unauthorized purchases and to change your account password. It could also mean that your identity was part of a data leak, which is where scammers often get the information about their victims. Also, you should keep an eye on your credit, as brushing scammers could potentially have your financial information as well.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on April 7, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Amazon, , ,   

    Amazon refund call is a scam 

    Amazon refund call is a scam

    By Greg Collier

    Lately, it seems that Amazon has been used the most by online scammers. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve posted about a couple of different scams where scammers have posed as Amazon employees to fleece their victims. In both cases the victims were told that someone made a false purchase on their Amazon accounts. One victim was approached by email while the other received a robocall. Now, there’s a scam going around using the Amazon name that’s not using the false order angle. This scam uses the one thing that could motivate someone more than a phony order and that’s a refund.

    Many people from around the country have reported receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be from Amazon. They are then told that due to fraud activity on their account that they’re due a refund. The first catch is that the fake Amazon rep needs remote access to your computer. The second catch is that the victim is asked to log into their Amazon account. If that wasn’t enough, the victim is then asked to log into their bank account, so the refund could be processed. Yet, the scam still isn’t over. The scammer will then try to convince the victim that they were refunded too much money and need to buy gift cards to pay back the overage. This is a scam on top of a scam on top of a scam. Scamception if you will.

    You should never allow anyone to have remote access to your computer. No legitimate company or agency would ever need remote access to your computer. Not only does this allow anyone to peer into your private files, but they could also plant any kind of malware into your system. If you log into your Amazon account while you’re remote sharing, the scammers will now have your Amazon login information. The same goes for your bank login. And of course, gift cards should only be for gifts and not for making any kind of payment. As we are fond of saying, gift cards have become the currency of con artists.

    If you were actually due a refund from Amazon for whatever reason, it would be automatically returned to whatever card you used to make that purchase. Amazon will not call you out of the blue to tell you that you have a refund.

     

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