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  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 12, 2024 Permalink | Reply
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    The many faces of the emergency scam 

    The many faces of the emergency scam

    By Greg Collier

    Emergency scams, often referred to as ‘grandparent scams,’ are notorious for exploiting the deep concern and affection people have for their loved ones. These scams rely on the urgency of a fabricated crisis, preying on the fear that someone close to you is in immediate danger. Traditionally, these scams have targeted older adults, but a new and unsettling twist has emerged: scammers are now going after the parents and families of college students.

    The mechanics of the scam remain deceptively simple. It begins with a call, email, or social media message from someone pretending to be a close relative or friend in distress. The scammer creates a convincing narrative, claiming to be in a dire situation, such as being arrested, involved in an accident, or facing a sudden medical emergency. To make their story more believable, they often include specific details like family names, school affiliations, or even recent travel plans.

    The classic grandparent scam follows a similar pattern, where a scammer impersonates a grandchild in trouble and begs the grandparent to quickly wire money. By the time the grandparent realizes they’ve been duped, the money is long gone. In some variations, the roles are reversed, with the scammer pretending to be a grandparent seeking help from a grandchild, adding another layer of complexity to the con.

    This newer version of the scam has specifically zeroed in on the parents of college students. In these cases, a scammer contacts the parent, posing as an authority figure or even the student themselves, claiming that their child has been arrested and needs immediate bail money. The scammer might send a fake mugshot or suggest that the child is in imminent danger of being placed in jail alongside dangerous criminals. Overcome with fear and panic, many parents rush to send money through payment apps like Venmo or PayPal, only to discover later that they have been deceived.

    What makes these scams even more insidious is the use of voice cloning technology. Scammers have begun to mimic the voices of loved ones by using audio samples found on social media or other online platforms. This technology allows them to create a convincing imitation of the person they’re impersonating, making the scam even more terrifying. While some voice clones are rudimentary, others are so sophisticated that they can easily fool even the most cautious individuals.

    To protect yourself and your family from falling victim to these scams, it’s crucial to take a moment to verify the situation, no matter how urgent it seems. If you receive a distressing call or message, resist the impulse to act immediately. Instead, contact your loved one directly using a known phone number, rather than relying on the number provided by the scammer. It’s important to be aware of what information and images your family members share online, as scammers often use these details to build a convincing story. Advising your loved ones to use privacy settings on social media can also help reduce the risk.

    If you’re ever asked to send money through a payment app or wire transfer, make sure to double-check the situation before taking any action. In the unfortunate event that you realize you’ve been scammed, it’s essential to report it to the police right away. Additionally, if a scammer claims someone will come to your home to collect money, do not answer the door; instead, contact the authorities immediately.

    Emergency scams are designed to manipulate our deepest fears and love for our family members. By staying vigilant, verifying suspicious contacts, and educating others about these scams, we can better protect ourselves and our loved ones from these cruel and deceptive tactics.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 11, 2024 Permalink | Reply
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    Police warn of phone scam targeting the elderly 

    Police warn of phone scam targeting the elderly

    By Greg Collier

    The Chesterfield County, Virginia, Police Department is alerting the community about a troubling cell phone scam after an elderly couple fell victim to it earlier this week. In this case, the scammer posed as the attorney of the couple’s great nephew, leading to a significant financial loss for the unsuspecting victims.

    The caller informed the elderly couple that their great nephew had been involved in a car accident, resulting in the death of his passenger. The scammer then claimed that the nephew was in jail and required bail money. Under this false pretense, the couple was instructed to withdraw a substantial amount of money from their bank and wait at home for further instructions.

    The couple withdrew the money and returned home. Shortly after, someone arrived at their house to collect the money and took it to an unknown location. Often, the person collecting the money is an unwitting rideshare driver, making the scam not only financially devastating for the victims but also dangerous for the driver. We’re reminded of the Uber driver who was shot and killed by a scam victim earlier this year.

    These types of scams, known as grandparent scams, specifically target older individuals due to their trusting nature. Scammers exploit this trust, leading victims to act on the false information before verifying it.

    To avoid falling prey to such scams, verification is crucial. If you receive such a call, contact your relatives directly to verify their situation. Additionally, be cautious of unknown phone numbers and do not feel obligated to answer them.

    The Chesterfield Police Department shared essential tips with residents to help them avoid being scammed. A lawyer will not call you from jail to get someone out, especially if they just got arrested, nor will they send a courier to pick up bail money. Your family members should be able to make a phone call to you. A lawyer or bondsman will not be at the jail with them.

    If someone you know has been arrested and calls you, they will use a system that identifies them as an inmate at that facility. Always verify the identity of the caller by asking specific questions.

    Scammers are convincing and use scare tactics. If you feel uncomfortable, hang up the phone. Couriers are often unaware they are involved in a scam. If one shows up, call the police. No legitimate entity will ask for payment in cash, gold, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.

    Lastly, Let unknown calls go to voicemail. If it’s important, they will leave a message.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 29, 2024 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammer gives money back to avoid arrest 

    Scammer gives money back to avoid arrest

    By Greg Collier

    We often hear about scammers taking money from their victims, but rarely do we hear about scammers giving the money back. That’s what allegedly happened with a grandparent scammer from Florida when they ran up against the wrong grandparent.

    Around Christmas, the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be an attorney working for Allstate Insurance. The supposed attorney told the victim his grandson was in jail after getting into a car accident with a foreign diplomat. However, the man could get his grandson out of jail if he paid the attorney $600. The victim did the right thing by calling his grandson, but when he couldn’t get a hold of him, he paid the $600.

    The man’s wife went to their bank to get a cashier’s check, but the scammer convinced the man to stay on the call because it was important to keep the line open.

    The scammer then convinced the man his grandson would be charged with a felony, but once again, a payment could resolve the situation. This time, the scammer was asking for $8000, and that a federal courier would come by to pick up the money.

    The courier showed up to the victim’s home wearing a surgical mask, however, the victim said he wasn’t comfortable giving the money to someone he didn’t know and asked him to remove the mask. When the courier removed his mask, the victim took a picture of the courier without the courier’s knowledge. The victim also took a picture of the courier’s license plate as he drove away.

    When the victim finally got a hold of his grandson, he realized he’d been scammed.

    After the victim went to his local police, they were able to identify the scammer. Later, the victim received another phone call from the supposed attorney, who claimed the courier got scared and never delivered the payment. The attorney asked the victim not to press charges against the courier if the victim’s money was returned. And believe it or not, someone who wasn’t the courier, dropped the money off to the victim.

    As it turned out, the attorney and the courier were the same person. When police approached the scammer, he reportedly told police he was doing a favor for his cousin in Canada. The scammer was promptly arrested.

    If you receive a call informing you that a loved one is in jail and the caller requests immediate payment, be cautious, as it may be a scam. Legitimate bail processes involve payment either at the courthouse or through a licensed bail bondsman. Courts, police, or attorneys will not solicit bail money over the phone. If a caller insists on keeping you on the line, claiming legal reasons prevent you from hanging up, it is likely a fraudulent attempt to deceive you. Always verify such situations independently before providing any personal or financial information.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 22, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bail scam, , ,   

    Scammers are master emotional manipulators 

    Scammers are master emotional manipulators

    By Greg Collier

    Scammers like to find victims who are in an emotional state. This allows scammers to take advantage of people who aren’t in the right mindset to assess a potentially fraudulent situation. Of course, scammers are not going to wait around to find vulnerable victims, so the scammers themselves will often put their victims in just such an emotional state.

    For example, scammers will frequently try to make it sound like a victim’s loved one is in some kind of peril. To achieve this, scammers will pose as the victim’s loved one and claim they’ve been arrested. Most of us wouldn’t hesitate to try to help get a close friend or family member out of jail. That’s exactly what happened when scammers recently contacted a Virginia man.

    The scammers posed as the man’s 40-year-old nephew when they called him. The phony nephew claimed her had been in a car accident and broke his nose. Scammers will say that in order to explain away why they don’t sound like the actual person they’re imitating.

    The ‘nephew’ went on to say they got into the accident with a pregnant woman who was injured in the wreck. Again, this is done to get the victim into a worse emotional state. The victim was also told not to tell the nephew’s parents out of embarrassment. But, with all that said, the nephew claimed to need $6500 cash for bail. The victim was instructed to go to a specific ATM inside a grocery store to deposit the money. A security guard noticed the victim, but the victim was told by the scammers not to divulge to anyone what he was doing. Typically, scammers claim that a gag order has been placed on the victim. In actuality, that’s not how gag orders work.

    Once scammers convince a victim to pay them once, they’ll almost always try to get the victim to pay again. In this case, the victim was told the pregnant woman’s baby died and an additional $5000 was needed, which the victim paid in the same fashion.

    Then the scammers really twisted the emotional knife in their victim. This time, they asked for $16,000, which the victim didn’t have. It was at this point, the phony nephew claimed they were going to take their own life if the victim didn’t pay the $16,000.

    The victim felt horrible and called his nephew a few days later. That’s when he found out the whole thing had been a hoax. Luckily, the victim was able to get some of his money back from the bank where he deposited the money.

    There are no depths scammers won’t sink to try to get your money. This is what they do for a dishonest living, and they’re very goof at what they do. If you receive a distressing request for money, no matter who it comes from, always verify their story. If you’re being told not to tell anyone, that’s the scammers trying to discourage you from finding out the truth.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 1, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Grandmother scammed for weeks in AI voice-spoofing scam 

    By Greg Collier

    It’s been a short while since we last discussed the AI voice-spoofing scam. For new readers, this is when scammers obtain a sample of someone’s voice from online, and run it through an AI program, which allows the scammers to make the voice say whatever they want. The scammers then use the person’s voice to convince that person’s loved one to send the scammers money.

    Voice-spoofing is typically used in one of two consumer-level scams. The first one is the virtual kidnapping scam, which is exactly what it sounds like. Scammers will use the spoofed voice to make it sound like somebody’s loved one has been kidnapped, and the scammers will demand a ransom.

    The second scam is the one we’ll be discussing today, which is the grandparent scam. In this scam, the scammers pose as an elderly victim’s grandchild who’s in some kind of legal trouble. The scammers will often ask for bail money or legal fees.

    An elderly woman from Utah recently fell victim to the grandparent scam. Scammers called her on the phone using the cloned voice of one of her granddaughters. The ‘granddaughter’ said she had been arrested after riding in a car with someone who had drugs and needed bail money. A scammer then got on the call and pretended to be the granddaughter’s attorney and instructed the woman on how she could send payment. The woman was also instructed not to tell anyone else in the family, as it could jeopardize the granddaughter’s court case.

    One of the many problems with scammers is if you pay them once, chances are they’ll come back for more money, which is what happened here. For weeks, the phony granddaughter kept calling back needing more money each time for various legal proceedings. Keep in mind that with each conversation, the grandmother is not actually talking to anybody but a computer-generated voice, which sounds exactly like her granddaughter.

    Eventually, the grandmother did grow suspicious and told her son, who informed her she was being scammed.

    Don’t trust your ears when it comes to phone scams. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a relative or loved one in need of money, it’s important to follow the same precautions, even if the voice sounds exactly like them. Hang up on the call and contact the person who’s supposedly in trouble. If you can’t reach them, ask other family members who might know where they are. Be sure to tell them about the situation you encountered, and never keep it a secret. Lastly, never send money under any circumstances.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 28, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    AI voice-spoofing scam started earlier than we thought 

    By Greg Collier

    One of the many problems with scams is, by the time the public hears about them, they’re already in full swing and have claimed numerous victims. For example, we’ve only been discussing the AI voice-spoofing scam for roughly two months. While we assumed the scam had been going on longer than that, we were unaware of just how far back it started. According to one recent report, at least one scam ring has been implementing the voice-spoofing scam since October of last year. The reason we know the scam is at least that old is because a suspect has been arrested for such a scam.

    In a voice-spoofing scam, scammers extract someone’s voice sample from online sources and manipulate it using AI technology to make it utter desired phrases. This deceptive practice is commonly observed in phone scams, particularly those aimed at convincing victims that they are communicating with a trusted family member or loved one. The voice-spoofing seems to be only used in grandparent scams and virtual kidnapping scams, so far. It’s only a matter of time before scammers come up with new ways of using voice-spoofing to scam victims.

    Also, when we discuss voice-spoofing scams here in 2023, we’re referring to the new wave of voice-spoofing scams. In previous years, there have been voice-spoofing scams, however, they were almost primitive compared to today’s technology. Those older scams also needed several minutes of someone’s recorded voice before they could make a viable speech model. Today, scammers only need a few seconds of speech.

    Getting back to the matter at hand, a New Jersey man was recently arrested for allegedly scamming a Houston, Texas, woman out of $40,000. She thought the voice she was talking to was her son, who claimed to have been arrested. Then the alleged scammer would get on the phone posing as a public defender while asking the woman for bail money. The man was caught after investigators followed the money trail, since one of the payments was sent through money transfer. However, the victim in this case was scammed in October 2022.

    Since scammers hardly ever work alone, more arrests may be following, and you can almost bet there are more victims out there.

    If you receive a distressing call from a supposed loved one requesting urgent financial assistance, it is crucial to verify their situation by promptly contacting them through alternative means. Do not entertain any assertions that prevent you from ending the call or consulting other family members. Stay vigilant and prioritize verifying the authenticity of such requests.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Police impersonators don’t miss a beat 

    By Greg Collier

    Typically, when we discuss police impersonation scams, we mostly talk about the jury duty scam. That’s when scammers pose as your local police and threaten victims with arrest for supposedly missing jury duty. In that case, the scammers are hoping to get a quick payment out of the victim disguised as a fine. However, police impersonation scams come in many forms, and they all use fear and intimidation to try to take your money from you.

    For example, a Pittsburgh woman recently got a phone call from scammers posing as the Pittsburgh Police Department. The caller told the woman that her daughter had been in a car accident that injured a pregnant woman. Police impersonators often use the concept of an injured pregnant woman to make a minor accident appear more severe.

    The caller told the woman that her daughter was in custody at the courthouse. On the call, there was even a woman crying in the background, asking for ‘mom’. The woman was even instructed by the caller not to call her daughter because her phone had been confiscated. This is done in order to try to prevent the woman from calling her daughter because if she did, she would find out that her daughter was not under arrest.

    The woman decided to make her way to the courthouse, but on the way there, she received another phone call from another scammer posing as a lawyer. This scammer told the woman that $15,000 bail was required. The woman asked the caller how can there be bail when she hasn’t even been before a judge yet. The caller was quick to respond that the daughter had already been before a judge three hours ago.

    Thankfully, the woman had spoken to her daughter within the past three hours and realized she was being scammed. She called her daughter, who had not been arrested and was in no danger.

    Scammers have an answer for almost any question you throw at them. A lot of the answers don’t make sense if you stop to think about it, though. The fact that the scammers told the woman not to call her daughter should have been a red flag, but telling her that her daughter had already been before a judge was obviously too convenient for it not to be a scam.

    As always, if you receive a call like this stating a loved one is in custody, but you haven’t spoken to that loved one, end the call and contact the loved one. More often than not, you’ll find that they have no idea they’re being used in a scam. Also, keep in mind that the police will only call you if the arrested person is medically incapacitated; otherwise the suspect would be able to call you themselves.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 23, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Scam victim gets money back in time for Christmas 

    By Greg Collier

    Due to the subject material we largely deal with at this blog, we don’t have many stories with happy endings. However, thanks to the season and law enforcement, we have a happy ending to bring you today just in time for the holiday weekend.

    Earlier this year, A Nebraska grandmother lost over $50,000 to the grandparent scam. For any new readers who might be joining us, the grandparent scam is where scammers target the elderly is a scam where the scammers pose as one of the victim’s grandchildren. In this case, the scammers told the grandmother that her grandson was involved in a car crash and needed the $50,000 for bail.

    The grandmother was instructed to send the supposed bail money in cash through the mail and a courier service like UPS or FedEx. As we have previously mentioned, no law enforcement agency or legitimate business will have you send cash through mail or overnight delivery.

    Apparently, one of the boxes of cash sent through the mail was sent to Massachusetts, as the grandmother recently received $25,000 back from the Boston Police Department. Thankfully, the payment was made by check. The family of the victim was also able to recover $4000 sent through the courier service. The remaining money has yet to be recovered.

    How is this a happy ending, you may ask? Most scam victims never get anything back. Too many elderly scam victims have lost everything due to scams. To recover over 50% of the money lost is a win in our book.

    This grandmother should also be thanked, as many victims of not just the grandparent scam are afraid to come forward due to embarrassment. That is their right, however, thanks to the victims that come forward, we can learn more about the scams and how to prevent them in the future.

    If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a relative, and they need money for bail or some other dire emergency, ask them a question only that person would know. Or you can also set up a code word with your family only to be used in emergencies. Lastly, call someone to verify the caller’s story. A scammer will tell you not to tell anyone else, but that’s a trick to keep anyone else in the victim’s family from finding out about the scam. Scammers will also try to keep you on the phone, so you can’t talk to anyone else in your family. Hang up and verify their story. No grandchild ever got extra jail time for their grandparents hanging up on them.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
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    Dangerous scam continues to target seniors 

    Dangerous scam continues to target seniors

    By Greg Collier

    If recent news reports are anything to go by, more and more scammers are resorting to the grandparent scam. It seems like every day, there is a news report from a police department or sheriff’s office warning their residents about this scam. Usually, after someone has already fallen victim to the scam. It’s becoming such a common occurrence that the scammers have almost perfected the scam and have any answer the victim might have about the scam.

    For example, an elderly woman from New Jersey was having trouble getting in touch with her grandson. Before she could get a hold of him, scammers called her, posing as her grandson. The phony grandson said he was in trouble and had a broken nose and split lip. Scammers will say their face is injured to explain why they don’t sound like the actual grandchild.

    The phony grandson told the woman that he was in jail because he was involved in a car accident with a woman who was eight-months pregnant. This is often told to victims to make the situation appear more serious and appeals to the victim’s emotions, hoping that the victim thinks less clearly.

    The woman offered to call the grandson’s father, but the scammer begged her not to, with the only explanation being “I’ll explain later”. Scammers do this to isolate the victim from contacting anyone else, which would potentially tip the victim off to this being a scam.

    The woman was instructed to call a phone number which was supposed to be a public defender’s office. This was just another part of the scam. She was told she needed to pay $8000 in cash to bail out her grandson. She offered to pay with a credit card, but was instructed it had to be cash. Grandparent scammers usually ask for cash, since there will be no paper trail once the money has been handed over.

    She was also told that these proceedings were under a gag order, and she could not tell anyone about them. Again, this is done to isolate the victim. Gag orders do not work in this way and are usually given to the participants of a trial.

    She went to her bank and got the $8000 and was told to put it in a shoebox full of magazines. We imagine this is done in an attempt to hide the money from police in case the scammer is pulled over, but any cop worth their salt would find the money fairly quickly.

    Then someone posing as a courier came to her house, claimed the box and drove off. Local police are now searching for the supposed courier.

    Two hours after this all happened, her actual grandson called her and told her he had not been in jail.

    One of the best ways to protect yourself from this scam is to ask the ‘grandchild’ only something they would know. When confronted with questions like this, scammers tend to hang up. You can also hang up from the phone call and try to call the person who has been supposedly arrested. No one ever got more jail time from being hung up on. Lastly, you can also call the police department that supposedly arrested them. They’ll be more than happy to assist you and will let you know if you’re being scammed.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: bail scam, , ,   

    Why scammers strike twice 

    By Greg Collier

    If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably very familiar with the grandparent scam. In case you’re a new reader, the grandparent scam is when scammers will call an elderly victim posing as one of the victim’s grandchildren. They’ll claim they’re in some kind of legal trouble and need money for bail or other legal fees.

    Recently, in Hampton, New Hampshire, an elderly couple was targeted in a grandparent scam. The scammers posed as an attorney’s office, and claimed the couple’s grandson was in a car accident and not only needed money for medical costs, but also legal costs since the scammers said the grandson hit a pregnant woman in the accident.

    As grandparent scammers have been doing lately, the scammers posed as couriers, and picked up close to $10,000 from the couple. However, the scammers are said to have pushed their luck by trying to get more money from the couple. At first, the scammers tried to get $20,000 from the couple, but settled for another $10,000.

    While the couple were withdrawing money from their bank, a bank teller was suspicious and advised the couple about the scam. Local police were contacted and arrested the alleged scammers when they arrived at the couple’s home the second time.

    Many scammers will try to get additional money from a victim if the victim has already paid once. We’ve seen this with sweepstakes scams and other forms of advance fee scam, where the scammers will continue to ask for money but never deliver any benefit to their victims.

    In other instances, if a victim pays once, scammers will make note of that, and try using a different scam on that same victim at a later time. We’ve even hard of some scammers that trade lists of victims with other scammers for money.

    If you or someone you know has fallen victim to any number of phone or internet scams, there’s a good chance they could be targeted again. As such, they should be highly skeptical of phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media messages from strangers.

    As far as the grandparent scam is concerned, anyone who receives that type of call should hang up and call someone who can verify the well-being of the loved one who’s supposedly been arrested. Also, keep in mind police, attorneys, or bail bondsmen will never call you asking for money.

     

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