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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 20, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm, phishing ( 78 ), puppy scam ( 37 ), retail ( 49 ), Scams ( 1,389 ), utility scam ( 32 )   

  Scam Round Up: Store robbed over the phone and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  To end the workweek, we’re bringing you a few scams that either have a new twist to them, or have appeared in a new area.

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  A new utility scam has shown up in the Huntsville, Alabama area. Typically, scammers will attempt the shut-off scam, where they threaten victims with shutting off their power if they don’t pay immediately. Now, scammers are trying a different tack. They’re sending phishing emails to victims that say the victim has paid their power bill twice and the victim now has a credit. For the victim to get the credit back, they just need to click the link in the email. The link then takes the victim to a malicious website that asks for their personal and financial information. Remember, most utility companies only communicate by postal mail. If you think there may be a discrepancy in your bill, call the customer service number on your bill instead of any number on the email.

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  We frequently discuss the online puppy scam. This is where victims think they’re buying a puppy from a breeder’s website, but the website is fake and the puppy never existed. Another victim in those scams are the legitimate breeders, as the pictures from their website are often stolen to be used on the fake website. This recently happened to a breeder of Australian Labradoodles in Texas. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot breeders can do about this. However, there are tips you can use to avoid being taken in a puppy scam provided by the breeder. For many purebred dogs from a legitimate breeder, you should expect a wait period. She says that it could be six to 12 months. Avoid breeders who ask for payment in non-traditional ways, such as payment apps like Venmo and Zelle. But as always, we recommend using a licensed breeder within driving distance or adopting from your local shelter.

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  Lastly, we have a scam that happened in Kingsport, Tennessee that retail employees may be interested in. A convenience store employee received a phone call on a Saturday morning. The caller claimed to be from corporate headquarters and asked the employee to take the cash in the register to a Bitcoin ATM. The caller even sent an Uber to pick up the employee to take them to the Bitcoin ATM. The store ended up losing $4500. Often, employees like this have no management on site to ask whether this is a scam or not. If you’re in a supervisory or management position at a retail vendor, you may want to have a talk with your employees about scams like this, or make yourself more available in case of a call like this. Let your employees know that a corporation would never direct them to send money through Bitcoin.

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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm, cryptocurrency ( 52 ), Scams ( 1,389 )   

  Bitcoin ATMs are a new tool in the scammer’s bag of tricks 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Within the past year or so, we’ve seen the rise of scams that involve Bitcoin ATMs. As you’re probably aware of, Bitcoin is the most well-known cryptocurrency. In case you need a refresher, cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is decentralized and not backed by any bank or government. While a record of all cryptocurrency transactions are kept in what’s known as a public ledger, it’s almost impossible to reverse a transaction. This is what makes cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin so attractive to scammers.

  Cryptocurrency’s acceptance among a large part of the public has led to the rise of Bitcoin ATMs. These machines allow anybody to buy Bitcoin for cash. Conversely, you can also cash out your Bitcoin for its current market value. We’re concerned more with another function of Bitcoin ATMs, and that’s the ability to send Bitcoin to anybody who has a digital wallet.

  Whereas scammers have typically used gift cards to scam their victims out of money, Bitcoin ATMs are slowly starting to replace gift cards as the scammer’s payment of choice. Just in the past week, there have been reports of victims losing thousands of dollars to scammers after sending them money through Bitcoin ATMs. A woman from Buffalo, New York, sent $30,000 to scammers who told her that her bank account had been hacked. Another woman from Northeast Pennsylvania sent $25,000 to scammers through a Bitcoin ATM in an unspecified scam.

  Unless you’re an active trader who’s well-versed in the ways of cryptocurrency, any mention of cryptocurrency should throw up a red flag. Much like gift cards, no legitimate company or agency will force you to make any kind of payment in cryptocurrency. Banks will not ask you to exchange the money in your account for cryptocurrency, that’s not how banks work. If a bank account does get hacked, that money disappears instantly. There is no grace period where you can move your money to protect it. Lastly, as mentioned above, Bitcoin ATMs are only supposed to be used for the buying and selling of Bitcoin. Anybody who tries to get you to use it for any other reason is probably trying to scam you.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: antivirus scam ( 5 ), bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm, phishing ( 78 ), Scams ( 1,389 )   

  Antivirus scam costs victim $19,000 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you’re a computer user who’s been using the internet since the dial-up days, you may still be using antivirus software. Even older users who may have just gotten on the internet probably use antivirus software as well. If you’re in one of these demographics, you may have it ingrained into your internet habits to have robust protection against computer viruses. Most users will opt for the free package many antivirus companies offer. Others will want that extra protection and pay for an antivirus subscription. It’s the latter group that scammers are hoping to catch unaware.

  An Indiana woman recently fell victim to an antivirus scam. She says that a notification appeared on her computer that said she had been charged $500 for Norton Antivirus. The victim had not used Norton in a while, but felt the service may have been one of her bills that are on auto-payment. The notification she received also included a phone number to call in case of any questions.

  The victim called the number and was told the problem could be corrected if the customer service representative could have remote access to her computer. The victim entered an access code on her computer, and the rep then had access. The rep then claimed that they had made a mistake and the victim now owed them $12,000. To rectify the matter, the victim was instructed to withdraw $12,000 from her bank and transfer it to Bitcoin using a Bitcoin ATM at a local gas station.

  If you’re a regular reader, you already know where this is going. The notification and call center were both run by scammers. Not only did the scammers get the $12,000 in Bitcoin, but they also took an additional $7,000 directly from the victim’s bank account.

  If you receive an email, text, or any kind of message from some company that claims you owe them money, do not call the phone number included. Instead, go to the company’s official website, and use the phone number from there. Furthermore, most legitimate companies do not ask for any kind of payment in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. While Bitcoin is easy to track, it’s nearly impossible to recover once it’s given to scammers. And please keep in mind, you shouldn’t give remote access to your device to any stranger. Lastly, no real company will ask you to withdraw money from your account if they made a mistake. Any decent company worth their salt can correct the matter on their end without any need for bank access.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 31, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm, cryptocurrency ( 52 ), FTC ( 17 ), qr codes ( 9 ), Scams ( 1,389 )   

  Are more scammers asking for Bitcoin? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned consumers they’ve seen a rise in scammers using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Traditionally, scammers usually lean toward trying to collect money from their victims through means like gift cards and money transfers. That’s because gift cards and money transfers are things that most people understand. Meanwhile, if you say cryptocurrency to most consumers, you’ll get a puzzled look. However, the FTC says that scammers have come up with a new and easy way to get victims to pay in cryptocurrency.

  According to the FTC, scammers are now getting their victims to scan QR Codes with their phones. Once a victim scams the QR Code with their phone, the victim just paid the scammer in cryptocurrency. Fortunately, there’s a process that needs to take place before scanning the code that should tip you off that you’re being scammed. The FTC warning states that the scammers will try to get you to go to a Bitcoin ATM, to scan the code. In other instances, the scammers will try to get you to move money out of your bank before getting you to scan the code.

  For example, a man from Athens, Georgia, was recently taken for $45,000 in a tech support scam. A computer pop-up told him his computer had been infected with a virus, and he needed to call Microsoft at a number listed on the pop-up. The scammers told him his computer and phone had been compromised, and he needed to move his money to a cryptocurrency account to protect it. After he moved his money, the scammers gave him a QR code to scan. Once the victim did that, his money was gone, having been transferred to the scammer.

  In most consumer cases, cryptocurrency should be treated just like gift cards. The vast majority of businesses and agencies do not ask for payment in Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. While cryptocurrency is not untraceable, it is extremely difficult to get back once it’s been sent from one crypto wallet to another. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are still only used in niche circles, despite what its more vocal proponents will tell you.

  So, if someone contacts you and asks for payment in Bitcoin, it’s more than likely a scam.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 10, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm, impersonation scam ( 149 ), Scams ( 1,389 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 7 )   

  Victim loses $21,000 to Bitcoin ATM scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A woman from Michigan was really taken for a ride by scammers. Before it was all over, she had lost $21,000. The scam had started, like many do. One scammer had called the woman posing as a US Border Patrol agent. She was told that a bank account had been opened in her name and was linked to criminal activity. She was then instructed to remove $21,000 from her own bank account and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM at a gas station not to far from where she lived.

  It seems that this wasn’t enough to intimidate the victim into making the deposit. She was asked what was the nearest police department to her, and she gave that information to the caller. She then received a call from someone posing as the chief of police, from her local police department. Furthermore, she was told that if she didn’t comply with the phony border agent, she would be committing a crime. It was at this point the victim deposited the money at a Bitcoin ATM. It wasn’t until she told other family members that she realized she had been scammed.

  Bitcoin ATMs have become increasingly popular with scammers due to the cryptocurrency’s perceived anonymity. However, no law enforcement agency will ever ask you to move money in such a way, even if an account in your name was being used for fraudulent activity. At the worst, you may have some agents or police officers asking you a few questions in person. The mention of any type of cryptocurrency should also be a dead giveaway to a scam.

  If you receive one of these calls, hang up and call the agency they claim to be calling from at their non-emergency number.