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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 27, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: business scam, check scam ( 79 ), fake check ( 48 ), overpayment scam ( 9 ), real estate ( 128 ), Scams ( 1,387 ), tree cutters   

  Homeowner almost loses trees to business scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Scams come in various shapes and sizes. Take the widespread jury duty scam, for instance. Scammers reach out to numerous individuals, aiming to persuade as many as possible into parting with their money. On the other hand, scams can also be highly specific, honing in on niche industries that most people wouldn’t consider as typical scam targets.

  In a recent incident in Nashville, a homeowner found themselves warding off multiple tree-cutting companies attempting to remove perfectly healthy and mature trees from their property. While it might initially seem like the mischief of local pranksters or a vexed neighbor, the homeowner wasn’t actually the main focus of the scam.

  It’s suspected that the tree-cutters were ensnared in the overpayment scam, often known as the fake check scam. In this ploy, a check surpassing the agreed-upon amount is furnished for a transaction, with scammers urging the return of the excess before the victim or their bank detects the check’s falsity. This tactic leaves the victim liable for the entire amount to their bank.

  The homeowner’s property was targeted in the scam due to its status as a listed property for sale. Scammers often exploit homes in this situation, assuming they are unoccupied during the sales process.

  Business owners can take proactive measures to safeguard themselves against the overpayment or fake check scam.

  Before proceeding with any transaction, especially involving a check for an amount exceeding the agreed-upon price, confirm the customer’s identity and purpose of the transaction.

  Whenever possible, encourage or require the use of secure and traceable payment methods such as electronic funds transfer, credit cards, or certified checks. These methods offer more security compared to personal or business checks.

  If you receive a check, especially if it’s unusually large or if there’s pressure to return a portion of the payment, independently verify its authenticity. Contact the issuing bank directly to confirm the validity of the check.

  Don’t release goods or provide services until the check has fully cleared. Depositing a check doesn’t guarantee its clearance, and it may take time for banks to confirm its legitimacy.

  By implementing these precautions, business owners can reduce the risk of falling victim to the overpayment or fake check scam.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 10, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: business owner ( 2 ), business scam, phone scam ( 46 ), police impersonation scam ( 65 ), Scams ( 1,387 ), Small Business ( 4 )   

  Can scammers freeze your phone? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Sometimes, the better story isn’t what’s in the headline, but what’s buried in the body. For example, take this story from Durango, Colorado. In it, a local coffee shop is targeted in a police impersonation scam that specific to small businesses. Scammers called the shop posing as police, and told one of the shop’s employees that one of their bank deposits was made with fraudulent bills. The employee was told the shop could be in trouble if someone didn’t make a $1500 payment.

  Thinking they were talking to the police, the employee took the $1500 and left the shop to arrange the payment through a money transfer service. The employee was sent a barcode that could be scanned at the point of transfer to send the money. However, sometime during the call, the scammers asked for the phone number of the shop owner, which the employee gave them.

  Another employee saw the first employee leave with the money and called the shop owner. The shop owner tried calling the employee who took the scammers call, but the call function from their phone had been disabled. Could the scammers have remotely disabled her phone just by having her phone number?

  Most of the attacks we’re aware of that can disable your phone, cannot be implemented almost instantaneously like that. In most cases, the user of the phone would need to accidentally download some kind of malware. Or, the scammers would need to do a SIM-swapping attack, which can’t be performed that quickly. So, was the shop owner’s phone attacked, or was their phone freezing just an unfortunate coincidence? Unfortunately, we can’t say for certain, but local police are examining the phone for answers.

  To better protect your phone from such attacks, it’s best to install an antivirus program and occasionally run scans on your phone for malware. As far as the business cam goes, keep in mind that actual police departments and law enforcement agencies will never call you asking for money. That’s not how the police or banks work. If you own a small business, you may want to share this story with your employees.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: business scam, contractors ( 9 ), impersonation scam ( 148 ), payment app ( 18 ), Scams ( 1,387 ), venmo ( 28 ), voicemail ( 4 )   

  Hacked phone call leads to business scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  It almost seems like anything can be turned into a scam these days. Granted, this is a blog that mainly focuses on scams. As the saying goes, when you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail. However, there used to be a time when you could call a local business, leave them a voicemail, and expect a call back from that business. Now, it seems, that even that is at risk from scammers.

  According to the Better Business Bureau, a woman from Pennsylvania left a voicemail with a local concrete company. She needed some repair work done. Instead of getting a phone call, she received a text that claimed to be from the concrete company. The text asked for a picture of the repairs that needed to be done and a $50 deposit paid through Venmo. If you’re unfamiliar with Venmo, it’s a personal payment app on your phone that is supposed to only be used between family and friends.

  The victim then received another text asking for another $50 before she was asked to pay for 50% of the price of the job. All these payments were supposed to be paid through Venmo. It was at this point the woman called the actual concrete company, who told her that they weren’t the pones behind the text messages.

  It turned out that the concrete company’s voicemail service had been hijacked by the scammers. Who knows how many customers the scammers took advantage of in this way?

  Now, we’re not saying that this type of scam is a national crisis. This is the first we’ve heard of this type of scam. However, it is something to keep in mind if it does become a bigger problem.

  Another thing to keep in mind is when a supposed business asks for payment through an app. Whether it’s Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle, these apps are only intended for personal use and not for business. Even most local handymen and women have ways of accepting payment through credit or debit cards. Any business that asks for payment through one of these apps may not be on the up and up.

  If you feel like things aren’t on the level when dealing with a business, don’t be afraid to end communication.