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  Geebo 8:00 am on November 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, Facebook Marketplace ( 62 ), puppy scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Family terrorized because of puppy scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A family in Virginia has found out the hard way that scammers don’t care who their scams affect. The scammers are using the address of an elderly woman who lives with her daughter in a puppy scam. Ads are being posted online, promising Yorkie puppies for $200. Yorkie puppies typically range in price from $800 to $1500 from reputable breeders. If you want one that came from champion stock, you could be looking at a $10,000 price tag.

  The scammers would collect the $200 from their victims using Cash App, and would then send them the address of this poor woman in Virginia for them to pick up a puppy. To make the scam seem more legitimate, the scammers even had a copy of the woman’s driver’s license that they would show their victims.

  This is not new in the puppy scam world. Typically, when a victim shows up to a home and finds out they’ve been scammed, they’re heartbroken, but they leave realizing the homeowner is a victim in this too. Unfortunately, in this instance, the family has had some people become belligerent, and have threatened the woman when they find out there are no puppies there.

  It seems that the reason the scammers have a copy of the woman’s driver’s license is because she fell for a scam previously. She was asked to upload her driver’s license to verify her identity in a Cash App giveaway scam.

  Every time the fake Facebook account advertising the puppies gets taken down, a new one pops up, resulting in more people going to the woman’s home.

  Unfortunately, there’s not much the family can do at this point outside of posting a sign in front of their home that there are no puppies there.

  However, you can avoid falling victim to a scam like this by being protective of your personal information. Your identity could be easily stolen if you were to upload it online. If a stranger asks you to upload your license for whatever reason, there is a good chance that you’re being scammed.

  As far as buying puppies go, avoid places like Marketplace and craigslist. This is where puppy scammers flourish. Here at Geebo.com, we stopped accepting pet listings to not only help our users avoid scams like this, but to help cut down on abuses like puppy mills.

  If you’re looking to add a puppy to your family, do your research and don’t act on impulse. Always use a local breeder, so you can visit the puppies before making a purchase. And as always, we strongly recommend adopting a puppy from your local shelter. Shelter dogs are only there through no fault of their own and can be obtained at little to no cost.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 11, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 44 ), bitcoin ( 31 ), Cash App, cryptocurrency ( 50 ), investment scams ( 10 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), toilet paper   

  Scam victim ends up with a briefcase full of toilet paper 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Opinions differ on whether cryptocurrencies are scams themselves, but due to the decentralized nature of crypto, it is vulnerable to scams. Not only that, but the get-rich-quick possibility that some see in cryptocurrencies leave them vulnerable to scams as well.

  One of the more popular crypto scams lately is a form of advance fee scam. Typically, scammers have been finding their victims on dating platforms. The victim is told the person they’ve matched with works for a financial company, and they can guarantee a profit if the victim invests in cryptocurrency. The catch is that the person they’ve just met will invest the money for them.

  After the victim gives the scammer money, the victim is later told that his initial investment has multiplied. However, in order to cash out, the victim needs to make another payment for ‘processing fees’ or some other made up charge. It’s usually at this point that the victim realizes they’ve been scammed.

  That’s not exactly what happened to a 26-year-old Colorado man, but he fell for a similar crypto scam, and ended up with an insulting consolation prize. The invested $23,000 on what he thought was a legitimate crypto investment he found on Instagram. The victim paid the money to the scammers through Cash App and Bitcoin.

  After a while, the victim received a briefcase that was supposed to contain the return on his investment of $210,000. But he was also told that he needed to pay $9000 to get the combination to the briefcase, which he did. Once the briefcase was opened, it contained nothing but books and toilet paper.

  The cryptocurrency market attracts countless con artists, and their favorite way to advertise is on social media. They almost always promise a guaranteed return in any investment made. In truth, no one can guarantee a profitable investment. This goes for investments in traditional financial markets as well. Anyone who says they can, is just selling you a bill of goods.

  Cryptocurrency should only be invested in if you’re familiar with the cryptocurrency market. Even then, as with most investments, you should only invest what you can afford to lose. Otherwise, you’re just gambling to pay the bills.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, check scam ( 79 ), college ( 17 ), fake check ( 47 ), job scam ( 79 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), venmo ( 28 )   

  College students still vulnerable to job scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  College students and other young adults tend to be more technologically inclined than previous generations. Unfortunately, being more comfortable with modern tech can lead young people into a false sense of security. When it comes to finding a job, many of the analog ways of older generations are still in effect. Scammers will take advantage of the convenience of tech while using the anonymity it can sometimes afford them. This chicanery has become very prevalent in the job market. With many young people striking out on their own for possibly the first time, they could easily fall victim to job scammers.

  This recently happened to a college student in Texas. She was searching for a job online and more than likely had posted her resume on employment platforms. She received a text message that claimed to be from a textile company in Chicago, offering her a job. The position was a remote data entry position that offered close to $40/hr along with benefits and a 401K. All interviews and follow-ups were done through text or messaging app. The student never saw the face of anyone at the supposed company.

  She was hired almost on the spot. She was then told she would need equipment for the position. The student was then sent two checks that added up to $10,000. The company instructed her to deposit the checks and use the money to buy the equipment she needed. She was told to use specific vendors and that she could pay them through Venmo or Cash App. When payment wouldn’t go through on either of those apps, she was told to wire the money. The checks turned out to be fraudulent, which not only wiped out her savings but left her in debt to her bank.

  Those that are inexperienced in the job market may not be aware that businesses do not use apps like Zelle and Venmo to pay for business expenses. Even those who have years of job experience may not know that legitimate businesses, even those offering remote positions, do not send checks that the employee is supposed to deposit in their own bank account to use for business expenses. The fake check scam is one that has been duping job applicants for years now.

  If colleges and universities are not doing do already, scam awareness should be part of the orientation process. If you know a young person who is attending college, you may want to let them know about the scams that specifically target them, like this one.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 31 ), Cash App, cryptocurrency ( 50 ), investment scams ( 10 ), romance scam ( 70 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Loneliness leads to crypto scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Loneliness is one of the greatest vulnerabilities someone can have. It can cause us to make rash decisions or ignore warning signs if we think it will help us be any less alone. Some of the more detrimental decisions people can make are made during bouts of extreme loneliness. Unfortunately, scammers are aware of this too. Lonely people, especially senior citizens who may have lost a partner, are a favorite target of scammers. This is especially true of romance scammers.

  Traditionally, romance scammers find a target online and foster a phony relationship with them. Once the scammer gains the target’s trust, the scammer will start asking for money for some emergency. Romance scammers often pose as military members serving overseas, oil rig workers who are constantly working offshore, or international business people. They use these occupations as excuses as to why they can never meet in public.

  However, there is a new type of romance scam that works a lot quicker than the typical one, as one man from Indiana recently found out. The man is a senior citizen who is on a fixed income. He met a woman going by the name of Elizabeth on a dating site. It wasn’t long before Elizabeth mentioned she worked for an investment company and could make the man some money. The man was told that if he gave her $500 in Bitcoin, he’d make a profit in 5 days. He sent ‘Elizabeth’ the $500 in Bitcoin.

  When it came time for the man to claim his profits, he contacted the supposed investment company. He was told that his initial investment had multiplied more than ten times its amount. When the man tried to cash out, he was told he would need to send an additional $2000 through Cash App to claim his windfall. The man refused and was then asked for his bank account information. It was at this point the man realized he had been scammed. This man probably got off easy, relatively speaking. While we’re sure $500 was a lot of money to this man, other victims to this scam have paid the additional fees the scammers have asked for and never see a penny of it in return.

  No investment is ever guaranteed to return a profit, and especially not cryptocurrency, as that market can wildly fluctuate. If someone you don’t know or barely know promises to invest in cryptocurrency for you, there’s a good chance that they’re trying to scam you. Also, no legitimate investment company will ask you to make any payment through apps like Cash App.

  If you’re lonely and looking for companionship online, please be very careful as there are any number of pitfalls out there that could leave you with a broken heart and an empty wallet.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, phone scam ( 46 ), ransom ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), virtual kidnapping ( 44 )   

  Would you fall for this convincing scam? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A lot of like to think we’re scam-proof, that it’s impossible for scammers to pull one over on us. For example, I received a robocall the other day that said they were calling from Amazon and there had been a $1499.00 charge on my account. I hung up because I knew it was a scam. But just to be certain, I checked my Amazon account and credit card I use for Amazon purchases. Both had no record of any such transaction. Now, that’s a low-pressure scam if you know what to look for. But what if the pressure was intense and immediate. Would you be able to remain calm?

  We’ve discussed the virtual kidnapping scam, or ransom scam, before. This is when scammers call a victim to tell them that they’ve kidnapped a loved one and demand money. In reality, the scammers don’t actually have your loved one hostage. However, even if you might be familiar with the scam, scammers can make it so convincing that in the heat of the moment, you may question yourself.

  A man in Ohio recently received one of these calls. The number that came up on his phone belonged to his mother from Florida. After he picked up the phone, the man heard a male voice with a female voice screaming in the background. The caller stated he carjacked the man’s mother and would harm her if the man didn’t pay the caller. The way that we’ve phrased it, makes it sound so clinical. However, the language the caller used made it seem real. Here are some quotes from the conversation that the man recorded.

  Caller: “Man, guess what? I’m going to start beating your mom, I’m going to start beating her right now.”

  Caller: “If I see the police, I’m going to k*** myself too, but I’m going to take her (expletive) out.

  Caller: “Bro, I’m going to tell you one more time. She ain’t going to be all right if you don’t hurry the (expletive) up.”

  There were other explicit threats of violence as well that we’re leaving out for the sake of civility.

  The caller was demanding payment through Cash App and PayPal. Luckily, the man had trouble remembering his PayPal password. While he was trying to reset the password, he had his wife call his brother on her phone, since his brother lives near his mother. When he got word that his mother was in no danger, he hung up on the scammer. The man even admitted that he panicked and had no idea what to do, even though he made the correct action.

  Scammers will either find us at our weakest or try to put us in that state of mind. Can any of us say we wouldn’t be panicked if we were in this man’s shoes? This is just one of the many reasons we shouldn’t belittle scam victims. There are so many scams out in the wild that any one of us could fall victim to them if the right circumstances emerge. Instead, we should be thanking scam victims who come forward for making us aware of these scams.

  Again, what the man did in this instance was the right thing to do. If you ever receive a phone call like this, try to use a second form of communication to contact the person the caller has claimed to have kidnapped. Kidnapping for ransom is rare in the United States, but you still want to make sure your loved one is safe. Also, don’t be afraid to call the police, as they can be of great assistance in these matters.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 30, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, craigslist ( 129 ), real estate ( 127 ), rental scam ( 87 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  A desperate plea for help leads to family getting scammed 

  

  By Greg Collier

  There should be no shame in reaching out to your neighbors for help. Today, if we do decide to reach out, we often do it online. Not only out of convenience, but because it helps us reach a wider range of people who could potentially help us. Unfortunately, it’s not just our neighbors who might see our pleas, there are also scammers, as one Virginia family found out.

  In this story, the family consists of a disabled mother with an adult daughter who is pregnant. They were looking for a home to rent and due to the mother’s disabilities, they were limited in their choices. They could not rent any property that required the mother to go up or down stairs. The mother posted her plea online that they were looking for a place to rent. This plea was posted to her area’s Craigslist.

  After she made her post, someone reached out almost immediately. They said that they had a property they were looking to rent out to someone and even gave them an address, so they could drive by the home. When the daughter spoke to the supposed landlord, he said that he needed money right away to have the city turn the water and plumbing right away.

  The landlord asked for $700 to be paid through Cash App under somebody else’s name. The daughter even said that didn’t feel right, as the money should go into a bank account. However, they were so desperate to find a roof over their heads, they ignored the red flags and sent the money anyway. Sadly, they sent their money to a scammer. They are now trying even harder to find a home, along with the financial burden of losing that money.

  I know it’s easier said than done, but even if you’re in dire straits, please do your research before sending any money to rent a home. Scammers are constantly looking for people on the down and out to take advantage of because they know the victim’s emotional state may make them vulnerable. The scammers have no qualms taking from people who have very little.

  As long as you have a working smartphone, which is most phones these days, you can research the property. If you do a quick Google search on the property’s address, you can find a lot of information about the property. That can include the actual rent price and the actual rental agency. And as always, we recommend going to the website or office of the county tax assessor, as they will have the records of who actually owns and rents the property.

  Also, never send money through apps like Cash App, Venmo, Zelle and the like. This makes it incredibly easy for scammers to take your money before blocking you and disappearing with your money.

  Lastly, scammers will always try to pressure you into making a decision right away. If you feel pressured, don’t be afraid to take your time researching and deciding. You may just save yourself the heartache of losing money to a scammer.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 19, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, charity scam ( 34 ), medical expenses ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), sick children, Zelle ( 66 )   

  Are charity drives for sick children a scam? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  With how expensive medical treatment in our country can be, it’s common to see people or families asking online for financial assistance regarding their medical expenses. According to the crowdsourcing platform GoFundMe, the main reason people open a GoFundMe page is to solicit donations for medical expenses. Unfortunately, scammers will pose as someone in need of financial assistance for medical expenses online. With more and more people becoming aware of these online scams, are scammers going back to asking for money on the street? That very well could be.

  According to a report from the Kansas City area, residents there are saying that people are taking to the streets and holding up signs asking for donations for children with severe illnesses. However, these signs have a modern twist. Instead of just taking cash, the signs also have indicators that you can donate money to various personal payment apps such as Zelle and Cash App.

  The reason authorities around Kansas City may think this may be a scam is because a group of scammers in South Carolina used the exact same picture of a sick child that the sign holders in Kansas City are using.

  Everybody wants to help a sick child if we can, and the scammers know this. Scammers are masters of emotional manipulation and will use every dirty trick in the book to separate a victim from their money. They want your heart to override your head when it comes to giving money. They want that immediate emotional reaction to result in an immediate donation. While an immediate donation might make us feel better, it might not be actually helping a sick child.

  As always, people should research before making any kind of chartable donation, so they’ll know the money is being put to good use. If you feel guilty about not making a donation to a sign holder, or if you just want to help, consider donating to an organization that has a good reputation for assisting those in need.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, gift cards ( 100 ), puppy scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), Yorkies   

  Yorkies popular in puppy scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  While it may just be a coincidence, we’ve seen multiple reports of Yorkies being used in puppy scams. In puppy scams, scammers will advertise puppies for sale claiming that they’re the puppy breeders. In reality, the puppies don’t even exist, and the scammers will try to bilk as much money from their victims.

  The scammers will typically advertise the puppies at below-market prices. Then, once the victims make their initial payment, the scammers will attempt to get more money out of the victim through various ploys. These can take the form of a special crate needed for shipping, shipping insurance, or processing fees among others.

  A great indicator that someone is being scammed when buying a puppy online is that the seller requests payment through non-traditional and largely unrecoverable means. These means are, typically, gift cards, money transfers, cryptocurrency, or personal payment apps.

  A woman from Lincoln, Nebraska, was recently scammed out of $225 when trying to buy a Yorkie puppy. Not only was she asked to pay through Cash App, but she was also pressured into making an immediate purchase when the scammers told her that the puppies were selling fast.

  Meanwhile, a man from Pennsylvania was told to send $750 in Walmart gift cards to purchase his puppy. After he paid the initial price, he was then asked by the scammers to pay an additional $1000.

  As far as puppy scams go, never buy a puppy sight unseen. You may also want to try to shop local from a licensed breeder. Most importantly, we always recommend considering adopting a puppy from your local shelter instead. This can often be done with minimal or no cost. Some shelters even have waiting lists you can sign up for if you’re looking for a certain breed.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 20, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App, cash flipping ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), social media ( 79 ), two factor authentication ( 17 )   

  FBI warns of social media cash scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The advent of personal payment apps like Cash App, Venmo, and Zelle has given rise to a new generation of scams. One of the most egregious scams is the cash flipping scam. This is mostly associated with Cash App, although it has appeared on other platforms. Cash flipping is when 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. The scam is given legitimacy since Cash App itself holds giveaways called #CashAppFridays. Cash App policies 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.

  Recently, the Las Vegas office of the FBI has issued a warning about cash flipping scams. They say that scammers are using hijacked social media accounts to approach victims through private messages. Often these hijacked accounts show pictures of people with large amounts of cash to try and make the scam seem on the up and up.

  If the scammers don’t break off contact immediately, they’ll claim Cash app is holding up the transaction. The victim will then be instructed to use a certain email address on their Cash app account to make the transaction go through. This then allows the scammers to hijack the Cash App account itself.

  To avoid this scam, the FBI recommends using two-factor authentication on your payment and social media apps. While this can be an inconvenience to some, it goes a long way in keeping online accounts secure. If the scammers ever request any kind of verification code number, they’re trying to circumvent your two-factor authentication, and that code should never be given out to anyone.

  Lastly, people don’t get rich by giving away money for free. As with most scams, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 31 ), Cash App, cryptocurrency ( 50 ), Instagram ( 17 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Victims burned twice in Bitcoin scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Since it gained mainstream popularity, Bitcoin has had an air of fraud around it. While people have gotten wealthy through the mining, trading, and investing of Bitcoin, it’s also attracted a large number of scammers. While every Bitcoin transaction is recorded on a public ledger, it’s virtually impossible to reclaim if stolen. Also, due to the fact that Bitcoin is decentralized and has no governing authority, victims of Bitcoin scams have little to no recourse.

  One of these scams is targeting users of Instagram and takes advantage of hacked accounts. Once an Instagram account is compromised, the scammers will use this account to message other users on the account’s friends list, telling them how they’ve made money through Bitcoin. One Instagram use from Omaha, Nebraska, was asked to invest $500 through Cash App to purchase Bitcoin. However, before she could get her Bitcoin, she was asked to record a testimonial saying how successful this Bitcoin scheme was. Not only did she lose the $500, but now a video of her touting the success of this Bitcoin scheme is being shared on social media.

  Unless you have a complete understanding of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency and general, it’s advised to avoid any Bitcoin transactions. This includes friends on social media telling you how much money they made. If you receive a message like that, message your friend back through other means to ask them if they meant to send that message.

  Also, please keep in mind that the majority of agencies and companies will never ask for payment for some kind of bill in Bitcoin. You should also be aware of services who claim to be able to get your stolen Bitcoin back for a fee. That is also a scam.

  Lastly, as with any investment, never invest any money you can’t afford to lose.