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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 10, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Colorado, Scams ( 1,386 ), unemployment benefits ( 23 ), unemployment scam ( 30 )   

  More fraudulent unemployment claims have been filed than real ones 

  

  The state of Colorado has been just one of the many states that has been dealing with record numbers of unemployment fraud. Since last year, unemployment scammers have overwhelmed all 50 states with unheard of amounts of fraudulent unemployment claims. Most, if not all, of the states found themselves unprepared for the onslaught of fraudulent claims. California infamously have paid over $1 billion in fraudulent claims.

  The fraudulent claims are coming from scammers who are using stolen identities to apply for fraudulent unemployment benefits. It doesn’t matter if the identity belongs to someone who is employed, they’re still being used in the scam. Some scammers will use the same identity to apply for fraudulent benefits in multiple states.

  While not sending out as nearly as much money as California, it’s been recently reported that the state of Colorado has had more fraudulent unemployment claims filed with Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment than legitimate claims. According to reports, Colorado has issued approximately $6.5 million to fraudsters. The state is looking at that as a win considering they’ve paid $7 billion to actual applicants.

  That’s not to say that legitimate recipients haven’t been having problems getting their benefits. While the state is investigating fraudulent claims, some innocent recipients have had their benefits held up until they can verify their identities. Colorado offers options both online and over the phone where recipients can verify their ID. However, the phone lines have been flooded as you might imagine and the online option can be daunting for some.

  It’d also not helping that Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment is also dealing with a phony Facebook page that is impersonating them. The impostor page is asking residents for their personal information.

  You may ask why we’re bringing you this story. It’s not to chastise Colorado, but to make our readers aware just how prevalent unemployment fraud has become and that it shows no signs of slowing down. It affects both the employed and unemployed in all 50 states.

   

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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 2, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Colorado, real estate ( 128 ), rental scam ( 87 ), Scams ( 1,386 )   

  Man pays six months rent in advance to scammer 

  

  One of the most common scams that we discuss is the rental scam. This is where someone looking to rent a property pays money to a scammer who posses online as the landlord. We discuss it so much because unfortunately, people are still falling victim to it. It’s so common it’s almost become a daily occurrence in the news. It happens all over the country as well and usually affects those who are the most desperate for a place to live. Too often the victims of the scam end up both impoverished and without a roof over their heads.

  Recently, this happened to a man in Colorado who paid the scammers six months’ rent in advance for a home he had found online. He researched the property and found the property owner’s name, however, the scammers knew that as well and were posing as the actual owner of the property. The man paid the scammers $10,000 as a bank transfer but once the money hit the scammers account the account was closed. The man contacted the bank in hopes of getting his money back but was unable to since the account was closed and the money was gone. He had even hired an attorney to try to get the money back incurring another expense.

  The mistake the man in question made was not meeting the landlord in person or inspecting the property. All the communication between the scammers and their victim was through email and text. This is one of the biggest red flags to look out for when looking for a new place to rent. If they give you some excuse about not being able to show the property it is more than likely a scam. While you may be in a rush to find a new home it’s always worth taking the time to research the property. You should always do a reverse image search to make sure the property ad isn’t being copied from a legitimate realtor or landlord.

  It’s always better to put in the extra time so you don’t end up losing money and a roof over your head.

   
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  Geebo 9:48 am on May 1, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 32 ), Colorado, craigslist ( 129 ), job scam ( 81 ), money laundering ( 11 )   

  Couple falls for Bitcoin laundering scam 

  

  An anonymous couple in Colorado have had their identities stolen and assets seized after they applied to what they thought was a work at home job. The couple started working for a company called Golden Potatoes that was said to be headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The couple was told to open bank accounts so they could receive payments from supposed customers who were buying potatoes from the company. The couple would deposit the payments in the new bank accounts then purchase Bitcoin to send to their bosses. The couple was told they could keep 5% of all deposits. This wasn’t your typical wire fraud or fake check scam either as the couple were making actual money from the transactions.

  It all fell apart when someone was using their identity to allegedly scam people on craigslist. You just knew craigslist had to be involved somewhere didn’t you? Anyway, the scammers were using the couple’s identities to place ads on craigslist claiming to be selling high-end items like cars and ATVs. That’s when the banks got involved believing the couple may have been committing fraud and shut down the accounts. As you can probably expect, not only did Golden Potatoes not exist as a legitimate company, but they also don’t even have a physical location at their purported Portland address. It was all just a scheme to allegedly launder money into Bitcoin.

  Many work at home positions have been the work of scammers for years even before the internet. Not to beat a dead horse, but if it seems to be too good to be true it usually is. Any type of job where your asked to open a separate bank account or deposit money into your own account is not legitimate. No legitimate company would ask employees to do such things unless they were trying to hide money illegally. If you were to fall for one of these scams, you could not only be held liable for any losses your bank my incur but you could potentially be looking at criminal charges while the scammers get away with their now laundered money.

   
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  Geebo 9:08 am on March 12, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Colorado, craigslist ( 129 ), deadbolt, real estate ( 128 ), rental scam ( 87 )   

  Scam victim living in house illegally 

  

  A man in Colorado is living in a house illegally after falling victim to a rental scam. The man found a home for rent on craigslist and wired $3000 to the people claiming to be the landlords. In return, the ‘landlords’ were able to give the man the access code to the home’s deadbolt. This is not unlike a similar scam we posted about back in November where scammers were hacking the electronic lockboxes used by realtors

  Once the victim in this case realized he had been scammed he contacted police, but now he may find himself out on the street. He asked the rental company if there was any way he could stay there but the company wants him off the premises. Again, it appears that the weak link in the security is the electronic deadbolt used by the rental company. As shown in the video below, many of these types of locks can be hacked remotely.

  However, as I’m sure you’ve surmised by now, the first mistake made in this unfortunate story was the victim wiring the money to someone before seeing the home. When dealing with sites that are a haven for scammers like craigslist, you should never wire money to anybody you don’t know personally. Not only could that money be received anywhere in the world, but it’s almost impossible to get the money back once it’s been transferred. While we hope this man lands on his feet, let his story serve as a cautionary tale to others when using unscrupulous classified sites.

   
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  Geebo 10:28 am on January 16, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Colorado, craigslist ( 129 ), lift tickets ( 2 ), scam ( 22 )   

  Fake lift ticket scams hitting the slopes 

  

  With winter weather hitting the country hard recently, a number of people are using it as an opportunity to hit the ski slopes in many of the nation’s ski resorts. Unfortunately, scammers are also using this opportunity to defraud those looking for a fun time in the snow. In Colorado, there have been reports of phony lift tickets being sold on craigslist.

  This particular lift ticket scam works the same way many phony ticket scams do. The scammer purchases the tickets using a stolen credit card hoping they get the tickets before the fraudulent charges are caught. They then advertise the tickets for a deep discount. However, when the buyer reaches the slopes, the phony charges have been caught by then and the tickets are rendered null and void leaving many skiers and snowboarders stranded at the bottom of the hill.

  It’s not just ski resorts that deal with this problem either. Many vacation hotspots such as theme parks have encountered this scam as well.

  When buying any kind of vacation ticket, stick to purchasing the tickets from authorized vendors or the destination itself. If a price online seems too good or comes with some kind of story attached, it is more than likely too good to be true.

   
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  Geebo 10:55 am on January 24, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Colorado, lift tickets ( 2 ), scam ( 22 ), skiing   

  Beware of fake ski lift tickets in Colorado 

  

  Authorities in Colorado are saying that they are seeing a rash of fake ski lift tickets being sold online. They’re allegedly being sold on a less than reputable classifieds site whose name we won’t mention but you can pretty much guess who it is.

  If you’ve ever been skiing, you know how expensive lift tickets can be, so if you can find yourself a deal you’d be remiss not to take it right? Well, it depends on where you get that deal. As far as these fake ski lift tickets go, the tickets are usually worthless by the time that you get them. The scam works pretty much the same way it does with sports tickets. Someone will purchase the tickets with a stolen credit card and will then turn around and try to sell to tickets at a discount. However, when the credit card is reported stolen those tickets then become null and void while the con artist has made off with your cash. One victim of this current scam found themselves out of $2,000 due to the scam. This is without mentioning that most lift tickets are non-transferable.

  Usually with these ticket scams the ‘seller’ has a story on why they have to get rid of the tickets as soon as possible. If you suspect a scam this is a good indicator. Another good indicator is the age-old adage that if the deal seems too good to be true it probably is. Skiing is definitely an expensive activity but it can be even more expensive if you try to score some tickets on the cheap.

   
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  Geebo 11:15 am on July 7, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cabin Creek, Colorado, ghost town, real estate ( 128 )   

  Colorado ghost town for sale online 

  

  Do you have $350K burning a hole in your pocket and you’ve always wanted to live in rural Colorado? If so then do I have a deal for you. Cabin Creek, Colorado, which is 45 minutes from Denver, could be yours. The property contains five acres, a gas station with a garage, a small hotel, a diner, an RV park and two homes. The property isn’t in the best condition but the current owner has said that he has installed modern security equipment. Cabin Creek became a ghost town after a murder there in the 1970s. The current owner says that he is selling the property in order to travel.

  If you’re interested in purchasing Cabin Creek or just checking out its history you can go to the town’s website or its Facebook page.

   
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  Geebo 8:22 am on May 24, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Colorado, marijuana ( 2 ), Washington ( 11 )   

  Can legal weed be sold online? 

  

  DISCLAIMER: This is not an endorsement for the use of or prohibition of recreational marijuana. This is merely the discussion of a topic.

  Whether or not you’re a fan of legal recreational marijuana use or not you can’t ignore the economic impact it has had on states like Colorado and Washington. This industry however, is tightly regulated by the state. Not just anyone can set up shop in these states.

  That hasn’t stopped people from trying to be the modern-day equivalent of street corner pot dealers. In Colorado specifically, police are patrolling online venues looking for illegal marijuana sales. While the recreational use of marijuana may be legal the recreational sale of it is not. Some people are using their medical marijuana cards to legally purchase it then turn around and try to sell it online for a profit. Others are growing their legally allowed personal plants and trying to sell them online. Both of those practices are considered illegal since the sellers are circumventing tax laws and we all know how seriously the government takes their tax money. That’s how the Treasury Dept. was able to apprehend Al Capone.

  Just because something that was previously contraband that has now been made legal doesn’t make the situation like the Wild West. If you use, please use in moderation and obey all local laws and ordinances.