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  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , identity theft, , ,   

    Is it safe to shop on TEMU? 

    Is it safe to shop on TEMU?

    By Greg Collier

    In case you haven’t heard, TEMU is the latest online shopping sensation. Thanks to their glitzy advertising campaigns, TEMU has taken off in popularity. Social media is flush with posts of people posting their hauls from TEMU. So, is TEMU any good and is it reliable? If we were pushed to give a yes or no answer, we would side with no.

    TEMU is the latest in a string of direct retailers based in China. You may have heard of some of their competitors, such as AliExpress or Wish. Rather than selling items themselves, TEMU allows companies and distributors to sell Chinese-made goods through their portal to customers in the West.

    TEMU’s predecessors, the aforementioned AliExpress and Wish, have garnered a reputation of selling shoddily made or counterfeit goods, along with long shipping times if the item is shipped at all. TEMU seems to be following in their footsteps, but those aren’t the only drawbacks to using TEMU.

    According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TEMU is harvesting customer data like there’s no tomorrow. The BBB says that TEMU is collecting such information as the customer’s name, phone number, address, birthdate, social media photos, and even social security numbers. So how is that different from the major U.S. retailers?

    The BBB is concerned that since TEMU is based in China, scammers, identity thieves, and other bad actors may have easier access to that data. While data leaks do happen in the U.S., there are laws to try to protect those affected by the leaks and admonish the leakers. Many other countries do not have such laws, especially when the victims of such leaks are from another country from the other side of the world.

    In a world where personal information is more valuable than ever, it’s essential to tread carefully when navigating the digital marketplace. While TEMU offers enticing deals and a wide range of products, it’s crucial to remember that convenience shouldn’t come at the cost of your personal data security.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 28, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , identity theft, , , , , ,   

    Scam Round Up: Weird AI scam and more 

    Scam Round Up: Weird AI scam and more

    By Greg Collier

    Our first scam comes to us from Athens, Texas, where residents have been experiencing a twist in the arrest warrant scam, also known as a police impersonation scam. Typically, when scammers pose as police, they’ll call their intended victims and tell them they have a warrant out for their arrest, The scammers usually claim this for missed jury duty, but they can also claim a number of other infractions.

    For example, residents of Athens have complained the scammers are accusing their victims of using their phone to transmit a photo that traumatized a child. Essentially, the scammers accused their victims of sending explicit material to a child. The victim is then asked to pay several hundred dollars over the phone to resolve the complaint.

    That’s not how arrest warrants work. If there is a warrant for your arrest, especially one that’s supposedly this serious, the police are not going to call you over the phone. Also, no law enforcement agency will ask for money over the phone, and then ask for it in unusual ways, like gift cards or cryptocurrency, just to name a few.

    If you receive a call like this, hang up and call your local police at their emergency number. Not only can you verify there is no warrant for your arrest, you can let the police know scammers are working in your area.

    ***

    Police in Connecticut are warning residents there has been an uptick in check washing. Check washing typically involves stealing checks that are in outgoing mail. Thieves often steal the mail from residential mailboxes, along with the outdoor drop-off boxes used by the US Postal Service. They then dip the written checks in a chemical solution that removes the ink from the check, so the thieves can write the checks to themselves.

    The police in Connecticut are also warning residents the thieves can steal checks out of your trash. If you use your bank’s mobile app to deposit checks, and then throw the checks out, make sure they’re properly shredded before throwing them out, as check washing can still be performed on voided checks.

    If you have to write a check, which is going in the mail, use a gel-based ink pen. The ink in gel pens is said to be more resistant to check washing. Also, don’t put the envelope that holds the check in your mailbox and the put the mailbox flag up. This is a signal to thieves there may be a check in there.

    ***

    Lastly, we’ve read about another AI voice-spoofing scam. There has been a rash of these scams nationwide over the past year or so. In this scam, the victim gets a phone call where the voice sounds like exactly like one of the victim’s loved ones. The scammers manipulate the loved one’s voice in such a way where it sounds like the actual loved one is in some kind of trouble and needs money to resolve the issue. Typically, the scammers ask for bail money, or in some cases a ransom. However, the loved one is usually unaware their voice is being used in a scam.

    However, the recent news article we read out of Alabama, suggests scammers are using the voice-spoofing technique in identity theft. An Alabama woman received a call she thought was from her brother, but was actually from scammers. Instead of asking for money, they asked the woman for personal information. They then used this information to hijack her Facebook account and use that for additional scams. Police there have said the scammers used the videos the brother posted on social media to mimic his voice with AI.

    We can’t say for sure, but this sounds like the scammers may have been asking for the woman’s security questions in case she lost her Facebook password. Considering the answers to these questions are something like “What was your first pet’s name?” or “What city were you born?” these may seem like innocuous questions coming from a close family member.

    In cases like this, it’s best to ask the family member calling a question only they would know to verify their identity.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 17, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , identity theft, ,   

    Job scam uses victims to rob banks 

    Job scam uses victims to rob banks

    By Greg Collier

    Recently, the city of Omaha, Nebraska, experienced a bank robbery and an attempted bank robbery with similar M.O.s. In both instances, a woman handed a phone to the bank teller. The person on the phone threatened the bank tellers into giving money to the person who handed them the phone. Except, the people standing at the teller’s counter had no idea they were being used in a bank robbery. So, how did this happen? We could just say ‘Craigslist’ and leave it at that, but we’ll give our readers a more in-depth explanation.

    According to a local news report, the women who entered the banks had replied to a Craigslist ad looking for someone to help with a sick and elderly relative. Once the women responded to the ad, they were told they would be helping with, “light housework, grocery store runs, and helping with finances.” Don’t you think classifying ‘helping with finances’ as bank robbery is a bit much? Anyway, the women were told they needed to go to the bank to withdraw money for the relative’s medical bills. The women handed the phones to the tellers, thinking their employer was discussing a withdrawal.

    Only one of the women was ‘successful’ and thought nothing of it when the teller handed her the money. That woman was instructed to deposit the money at a Bitcoin ATM.

    To make matters worse, the supposed employer obtained the women’s bank information, promising he would pay them through direct deposit. The scammer did try to steal from one of the victim’s accounts, but was unsuccessful.

    At the time of this writing, no arrest has been made.

    While a scam like this is unlikely to happen to the average jobseeker, it does highlight a couple of red flags when looking for a job online. If your employer only communicates through text messages, instant messaging, or phone call, and won’t meet you personally, there’s an excellent chance they’re a scammer. Also, if the position requires you to make any kind of payment involving cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, there’s an even grater chance the job is a scam.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 16, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: credit check, identity theft, , ,   

    New type of rental scam changes the game 

    By Greg Collier

    We’re pretty sure when Craigslist first started allowing real estate listings, the rental scam was born. For any new readers, the rental scam is when a scammer will list a property online for rent which they don’t actually own. Scammers will copy a legitimate listing from a realtor of a property which is for sale, then post it for rent on unregulated marketplaces like Craigslist. The listing will have a below-market rent in order to lure in victims. Typically, these scammers will ask for either a security deposit or first month’d rent before disappearing with the victim’s money. These scams have cost victims thousands of dollars and have left many of them homeless.

    However, there is a new rental scam that’s occurring across the country, according to the Better Business Bureau. The BBB says these new scammers aren’t after renters’ money, but their personal information instead.

    The scammers are still using the same tricks to find a potential victim, but instead of trying to take their money, the scammers are having victims fill out phony credit checks. Victims are being led to a website that appears to be professional and legitimate, but once renters give their personal information, the scammers disappear with the victim’s identity.

    Now, it’s not unusual for landlords to perform credit checks before renting to a new tenant. However, there are ways to protect yourself from this scam, and many of them are the same ways to protect yourself from the typical rental scam.

    The first thing you should do is Google the address of the rental property. If there are duplicate listings and the landlord details don’t match, there’s a good chance you’ve discovered a scam listing. If the listing from a realtor’s website says the home is for sale, or the rent is more expensive, then the other listing is the phony one. And as always, you can always check with the county’s tax office or website to find out who the true landlord is.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on May 2, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , identity theft, , ,   

    Craigslist rental scam leads to identity theft 

    By Greg Collier

    When we discuss rental scams, we mostly discuss how victims lose money. However, there is another pitfall to the rental scam, and that’s having your identity stolen. That could end up costing a rental scam victim even more money and headaches after they lose money to the scammer.

    Typically, rental scams involve individuals who pretend to be landlords or property managers in order to deceive potential renters into paying upfront for a rental property that they have no right to rent out or don’t even own. The scam begins with an advertisement for a rental property that appears to be priced well below the market rate, which attracts the attention of potential renters. The scammer then persuades the victim to pay a security deposit or the first month’s rent before they have had the chance to view the property. Once the payment is made, the scammer may become unreachable or vanish altogether, leaving the victim without a rental property and without any recourse to recover their money.

    But what these stories sometimes fail to mention is the phony application process scammers make victims go through. To make the scam seem more legitimate, rental scammers will have their victims fill out rental applications that ask for the victim’s personal and financial information. Once the scammers have that information, they can obviously use it for more profitable crimes.

    For example, a woman in Connecticut found a rental home on Craigslist that was well within her budget. The rental scammer had her fill out an application that asked for all pertinent information they would need for identity theft. This included the victim’s Social Security number, driver’s license number, and tax history. Just a few days later, the scammer tried to open a credit card account in the victim’s name. The victim had to freeze her credit for a year, which comes with its own set of issues.

    When filling out a rental application, avoid giving out information that is not publicly available, such as your Social Security number, driver’s license number, and banking information.

    However, before you even get to that step, you should research the property first. The listing in the story was copied from a Zillow listing where the home was for sale., Information like this can be discerned just by doing a Google search for the property’s address. And you can always check the property records with the county.

    https://youtu.be/RkiYbFsrIWU
     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on April 10, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , identity theft, , ,   

    Secret Service warns about real estate scam 

    By Greg Collier

    Another scam that we’ve seen reported more in the news lately is the vacant lot scam. This scam typically involves scammers who try to sell a vacant lot that they do not actually own or have the right to sell.

    The process of the vacant lot scam involves scammers locating an unoccupied property without any construction and determining the owner, which can be accomplished through publicly accessible information. To appear as the genuine owner of the property, scammers will impersonate the owner and create fake identification documents. Using this guise, the scammers will enlist the help of a real estate agent to sell the property. In many cases, the scammers will not be physically present in the area where the property is located, and they may communicate solely through electronic means such as emails and text messages.

    The scam has become so prevalent, even the Secret Service is warning realtors nationwide to watch out for this scam.

    One realtor from Montana encountered this scam in a most unique way. The realtor also happens to own a vacant lot. Scammers called her office one day looking to sell a lot at a discounted price for a quick sale. When the realtor asked for the caller’s name, the scammer replied with the name of the realtor. That’s one way to tell you’re talking to a scammer.

    If someone was looking to buy a lot, they might consider investing in title insurance, which could protect them from losing money in a phony sale. Buyers should also make sure they’re dealing with the actual owner of the property. See if you can get the records of the property from the county tax office and make sure that the signatures match.

    If someone owns a vacant lot, whether they’re looking to sell or not, can take some precautions to protect their property. Make sure to regularly monitor your property and keep records of any changes or updates to it. This can help you quickly identify if someone is trying to sell or rent your property without your permission. Ensure that your property is properly secured. This can include installing fences, locks, or security cameras to deter trespassers.

     

  • Geebo 9:01 am on March 10, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , identity theft, payday loans,   

    Payday loan scams target the already vulnerable 

    By Greg Collier

    Payday loan companies are already a shady type of business. They target low-income neighborhoods and hope to keep their customers on a never-ending cycle of dependence through their predatory practices. The high-interest rates and fees make it difficult for borrowers to repay the loan and can result in a cycle of debt. Several states have banned the practice of payday loans, but some lenders have gotten around these bans by opening storefronts on Native-American reservations. However, payday lenders are not the scammers we’re talking about today. We’re talking about scammers who take advantage of the borrowers, even after they’ve paid the loans back.

    According to lifestyle blog Lifehacker, there are many scams that try to take advantage of borrowers. Most of these scams start when the payday lenders have a security breach. We can’t imagine such upstanding businesses having the best security practices when it comes to their customers. In one scam, the scammers will pose as the lending company and try to get the personal and financial information from the borrower under the promise of depositing the loan into the borrower’s bank accounts.

    Another scam is where the scammers pose as debt collectors, hoping the borrower has maybe lost track of some debts owed to a payday lender. Since they typically have the borrower’s personal information, they can make the scam seem more legitimate. Considering how much information payday lenders collect from their customers, this can be an extensive amount of the borrower’s personal history.

    There are also scams where the scammers will pose as payday lenders online and over the phone who either just want the victim’s information, or will ask for money upfront in exchange for a loan that never comes through.

    The best way to avoid these scams is to avoid payday lenders altogether. However, we also understand that not everyone has that luxury. If you’re contacted by someone claiming to collect a debt on behalf of a payday lender, ask them for a written explanation of the debt. Debt collectors are required by law to provide that to debtors.

    Also, if a lender asks for a fee in advance, they are a scammer. This is one of the variations of the advance fee scam is illegal for lenders to do.

    Lastly, even payday lenders will not reach out to prospective customers by phone, email, or text. If someone is offering you a loan through this method, the odds are almost certain they’re a scammer.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 2, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: identity theft, , , ,   

    Scammers will sell the land out from under you 

    Scammers will sell the land out from under you

    By Greg Collier

    There are any told number of real estate scams. The most common one has to be the rental scam. This is when scammers will advertise a home for rent even though they don’t own the property. This is done so the scammer can obtain money from their victims in the guise of rent or deposits. The rental scam has led to many families being left homeless after losing the last of their money to the scammer.

    More recently, there has been a new real estate scam that’s making the rounds. It’s not as common as the rental scam, but its victims could still suffer from devastating financial effects. Real estate scammers are now targeting vacant lots. It doesn’t matter whether the lot is for sale or not, scammers will try to sell it as if they own it. This could lead to not only the buyer being swindled out of thousands of dollars, but it could also leave legitimate owners with a nightmare of a legal battle.

    So, how are scammers getting away with this? Not to give them any credit, but they’re really putting in the work on this one. When the scammers find a vacant property with no construction on it, they’ll find out who the owner is. This can be found out through publicly available information. The scammers will steal the identity of the owner and forge identification in the owner’s name. This way, the scammers can list the property for sale with a realtor while appearing to be the owner. Often, the scammers won’t even be in the same area as the lot or the realtor, and will typically communicate through means like emails and text messages.

    There were two reported incidents of this scam happening this week. One happened in New Orleans before the owner was notified by a friend. The other happened in the Washington, DC area, where the buyers realized it was a scam after the seller was unable to answer questions about the property.

    To protect yourself, it’s recommended for buyers to get title insurance. This protects buyers from losing money in a phony sale. For owner’s it’s not so easy. In their case, they have to trust that the local realtors do enough research, so they won’t list a lot for sale that isn’t.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 1, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , identity theft, , , , , ,   

    Scam Round Up: Scammer dresses as cop and more 

    Scam Round Up: Scammer dresses as cop and more

    By Greg Collier

    This week on the round up, we’re bringing you three scams that may not be new, but have a new aspect to them.

    ***

    For our first scam, we have a Nebraska woman who lost $53,000 to a pop-up scam. She got a pop-up on her computer that said someone had used her personal information for online gambling. The pop-up also had a number to call. The woman called the number, and the person she spoke with claimed to be from her bank. She was told she needed to transfer her money to a separate bank account to protect her money. The new aspect of this scam is that she was told when the person who supposedly stole her information tried to take money from her account, they would be arrested. Instead, she transferred her money to scammers.

    Never call any phone number that appears on a computer pop-up. Those numbers only go to scammers, no matter what the pop-up might say.

    ***

    Our next scam shows how well-informed scammers can be. In Los Alamos, New Mexico, retirees of the historic Los Alamos National Lab, were recently told their prescription insurance would no longer be taken at Kroger pharmacies. This story doesn’t get any more local. However, it hasn’t escaped the purview of scammers. Residents have reported that they’ve received phone calls from people impersonating the prescription insurance company. These callers have been asking for personal information like Social Security numbers and dates of birth.

    Health insurance companies typically only call customers when the customer has called them first. Also, the health insurance companies typically don’t ask a customer for their Social Security number, as most insurance companies use their own internal ID numbers for their customers.

    If you get a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from your insurance company, hang up and call them directly at the customer service number on your health insurance card.

    ***

    Lastly, we have a disturbing version of the arrest warrant scam, as if that weren’t disturbing enough. In the arrest warrant scam, scammers will pose as local police and call their victims. The scammers will tell their victims they’ve missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for the victim’s arrest. The victim will then be instructed to make payment through gift cards or pre-paid debit cards. But this scam usually only takes place over the phone.

    In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this scam is said to have stepped into the real world. A man dressed as an officer from the local County Sheriff’s office approached a woman and told her she would need to buy $8,000 in gift cards to avoid arrest for missing jury duty.

    It’s unclear how the victim in this news story was approached, however, if you’re approached by someone you think may be impersonating an officer, there are steps you can take. If you’re approached at your vehicle or home, call 911 and ask them if you’re being contacted by an actual officer. Police dispatch will have a record of it if they are an actual officer.

    No police officer would ever stop someone and threaten them with arrest if they didn’t pay a fine then and there. Police would also never ask for payment in gift cards.

     

  • Geebo 9:01 am on January 23, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , identity theft, , ,   

    Inactive Facebook account leads to puppy scam 

    By Greg Collier

    A woman from Long Island recently had people showing up at her home looking to pick up the puppies they had bought online. The only problem was, the Long Island woman wasn’t selling any puppies. The people showing up at her door were victims of a puppy scam. In this instance, puppy scammers were advertising puppies for sale that didn’t exist. The scammers would ask for hundreds of dollars in deposits from victims and had them pay through the much maligned payment app Zelle. Undoubtedly, the woman started to be concerned for her safety. In the past, we have seen reports of puppy scam victims becoming belligerent when they’ve been sent to a random address.

    However, the woman’s address wasn’t exactly random. She had a Facebook account, which she hadn’t used in years. Scammers were able to hijack her Facebook account, and used it to advertise the fictitious puppies. Since they were using the woman’s Facebook account, the scammers decided to send their victims to the woman’s address. When the woman discovered her Facebook account was being used, she tried to reclaim the account, but the scammers had changed the email address and password. She even contacted Facebook, who allegedly said they couldn’t take the account down because it didn’t violate their terms of service.

    So, we have two scams at work here, the aforementioned puppy scam and a type of identity theft. If you have an old social media account you haven’t used in years, it’s a good idea to just delete the account. This will prevent the account from being hijacked by scammers and other bad actors. However, if you want to keep the account around just in case, make sure you’re not using the same password for multiple online accounts. This is one of the leading ways social media accounts get stolen. You should also routinely change the passwords on your accounts. And definitely enable two-factor authentication on your accounts. These aren’t guarantees that your accounts will be 100% secure, but they will go a long way in discouraging con artists from hijacking your accounts.

    As far as the puppy scam goes, you should never buy a puppy or any other animal without seeing it in person first. Many puppy scammers just steal pictures of puppies off the internet to use in their advertisements. Even if you’re shown a puppy on Zoom or FaceTime, it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be scammed. Shop for a puppy within driving distance and never order from out of state, and never make any payment over apps like Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App, since they’re preferred by scammers. Instead of trying to buy a puppy online, think about adopting one from your local shelter.

     

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