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  • 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.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 11, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: identity theft, , , ,   

    New Social Security scam uses old form of contact 

    New Social Security scam uses old form of contact

    By Greg Collier

    For a few years now, there have been scams that threaten to suspend a victim’s Social Security number. In one of the more common instances of these scams, scammers will call their victims, posing as either law enforcement or the Social Security Administration. Typically, the scammers will their victims that their Social Security number was used in the commission of a crime. The scammers will often tell their victims that a car was rented near the Southern Border using their Social Security number and that drugs were found in the car. If the victims don’t pay an immediate fine, their Social Security number will be suspended and they could face possible prosecution.

    Before we get to the new version of this scam, we’d like to reassure our readers that none of these things can happen. A Social Security number cannot be suspended, and neither the police nor the SSA will ever call you to threaten you with arrest.

    As we said, typically this scam is done over the phone. However, a new version of this scam is using an older method of communication that makes the scam appear more legitimate. People have recently reported receiving letters in the mail that threaten them with the suspension of their Social Security number. The letters claim to be from the SSA and threaten the recipient with suspension in 24 hours. The letters go on to say that due to criminal activity in Texas, the victim’s Social Security number is involved in a multimillion dollar fraud. The letter then directs the recipient to call a toll-free number to settle matters.

    According to news reports, the letters contain clues that it’s a scam. For example, the letters aren’t addressed to anyone by name. The letters also use the European date format, which uses the date first and then the month. That’s not even taking into account that how can a number be suspended in 24 hours if the sender has no idea when the letter will get there?

    While the SSA does its legitimate communications through the mail, any letter that claims to be from them that comes off as threatening should be questioned. No recipient should ever call the phone number in the letter, as it will go to a scammer looking to steal the victim’s money and identity. Instead, call the SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , identity theft,   

    Amazon scammers have too much information about you 

    Amazon scammers have too much information about you

    By Greg Collier

    Since the holidays just ended, most of us aren’t really thinking about Amazon unless we have a return to make. However, we’re thinking about Amazon due to a disturbing scam using its name. To be clear, we’re not saying that Amazon is outright scamming its customers. Rather, there are scammers who pose as Amazon employees to try to instill fear into their victims.

    This typically starts out with a phone call, email, or text message to the victim stating that the victim just purchased an expensive item. When the victim says they didn’t buy it, this starts a chain of deception designed to confuse and intimidate the victim. Unfortunately, most Amazon scams end the same way, with the victim turning their money over to the scammers.

    For example, a North Carolina woman recently received a text message that appeared to come from Amazon. The text said that she had purchased a smart lock for over $600. The message also included a phone number to call if the order had not been placed by her.

    The victim called the number and was told by ‘Amazon’ that her identity had been stolen. What’s particularly disturbing about this scam was that the scammers told the victim that her children’s identities had been stolen as well, and even named the children by their full names. That can be unsettling for any parent. To be fair, the scammers could have just gotten the children’s names from social media, but it’s still alarming to hear your kids’ names spoken by a stranger.

    However, the phony Amazon rep said they could help protect the family’s identities. All it would take is the victim sending $2000 to the rep in gift cards and cryptocurrency. By the victim’s own words, she said she was unfamiliar with cryptocurrency and ended the call. In the end, no money was lost, thankfully.

    Amazon is kind of like the government in that they’re not going to reach out to you unless there is already an ongoing issue you contacted them about. Even if someone uses your account to make a fraudulent purchase, Amazon is not going to call or text you. You would just receive the typical email that Amazon sends when someone makes an order. And anytime a business asks you to send them gift cards or cryptocurrency, you’re more than likely dealing with a scammer, as these forms of payment are largely untraceable.

    If you receive a notification or phone call like this, check your Amazon account first to see if any fraudulent purchases have been made on your account. Then contact Amazon’s customer service through their website. Never use the phone numbers included in these messages, as they’re guaranteed to go to a scammer.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , identity theft, ,   

    Start protecting your kids’ identities now! 

    By Greg Collier

    As a child, my friends and I would fill out credit card applications, thinking we found a way to get free money. This was before identity theft became such a worldwide problem and credit card applications were given out at stores and restaurants. We’d usually give up on the process when it came to the questions about employment and salary. Not that banks were in the habit of extending credit to ten-year-olds back then. Today, it’s different, however. With enough of the right information, even if the person is a child, lines of credit can be opened in their name.

    The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to parents on how to be vigilant in protecting their children’s identities. Children have become targets of identity theft within the past several years. That’s because identity thieves enjoy the fact that children are basically a clean slate when it comes to credit. Plus, parents rarely, if ever, check their children’s credit reports.

    Scammers often get their information about a child through social media. Once scammers find a target, not only will they go over every post of parents’ social media accounts, but they’ll wait until more information is posted if needed. Meanwhile, children’s Social Security numbers are often taken in various scams where the scammers pose as people or organizations of authority who may legitimately need your child’s social. For example, the scammers may pose as a health insurance company who claim they need your child’s social to pay a claim.

    However, there are ways to protect your children from identity thieves. The BBB recommends checking your child’s credit report as soon as they turn 16, then freezing their credit. You will need to send documentation that proves you’re a parent or guardian, so keep that information on hand. However, when not in use, those documents should be kept in a secure location like a safe or safe deposit box. Also, not only should you limit what you share on social media about your children, but you should talk to your children as well about what they share.

    Lastly, if you start receiving things like credit card applications or collection notices addressed to your children, their identity may have already been compromised.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 31, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , identity theft, , , ,   

    It’s the season for more scams against seniors 

    It's the season for more scams against seniors

    By Greg Collier

    Senior citizens are often the targets of scams because of a perceived unfamiliarity with technology. This is a recurring theme throughout the year. However, until December 7th, seniors will be the target of even more scams. That’s because now is the open enrollment period for Medicare. Until December 7th, Medicare recipients will be able to decide if they want to stay with their current Medicare coverage or switch to a new insurer. Unfortunately, open enrollment is also open season for Medicare scammers.

    The most prevalent scam seniors will have to look out for are identity theft schemes. Scammers will call their senior victims, posing as either Medicare or some other insurer. The scammers will try to get their victims to give them their personal information by asking the victim to verify their identity. In some instances, scammers will try to get the victim’s personal information by promising them better benefits at a lower cost.

    It’s not just identity theft the scammers are after, either. Medicare fraud has been a growing problem for years. Medicare scammers could use their victim’s Medicare information to file for fraudulent benefits. Not only does this make Medicare more expensive, but could also limit a recipient’s benefits in the future.

    Please keep in mind that Medicare or some other insurer is probably not calling you. Even if the number shows up on your phone as Medicare, the odds are the call isn’t from them. Phone numbers can be easily spoofed to make the call appear like it’s coming from Medicare.

    In the majority of cases, if you feel the need to change your coverage, you need to call Medicare or your insurer. If someone calls you claiming to be from Medicare during open enrollment, you can hang up the call. You are not required to take any calls that appear to be from Medicare. Then call Medicare or your insurer from the number on the back of your insurance card.

    And always remember to never give your Medicare or insurance ID number to any strangers over the phone.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: identity theft, , , , ,   

    Anatomy of a job scam 

    By Greg Collier

    When we discuss the reshipping or repackaging scam, we often have to give generic descriptions of it. For example, the reshipping is a job scam that sounds like a real work from home job, but doesn’t actually exist in the workforce. Scammers will often post a work at home position online, that’s supposed to pay really well. The job entails receiving goods at the employee’s home, who inspects the good for damages. The employee is then supposed to ship the goods to a third party.

    As previously stated, this is not a real job. This is a way for scammers to send goods bought with stolen credit cards to a location that can’t be easily traced. More often than not, the employee/victim of the scam is often caught off guard when police show up at their home.

    However, thanks to the Better Business Bureau of Connecticut, we have the specifics of how one scam ring allegedly operated. A company that went by multiple names kept claiming they were based in Connecticut, while offering positions of a ‘shipping and packaging specialist’ or a ‘picker packer specialist’. This company offered $2400 a month for these phony positions. Employees were even required to log in to a company dashboard to report their hours. Victims didn’t even know they were being scammed until it came time to get paid, and the companies would just disappear.

    This scam can hurt its victims in a number of ways. The first way is that the victims are making plans for the money they think they’re going to be paid, such as paying their bills or rent. When that money doesn’t come, victims could now even be more in debt. Secondly, the scammers probably had their victims fill out legitimate looking applications and tax forms. Scammers could now easily steal the identity of their victims. Lastly, and most importantly, this scam could actually land a victim in jail. If a victim of the scam knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, they could face jail time.

    If you think you may be a victim in a reshipping scam, there are steps you can take. If you’ve already received items, don’t mail them. Instead, contact the USPS Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , identity theft, , , , , ,   

    Work from home job is just an identity theft scam 

    By Greg Collier

    More and more employers are offering work from home positions to new recruits. However, scammers have been offering work from home positions longer than employers and know how to convince their victims the job is for real. Work from home scams go back to the days when envelope stuffing positions were offered in the back of magazines. So, it should really come as no surprise when scammers and con artists continue to find victims for their schemes.

    The work from home scam we’re about to discuss may be familiar to our readers, and it’s the reshipping or repackaging scam. In this scam, the scammers typically approach someone who is looking for a job. If they’re looking for a work from home job, it’s even better for the scammers. The scammers will claim that they found the victim’s resume online and that the victim would be perfect for the position.

    That position is one where the victim is expected to receive packages at their home, inspect them for damages, then ship them to a third party. The packages the victims receive are usually items that were paid for with stolen credit cards. Then the victim unknowingly is shipping them to another scammer who will sell the items for a profit.

    However, there is a secondary outcome to the reshipping scam. The scammers have the victims fill out official-looking paperwork as if the victim is really applying for a job. This includes not only the victim’s Social Security number but can include their banking information as well under the guise of having direct deposit set up.

    A victim from Oklahoma worked one of these scam positions for a month. When she asked the phony employer about payment, the scammers cut off all communication with her. Here, this person thought they would be paid, but instead are now behind on their bills thanks to the scammers.

    The best way to protect yourself from this scam is to know that the reshipping position is not a real job offered by real companies. This kind of job offer only comes from scammers. Be wary of any employment offer that seems to be going too fast from the time of contact to the time of hire. Also, be wary of any position where the employer only communicates with you through some kind of messaging app. These are used instead of more traditional communications, so the scammers can remain virtually anonymous.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 5, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , identity theft, , , ,   

    Lottery winners are not giving away money 

    Lottery winners are not giving away money

    By Greg Collier

    The lottery winner scam is reportedly making the rounds again. If you’re unfamiliar with this scam, scammers will claim to be someone who won one of the major lottery prizes in the country. The scammers will use the names of real lottery winners to make the scam seem more legitimate.

    The scammers will then text, email, or send a private message to their potential victims telling them that they’re giving away part of their winnings. Typically, the offer is for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The messages also include articles that show the news of the actual lottery winner.

    The scammers are usually after one of two things. The first is personal and financial information. They may ask for your banking information in the guise of sending you the money. They may also ask for identifying information, such as a copy of your driver’s license. This leads to either the victim’s identity being stolen or their bank account being hijacked.

    The other thing these scammers are usually after is your money. After promising victims all this money, the scammers will try to get money out of the victim by saying that some form of taxes or processing fees need to be paid first. This is known as the advance fee scam and is quite common when it comes to lottery and sweepstakes scams.

    While there are legitimate lottery winners who have been generous with their winnings, they do not hand out hundreds of thousands of dollars to random people. The logistics and legal wranglings of doing so would be a procedural nightmare to say the least.

    As with most giveaway scams, it’s good to keep two sayings in mine. ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’, and ‘If it seems too good to be true, it probably is’.

     

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