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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 19, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 109 ), customer service ( 51 ), customer support ( 23 ), impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,429 )   

  New twist to Amazon phone scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Due to the popularity and reach of Amazon, it’s no surprise that the online retailer has been used in many scams. Whether it’s because of third-party sellers committing brushing scams, or scammers asking for payment in Amazon gift cards, the Amazon brand is no stranger to being used as a weapon in the scammer’s arsenal.

  However, the most common Amazon scam is the Amazon impersonation scam. This is where scammers will pose as an Amazon employee, typically over the phone. Sometimes the scam will start with an email that looks like an official email from Amazon, complete with the Amazon logo. Other times, the victims will be called directly. In both instances, the victim will be told there has been a large purchase on their account.

  Once the victim states that they didn’t make the purchase, the fake Amazon rep will direct the victim through some convoluted way of reversing the phony charge. Instead, what typically happens is the victim ends up losing money after giving their payment information to the scammers.

  More recently, law enforcement in the Kansas City Metro area have been receiving complaints about a new twist in this scam. According to reports, the scammers are now using a robocall that tells potential victims that if they hang up on the call, they’ll be charged $200 by Amazon and another $900 by their credit or debit card company.

  Scammers will almost always use some type of threat to get their victims into a panicked state. An $1100 penalty payment would just about get anyone to panic. And when someone panics, they’re not thinking clearly. This can allow scammers to get a victim’s financial information almost effortlessly.

  The best way to prevent a scam is to be prepared for one. If you receive a call or email from Amazon saying there’s a fraudulent charge on your account, check your Amazon account first and your payment method second to make sure there have been no fraudulent charges. But you should also keep in mind that Amazon seldom calls one of their customers. Even if they did, there’s no scenario where they can charge you $900 for hanging up on them.

  If you’re feeling pressured by anyone who calls you out of the blue talking about money, there are good odds that they are a scammer.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: gig economy ( 5 ), impersonation scam, impostor scam ( 16 ), rideshare scam ( 5 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), Uber ( 24 )   

  Uber driver loses week’s wages in scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The scam we’re about to talk about today exclusively targets rideshare drivers. Even though the majority of our readers probably aren’t rideshare drivers, we think this story can be useful to our other readers as well. Not only does it show how gig economy workers can be vulnerable to scams, we also think it’s a commentary on how some gig economy companies treat their workers.

  The victim in today’s story is an Uber driver from Salt Lake City. He loves his work and seems to be very successful at it. Rather than driving as a means to make extra money, the driver dos it full-time and is able to make a comfortable living. As an aside, that’s the exception rather than the rule, but that’s neither here nor there for right now.

  Last week, the man received a call from someone claiming to be from Uber. The caller said that the driver had received a complaint and needed to issue a refund. He was instructed to log into the Uber app and given directions on how to issue the supposed refund. What actually happened is that scammers were directing him to issue $1200 directly to the scammers. This wiped out a week’s worth of wages for the driver. Our story doesn’t end there, however.

  The driver reached out to Uber for assistance, who said they investigated the matter, but the man wasn’t due for a refund. It wasn’t until the driver reached out to his local media before Uber issued him a refund.

  Our earning to not only rideshare drivers but other gig economy workers, if you receive a phone call from the company you’re working for about your earnings, contact them through official channels before issuing any supposed refunds. You may also want to research how refunds are actually handled beforehand, so you know what’s a scam and what isn’t.

  However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out how similarly Uber acted like the banks that have had customers scammed through Zelle. Just like in the Zelle scams, Uber didn’t act in the worker’s interest until it became a potential PR issue.

  Learn your rights before joining a gig economy company. In the majority of these companies, you’re not an employee, but rather an outside contractor. These independent contractors do not receive nearly the same protections as an actual employee.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: business scam ( 3 ), contractors ( 9 ), impersonation scam, payment app ( 18 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), venmo ( 28 ), voicemail ( 4 )   

  Hacked phone call leads to business scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 46 ), check scam ( 80 ), impersonation scam, job scam ( 82 ), military ( 12 ), Playstation 5 ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), secret shopper ( 15 ), social media ( 83 )   

  Scam Round Up: Scam targeting service members and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week, in the Scam Round Up, we’re bringing you a warning about a scam you’ve probably heard of and two scams you might not have.

  ***

  Our first scam is one of the more common scams. It’s so common, it even predates the internet. The Pennsylvania State Troopers have issued an alert about the secret shopper scam. Some of the larger retail chains employ secret shoppers to evaluate the customer service in their stores. However, it’s not as common a job as scammers would have you think.

  A woman from the Keystone State lost close to $3000 to the scam. She thought she had been hired by Walmart as a secret shopper. She was sent a check and told to deposit it in her bank account before going out and buying gift cards from Walmart. Once she did, she gave the card numbers to the scammers, who she thought were her employer. The check she deposited was a fake, and the scammers made off with the value of the gift cards.

  If any job asks you to deposit a check into your own account that is supposed to be used for business purposes, the odds are the check is a fake.

  ***

  Do you follow any celebrities on social media? If you do, you may want to watch out for any offers they might make. Recently, a number of celebrities have had their social media accounts hijacked or impersonated. The fraudulent accounts claimed that the celebrities were selling PlayStations at retail price, with the proceeds going to charity. By the time some of the celebrities were able to regain access to their accounts, some victims had already sent money to the scammers.

  Sometimes, celebrities, especially online personalities, will have giveaways, but rarely will they sell anything through social media. If you see one of these posts, be very skeptical, and remember that if something is too good to be true, it probably is.

  ***

  Our last scam is one that is specifically targeting members of our nation’s military. Members of the Illinois National Guard have been receiving phone calls by someone claiming to be a first sergeant. The caller tells the service member that they’re owed back pay. The caller then asks for the amounts of the service member’s last three paychecks. Then the service member is asked to pay a fee of almost $300 in order to receive the back pay.

  According to reports, if a service member is owed back pay, they’ll be notified by their chain of command and not a random phone call.

  ***

  While these scams may not be happening right now in your area, you’re now hopefully prepared if they do.

   
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  Geebo 8:04 am on August 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 46 ), FEMA ( 11 ), floods ( 3 ), impersonation scam, natural disasters ( 22 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  Scammers descend on flooded areas 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you follow the news, you’ve probably heard of the devastating floods that have affected parts of Appalachia, including Virginia, West Virginia, and especially Kentucky. Countless families have been displaced from their homes. Unfortunately, scammers will be using these disasters to try to fleece an already distraught victim pool. To make matters worse, the scammers will do this posing as federal agents offering assistance.

  The Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, is warning residents of the flood-affected areas to be aware of scammers posing as FEMA agents. In one of the more popular FEMA scams, scammers will call affected victims offering assistance with an application for a FEMA disaster grant. What the scammer really wants is the victim’s personal information, including their Social Security number, so the scammer can get the grant money using the victim’s name.

  In a variation of the advance fee scam, scammers, acting as FEMA agents, will ask for a fee that they say is required for a grant application. This is false, as it’s free to apply for a FEMA disaster grant.

  In order to better protect yourself, do not give any personal information to someone claiming to be a FEMA inspector. Inspectors do not need your personal information and are not authorized to do so. Unless you’ve already filed for a disaster grant, FEMA will not call you out of the blue. As with most government agencies, you need to contact FEMA first before any progress on your application can be made. Also, no FEMA agent should ask for your application number, as legitimate agents will already have it.

  Lastly, if you receive a letter from FEMA but haven’t filed an application yet, a scammer may have tried to file for a grant in your name. If this is the case, you can call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

  Please keep in mind that even if you’re not currently residing in a disaster area, you could someday and these tips will apply to you as well.

  Scam Round Up: Funeral scammers and more | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank fraud ( 27 ), bank scam ( 74 ), impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,429 ), Zelle ( 68 )   

  The Zelle scam is still around, in case you were wondering 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We’ve been posting about this particular Zelle scam since last October. That probably means the scam has been going on for at least a year. In case you need a reminder or haven’t heard of the Zelle scam, we’ll give you a refresher.

  Zelle is what’s known as a peer to peer payment app. Its closest competitor is Venmo and is supposed to be used in a similar way. Payments are only supposed to go to people you know personally. The most used example for apps like Zelle is splitting a check at a restaurant. Instead of everyone getting a separate check or trying to settle up with cash, you can electronically send your friend your portion of the bill. However, scammers have taken advantage of people through Zelle even if the victim doesn’t normally use the app.

  The most egregious of these scams is a bank impersonation scam. It starts when a potential victim of the scam receives a text message that appears to have come from their bank. The text message typically says something to the effect of, did you make a large purchase or did you transfer a large amount of money through Zelle? The victim is then asked to reply yes or no.

  When a victim replies no, they immediately receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from their bank’s fraud department. The phony customer service rep gives instructions to the victim to use Zelle to protect their account from being hacked. What’s really happening is the scammers are directing the victims to use Zelle to move money from the victim’s account to the scammers’ account.

  Recovery of lost money is often rare and difficult. Zelle offers little in the way of consumer protection when it comes to scams. The big banks that own Zelle say they can’t refund the victim their money since the victim ‘willingly’ moved the money, scam or not.

  Zelle has gotten a bad rap because of this scam over the past year, but it still seems like they’ve done very little in the way of trying to protect their users. With all the negative press, the scam still continues.

  Just recently, a woman from Texas lost $3000 to this scam. In her case, the scammers took $1000 a day for three days from her account through Zelle under the guise of helping her protect her account.

  The best way to prevent yourself from falling for this scam is to ignore the text message. Do not reply to it at all, or you will receive a call from the scammers. Scammers don’t actually know where you bank. They cast a wide net of text messages, hoping to get at least one person to respond. If you still have concerns about your bank account, call them directly at the customer service number on your debit card or your bank’s website.

  If you find yourself having fallen victim to this scam, file a police report. We have seen it reported that doing this will aid in recovering your money, but is not a guarantee.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 20, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: elder scam ( 7 ), elderly ( 12 ), grandparent scam ( 70 ), impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,429 )   

  Does the grandparent scam follow a script? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The grandparent scam is one of the most frequently discussed scams on this blog. Unfortunately, we have to keep discussing it because the scam continues to find victims. There’s not a week that goes by when we don’t see a new article about another elderly person being taken for thousands of dollars by these scammers. Yet, the scam continues to perpetuate. It’s gotten to the point where it seems like grandparent scammers are all reading from the same script.

  For example, an elderly woman in a Chicago suburb was recently taken for $16,000 in a grandparent scam. She received a phone call from someone claiming to be her grandson. During that call, a man claiming to be her grandson’s attorney got on the phone. The attorney told the woman that her grandson had caused a car crash which resulted in a pregnant woman losing her baby.

  The attorney said that the woman’s grandson would need $16,000 to be released from jail. The woman was then instructed that a courier would come by her home to pick up the money. She was also told that a judge placed a gag order on the proceedings, so she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone else what was going on with her grandson.

  After the woman gave the cash to the supposed courier, the attorney called her again the next day. This time, he was asking for $70,000 since her grandson was being sued. The woman spoke with a family member, who told her that she was being scammed. Police tried contacting the attorney, but at this point, the attorney’s phone number was no longer answering calls.

  If there was a textbook definition of the grandparent scam, this would be it. Scammers find an elderly victim because there’s usually a good chance they have grandchildren. Then the fake grandchild claims to be in trouble, but not to the extent where the victim would be required to call the rest of the family.

  In addition to there being a car accident, scammers add extra drama to the story to put the victim in an emotionally charged state. A pregnant woman losing her baby is a favorite among scammers to achieve that.

  Then comes the phony gag order. This is the scammer’s way of trying to make sure the victim doesn’t talk to any other family members. Previously, the phony grandchildren would ask the victim not to tell anyone else in the family out of embarrassment. But a gag order sounds more legally binding and has a better chance of getting the victim to keep quiet. In actual legal proceedings, gag orders do not work that way. Gag orders are usually issued in very high-profile cases to prevent participants from speaking to the media.

  As far as couriers go, attorneys, bail bondsmen, and police, never send couriers to collect any kind of bail or bond money. This money has to be paid to the court or a bail bondsman in person. They do not employ couriers to go to homes to pick up bail money.

  Lastly, if someone gives a scammer money once, the scammer will try to take more money from the same victim.

  As always with scams like this, if someone claims a loved one of yours is in legal trouble, you can hang up on that call and contact the person who’s supposedly in trouble. Only scammers will try to pressure you into staying on the phone.

  If you have a loved one who you believe may be susceptible to this scam, please share this story with them or any of the many news articles about the grandparent scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 21, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 109 ), bitcoin ( 32 ), bitcoin atm ( 27 ), cryptocurrency ( 52 ), customer support ( 23 ), FTC ( 17 ), identity theft ( 109 ), impersonation scam, money laundering ( 11 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  Scammers accuse victim of money laundering 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A woman from Rochester, Minnesota, recently lost thousands of dollars to scammers. It started when the woman received a robocall that claimed to be from Amazon. The recording said that she had been charged for several Amazon purchases, and to press 1 if she did not make them. After she pressed 1, someone claiming to be an Amazon representative spoke to her. The caller said that they would speak to her bank about the charges.

  Not too long after that call, the woman received another call from someone claiming to be with the Federal Trade Commission. This caller told her that her identity had been stolen. The caller told the woman to protect her money, she would need to withdraw the money from her bank account. However, she was told not to contact police, or she could be accused of money laundering. She was then instructed to deposit the money into a Bitcoin ATM that was at a gas station. The victim lost $7,000 in total.

  This scam has a lot of moving parts, but each one is a red flag if you know what to look for. For example, Amazon does not call customers about fraudulent charges. Even on Amazon’s own help page, they say that if you received any communication about a charge you didn’t make, it likely didn’t come from Amazon. If you receive any communication like this, first check your Amazon account for any fraudulent charges. If there are any fraudulent charges, you can dispute them with Amazon, but you need to make first contact. Amazon will not call you.

  While the FTC is a branch of the Department of Justice, they typically do not call consumers to let them know they’ve been a victim of identity theft. Unfortunately, identity theft is usually only detected by the victim and not law enforcement. Also, no government or law enforcement agency will ever call you and threaten you with arrest while supposedly trying to assist you. If someone tells you to not contact the police, your best bet is to contact the police immediately.

  Lastly, no government entity is going to ask you to move your money to Bitcoin, especially if the Bitcoin ATM is at a gas station. While cryptocurrencies may have gained a modicum of mainstream acceptance, it’s nowhere near the point where the government is using it as a consumer protection platform.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 17, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), U.S. Marshals   

  Police impersonators threaten to take your children 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Before we get started with today’s story, we wanted to bring you an article about the ongoing Zelle scam, which you can read here. The Zelle scam is so prolific that we just wanted to remind our readers about it.

  However, our main story for the day is about police impersonation scams. This is when scammers call their victims posing as a law enforcement agency. The scammers will pose as anyone from your local police department all the way up to the FBI. These scams often have different tactics the scammers can use, but they typically have the same purpose. The scammers will threaten you with arrest over some infraction that you didn’t commit, so they can extort a payment out of you.

  When scammers pose as local police, they may tell you that you missed jury duty, or you have a warrant out for your arrest. They’ll then tell you the matter can be cleared up with a payment done over the phone. On the federal level, we’ve seen scammers pose as the FBI, Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In these cases, the scammers will say you’re connected with a much more serious crime, such as drug trafficking or money laundering. Again, the scammers will threaten you with arrest if a payment isn’t made at that moment.

  More recently, The U.S. Marshals have issued a warning that says scammers are posing as marshals and pulling the same impersonation scam. This time, however, the scammers are turning up the heat on their victims. The scammers are now threatening their victims not only with arrest by the U.S. Marshals, but also threatening them with losing their job and losing custody of their children. This is a scare tactic designed to keep the victim unnerved and on the phone.

  Thankfully, this scam has an easy solution. Just hang up. No legitimate law enforcement agency in the United States will ever ask for money over the phone. Neither will they call you to threaten you with arrest.

  Another way you can tell it’s a scam is if the caller asks you for payment in ways such as gift cards, pre-paid debit cards, money transfers, cryptocurrencies, or payment apps. These methods of payment are virtually untraceable and almost impossible to recover.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: impersonation scam, income tax ( 14 ), IRS ( 26 ), phone scam ( 46 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), tax scam ( 12 ), taxes ( 8 )   

  Here’s how to deal with tax scammers on the phone 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We’re just a month and a half away from the tax deadline this year. In 2022, there’s no courtesy extension due to the pandemic. U.S. tax returns are due on Monday, April 18th. As the deadline draws closer, scammers may see it as having their own deadline, the deadline to commit as many tax scams as possible. Not all tax scammers are after your refund check. Many of them are attempting to get your sensitive personal information instead. To accomplish this, they’ll imitate the one federal agency that everyone fears, the IRS.

  Many scammers will call their victims, posing as the Internal Revenue Service. If the scammer is attempting to get money from you, they’ll set out to get you to make a payment to them, typically in non-traditional means like gift cards or cryptocurrency. If the scammers are trying to steal your personal information, they may tell you the IRS owes you money, but they’ll ask you for personal information to verify your identity. What they’re actually attempting is to steal your identity.

  CNBC has a great article on how to help avoid these scams. According to CNBC, if anyone calls you claiming to be the IRS saying you owe them money, ask them for as many details about the supposed case as possible. While it’s not a guarantee the scammer won’t hang up at this point, it is said that it will stop the majority of scammers from pressing forward. You can also tell the caller you’re not comfortable giving personal information over the phone and would rather continue communication by mail.

  It’s always good to keep in mind the IRS does the majority of its official communication through the postal mail. The agency will only call you if you’ve already been in contact with them through the mail. They will not call you about a case that they just opened.