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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 11, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 103 ), bank scam ( 64 ), brushing scam ( 17 ), customer service ( 49 ), impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,218 ), Wells Fargo ( 11 )   

  Bank refused to stop fraudulent wire transfer 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A man from Utah fell victim to two different scams, which resulted in scammers taking $10,000 from his bank account.

  The first scam that targeted him was the brushing scam. He was receiving several deliveries from Amazon that he didn’t order. Third-party Amazon vendors do this to game the review system, so phony reviews can have the ‘verified purchase’ tag added to them. This scam can be relatively harmless to consumers unless their Amazon account has been compromised, which this man wanted to find out.

  The second scam he fell into was a customer service impersonation scam. He Googled the number for Amazon’s customer service department, which wasn’t Amazon at all. Instead, it was a scammer’s call center posing as Amazon. Scammers will often pay search engines to have their scam phone number placed higher than the actual company they’re imitating. The phony Amazon rep told the man that it appeared someone had wired $10,000 to New York without his permission. Amazon, and other retailers, cannot access your bank records, if you think you’re speaking with Amazon, and they ask for your banking details, the odds are you’re being scammed.

  When the phony rep asked for the man’s credit card information, he realized he was being scammed. He went to his local Wells Fargo branch, since that was who he banked with. The branch manager told him there was, in fact, a wire transfer going out to New York for $10,000. When the man asked the manager to stop the transfer, he was instead referred to Wells Fargo’s fraud department, who told him that would investigate the matter and get back to him in ten days. It only took one day for the $10,000 to disappear from the man’s account. When the fraud department finished their investigation, they denied the man’s claim, saying that someone using the man’s username and password made the transfer, which made the man responsible for the financial loss.

  Mysteriously, once the man contacted his local TV news station about the matter, Wells Fargo reimbursed his money. As we have detailed in previous stories like this one. That seems to be the only way bank scam victims can get a refund, and even then, it’s not a guarantee.

  To safeguard yourself, it’s advisable to visit the official website of a company to obtain accurate contact information for addressing any issues you may encounter. Relying on contact details obtained through online searches can be unreliable. Additionally, refrain from sharing passwords or passcodes with anyone, and avoid granting remote access to your laptop or phone unless you initiate the call using the authentic contact number. Financial institutions typically request passwords or passcodes exclusively through their official app or website.

   

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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 10, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: celebrity scam ( 2 ), impersonation scam, romance scam ( 65 ), Scams ( 1,218 )   

  Celebrity romance scam victim accused of poisoning husband at direction of scammer 

  

  By Greg Collier

  One version of the romance scam we don’t talk enough about is when the scammers pose as a celebrity.

  Scammers create a fake profile on social media or dating websites, using the name, photos, and other information of a popular celebrity. They may also use stolen images from the internet to make the profile appear more convincing.

  The scammer initiates contact with potential victims, often reaching out to them via direct messages, comments, or friend requests. They may use flattering language and compliments to make the target feel special.

  The scammer invests time in building a virtual relationship with the victim. They may engage in conversations, share personal stories, and express romantic interest to create a sense of emotional connection.

  At some point, the scammer introduces a fabricated crisis or urgent situation that requires financial assistance. This could be a medical emergency, legal trouble, or any other scenario designed to evoke sympathy and a desire to help.

  However, there’s at least one scammer out there who has no compunction about asking his victims to kill.

  This scammer posed as a 57-year-old soap opera star, and targeted a 64-year-old married woman. There aren’t many details on how the scam was perpetrated in this instance, but what is known is the victim did give $8000 to the scammer. Apparently, that was not enough money for the scammer.

  Last month, the woman’s 73-year-old husband was rushed to the hospital with an unknown ailment. While at the hospital, the couple’s daughter noticed strange messages on her mother’s phone that appeared to come from the soap opera actor.

  The message from the scammer that allegedly started this whole incident read, “You have to get rid of your husband honey. I need you so much.” The woman replied that she would be making soup for her husband that would be a special recipe. After her husband was taken to the ER, she sent another message stating that her husband wasn’t feeling well, and maybe she could collect a life insurance payout. The scammer asked her when would that be.

  If it wasn’t for their daughter, the husband may have been murdered at the behest of a scammer. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending in this story, since the wife has been charged with attempted murder.

  While often romance scam stories are dismissed as gossip and sensationalism, they can have grave repercussions. Romance scams affect both men and women, and have victimized people from every walk of life. It can affect people who are living paycheck to paycheck, and all the way up the corporate chain to CEOs. In too many instances, victims have lost their lives or their freedom after falling victim to such scams.

  To avoid falling victim to celebrity impersonation romance scams, it’s crucial to exercise caution when interacting with individuals online, especially those claiming to be famous personalities. Be skeptical of requests for money from people you’ve never met in person, and verify the legitimacy of online connections before sharing personal information or financial details. If in doubt, consider reporting suspicious activity to the platform administrators.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 22, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bail scam ( 13 ), grandparent scam ( 65 ), impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,218 )   

  Scammers are master emotional manipulators 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Scammers like to find victims who are in an emotional state. This allows scammers to take advantage of people who aren’t in the right mindset to assess a potentially fraudulent situation. Of course, scammers are not going to wait around to find vulnerable victims, so the scammers themselves will often put their victims in just such an emotional state.

  For example, scammers will frequently try to make it sound like a victim’s loved one is in some kind of peril. To achieve this, scammers will pose as the victim’s loved one and claim they’ve been arrested. Most of us wouldn’t hesitate to try to help get a close friend or family member out of jail. That’s exactly what happened when scammers recently contacted a Virginia man.

  The scammers posed as the man’s 40-year-old nephew when they called him. The phony nephew claimed her had been in a car accident and broke his nose. Scammers will say that in order to explain away why they don’t sound like the actual person they’re imitating.

  The ‘nephew’ went on to say they got into the accident with a pregnant woman who was injured in the wreck. Again, this is done to get the victim into a worse emotional state. The victim was also told not to tell the nephew’s parents out of embarrassment. But, with all that said, the nephew claimed to need $6500 cash for bail. The victim was instructed to go to a specific ATM inside a grocery store to deposit the money. A security guard noticed the victim, but the victim was told by the scammers not to divulge to anyone what he was doing. Typically, scammers claim that a gag order has been placed on the victim. In actuality, that’s not how gag orders work.

  Once scammers convince a victim to pay them once, they’ll almost always try to get the victim to pay again. In this case, the victim was told the pregnant woman’s baby died and an additional $5000 was needed, which the victim paid in the same fashion.

  Then the scammers really twisted the emotional knife in their victim. This time, they asked for $16,000, which the victim didn’t have. It was at this point, the phony nephew claimed they were going to take their own life if the victim didn’t pay the $16,000.

  The victim felt horrible and called his nephew a few days later. That’s when he found out the whole thing had been a hoax. Luckily, the victim was able to get some of his money back from the bank where he deposited the money.

  There are no depths scammers won’t sink to try to get your money. This is what they do for a dishonest living, and they’re very goof at what they do. If you receive a distressing request for money, no matter who it comes from, always verify their story. If you’re being told not to tell anyone, that’s the scammers trying to discourage you from finding out the truth.

   
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  Geebo 9:05 am on December 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Apple ( 28 ), bills ( 2 ), impersonation scam, phishing ( 73 ), remote access ( 6 ), Scams ( 1,218 )   

  New scam sends you a bill from Apple 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Whenever you see a headline that says there’s a new scam, the odds are it’s an old scam in new clothing. It’s just more efficient to say there’s a new scam in the headline in order to better educate the reader. Today’s scam is no different.

  Security experts are saying scammers are sending bills to their victims that appear to look like a bill from Apple Computers. The bill says the recipient is being charged close to $300 for security ‘upgradation’. Upgradation is an English word, however, it is not used in American English. That should be someone’s first clue the bill is fraudulent.

  The bill contains a phone number to call in case the recipient has any questions. Once a victim calls the number, they’re told they’ll be issued a refund if they allow the phony customer service agent to have remote access to the victim’s device. Red flags do not get any redder than this. Once a user allows remote access to their device, bad actors can install malware on to the device, or gain access to your online accounts.

  A similar scam to this one is when victims receive an email that claims someone just made a large purchase on their Amazon account, prompting the victim to call a customer service included in the email.

  In this instance, the scammers are posing as Apple because Apple users have a reputation of being more affluent since Apple devices are more expensive than competitors’ devices. The scammers don’t actually know who owns an Apple device. They send out these email invoices en masse, hoping they snag an Apple using victim. It’s almost certain some Windows and Android users received phony Apple emails too.

  With these email scams, never call the phone number included. Instead, manually check your account from that vendor or service to make sure you haven’t been charged. If you still feel the need to call them, use the customer service number from their website.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 5, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: impersonation scam, paypal ( 10 ), paypal scam ( 12 ), Scams ( 1,218 )   

  Elderly victim loses $100K in PayPal scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  An elderly man, from the Boston area, recently lost close to $100,000 to scammers who were posing as PayPal. PayPal is the oldest and possibly the most reliable online payment service. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not without its scammers.

  The scammers called the man and told him that $100 had accidentally been deposited into his bank account. The man was walked through directions on his computer by the scammers, which granted them remote access.

  Then, the man was shown what appeared to be a $100,000 deposit into this bank account. The scammers claimed that it was actually $100K accidentally deposited into his account and not just $100. Typically, at this point in the scam, the scammer will claim that they’ll lose their job if the victim doesn’t help them out by sending the accidental payment back.

  It’s unknown if that’s what happened in this instance, but the scammers convinced the man to send two cashier’s checks for $49,800 each. They even ordered the man to tell the bank the money was for a new car if they asked. Unfortunately, the bank did not question the large amount being withdrawn by an elderly customer.

  Even if a PayPal employee, or any similar company’s worker, were to make a mistake this large, it is never the customer’s responsibility to pay that money back themselves. If an error was made on PayPal’s part, it would be their responsibility to fix it. If the employee claims they’ll lose their job over the error, that’s not your problem. Also, please keep in mind, if the payment was made electronically, it can be reversed electronically by the company itself. If you’re ever instructed to ‘move’ your money for any reason by someone you don’t know, it’s more than likely a scam.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 29, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: identity theft ( 96 ), impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,218 ), sim swapping ( 8 )   

  Anyone can fall prey to the SIM-swapping scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  You may have head of the term SIM-swapping before. You may even know SIM-swapping is part of a larger identity theft scheme. What you may not know is that the term SIM-swapping is a type of misnomer. SIM-swapping makes it sound like someone needs physical access to your phone so they can steal your SIM card. A more appropriate term would be SIM-hijacking, since the scam itself is committed remotely.

  A SIM-swapping attack is a type of cyberattack where a malicious actor fraudulently convinces a mobile carrier to transfer a victim’s phone number to a SIM card under the attacker’s control. This is typically done by impersonating the victim or exploiting vulnerabilities in the carrier’s verification processes.

  The attacker contacts the victim’s mobile carrier, posing as the legitimate account holder. They may use gathered information to convince the carrier’s customer support representatives that they are the actual owner of the phone number.

  Once the attacker successfully convinces the carrier to transfer the phone number to a new SIM card, the victim’s phone loses network connectivity. The victim may not be aware of this until they try to make a call or use data services.

  With control of the victim’s phone number, the attacker can receive the victim’s text messages and phone calls, which may be used to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) on various accounts linked to the phone number. This can lead to unauthorized access to email, social media, financial, or other online accounts.

  In the past, when we’ve discussed SIM-swapping attacks, we’ve heard from readers who said their phones are immune from these attacks since their phone doesn’t have a SIM card. Unless you’re still carrying a flip phone you bought from Sprint in the mid-2000s, chances are your mobile phone has a SIM card in it. You may not have placed the card in the phone yourself, but without a SIM card, your phone wouldn’t be able to communicate with your phone carrier and provide you service. There’s also what’s known as an eSIM. This is a SIM card that can be embedded in your phone, meaning it can’t be removed. In essence, if you have a reasonably modern mobile phone, it has a SIM card. And if it has a SIM card, it’s vulnerable to these attacks.

  A woman from California, recently fell victim to one of these attacks. After scammers successfully had her phone company transfer her service to the scammers’ SIM card, they were able to get access to at least one of her bank accounts. They drained her account of $49,000 before it was all said and done. The victim tried to work with both her bank and phone provider, but they denied any of her requests. As with many bank-related scams, it wasn’t until the victim contacted her local news station before she received a refund from her bank.

  There are several effective strategies to safeguard yourself from SIM-swapping. One approach is to opt for an authenticator app instead of relying on text messages for two-factor authentication. Authenticator apps are tied to a specific device rather than a phone number, enhancing their security. Additionally, it’s crucial to refrain from using easily discoverable information, such as high school mascots or pet names, for security questions on online accounts, as such details are often accessible on social media. Finally, you can enhance security by reaching out to your carrier and requesting the restriction of any device switches on your account. It’s important to note that to lift this restriction, you might need to visit a carrier store and provide identification.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 16, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cable ( 5 ), impersonation scam, reshipping ( 21 ), Scams ( 1,218 )   

  Cable discount becomes reshipping scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Typically, in a reshipping scam, scammers recruit victims through phony job ads offering positions like package handler or product inspector. These are almost always advertised as work from home positions. The victim has products sent to them by the scammers that they’re supposed to inspect for defects before sending the products to a new address. What’s really going on is that the scammers bought these products with stolen credit card information, and the reshippers are just being used as scapegoats in a money laundering operation. Once the reshipper sends the products off, the scammers sell the stolen goods. Now, there is a scam that not only uses a victim as a reshipper, but makes the victim pay for the stolen items as well.

  A major cable and internet provider has warned consumers about this new scam. According to Spectrum, scammers are calling customers and offering service for half-price if the customer makes a one-time payment of $99. The customer is then asked for personal information like their account number and Social Security number, along with their payment information. Many cable and internet providers are also phone providers. So, the scammers use the customer’s information to order mobile devices that are sent to the customer’s address. But the scammers instruct the customer to send the devices to another address. The scammers will even send a shipping label to the customer and have them drop the devices off at the post office or a shipping company like UPS.

  Spectrum says they’ll never call a customer and ask for their account number and PIN, and this can be applied to most if not all cable and internet providers. They also add that if you receive one of these offers through email or text message, you should delete the message. If you reply to one of the scam messages, it will let the scammers know they’ve reached a working phone number or email address. Lastly, the major providers will never ask for payment through cryptocurrency, gift cards or personal payment apps.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 14, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 64 ), impersonation scam, impostor scam ( 13 ), Scams ( 1,218 ), Zelle ( 62 )   

  Is Zelle issuing refunds to scam victims? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Since this past June, thousands of banks that use the Zelle payment app have been issuing refunds. Why are these banks issuing refunds? For at least the past two years, Zelle has been a boon to scammers. Zelle has been instrumental in allowing scammers to take money from their victims.

  Primarily, Zelle is used in bank impersonation scams. They start out when a victim receives a text message that appears to have come from their bank. The message asks the victim if they recently made a large purchase or transfer and to reply with yes or no. Once the victim replies, the scammers call the victim while posing as the bank’s fraud department. The victim is told their bank account has been compromised, and they need to move their money to a safe account to protect it. The scammers walk the victim through instructions on how to transfer the money to the safe account on Zelle. Then the victim unknowingly transfers their money to the scammer’s account.

  The banks that implement Zelle have been hesitant to issue any refunds to customers. They typically claim that since the customer authorized the payment, there are no grounds for a refund. The banks also claim if they start issuing refunds, then scammers will try to work their way into the refund process.

  In that vein, Zelle has been pretty quiet about how consumers can go about requesting a refund. Nor has it given any indications on any kind of timeline for refunds or whether refunds can be requested retroactively. However, in their defense, Zelle has enacted new prompts within the app that are supposed to warn users if the app feels like the user is making a risky transfer. Zelle claims this has significantly cut down on scams.

  But the best way to protect yourself is to not take the scammer’s bait. Your bank will never tell you that you need to move your money to protect it. That’s just not a thing. If you receive a text message or phone call that claims to be coming from your bank, do not respond. Instead, call your bank at the customer service number from your debit or credit card, and they’ll be able to advise you on if there is anything wrong with your account. And also keep in mind that Zelle is only supposed to be used between friends and family. Anyone else who is asking for payment through Zelle could be trying to scam you.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 26, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank fraud ( 19 ), bank scam ( 64 ), fraud department, impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,218 )   

  Elaborate bank scam wipes out life savings 

  

  By Greg Collier

  One of the more common scams lately is the bank impersonation scam. This scam can start out with either a text message or a phone call. In either case, the scammers are posing as your bank’s fraud department. They tell you that there’s been fraudulent activity on your account, or your account has been hacked. You’re then instructed you need to move your money to protect it. This typically results in the scammers having you send them your entire bank account through electronic means like payment apps or cryptocurrency, or through more manual means like gift cards or wire transfers. Usually, these scams take less than a day to occur and sometimes can happen in just minutes. However, one bank scam strung a victim along for a month.

  A woman from Wisconsin lost her life savings of $200,000 to scammers like this. They initially made contact with their victim by posing as Wells Fargo’s fraud department. They called her and told her that her identity had been stolen. The victim even says there were unusual transactions she didn’t recognize on her bank account.

  Then she was transferred to someone who claimed to be a federal agent for the Federal Trade Commission. That person had a lot of personal information about the victim, including her Social Security number, former addresses, and where the victim attended college. They even sent her copies of the supposed agent’s badge and ID card.

  The scammers told the victim to close all of her financial accounts in order to open new accounts with a new Social Security number. Or in other words, they wanted her to move her money. The victim sent the scammers her money through money transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency. All the while, they were sending her certified letters that appeared to come from an attorney, which lent legitimacy to the scam.

  Another tactic scammers like this use is threatening their victim with arrest, which was also done here. The scammers told the woman if she didn’t comply, she would be arrested for money laundering.

  As always with scams like this, if you receive a call from your bank about fraudulent activity or identity theft, hang up. Then manually call the bank at their correct customer service number, which can be found on their website or on the back of your debit card.

  It’s also recommended if you receive a phone call like this to reach out to family and friends to get their feedback.

  Also, please keep in mind that if your identity is stolen or your bank account is hacked, no one is going to call you. To the banks, they consider it the customer’s responsibility to report any unauthorized transactions. And moving your money, or paying yourself to protect it is not a real procedure.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 24, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: email ( 5 ), impersonation scam, phishing ( 73 ), Scams ( 1,218 ), USPS ( 13 )   

  USPS warns of $2M email scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The United States Postal Service (USPS) has had to issue many scam warnings in its recent past. The one you might most be familiar with is the undelivered package scam. This is when scammers send out text messages purporting to be from the USPS. The text messages say the USPS could not deliver the recipient’s package and needs additional information to make the delivery. These text messages often contain a link where the recipient will either be asked for personal or financial information. Now, the USPS is issuing a warning about an email scam they’ve discovered.

  According to the USPS, scammers are sending out emails asking for the recipient’s personal information such as street address and phone number, among other information. The emails look like they’re coming from the USPS, but they’re not. Much like the text messages, the emails also claim that a delivery is trying to be made to the recipient. However, in order to potentially get as much information as possible from the recipient, the scam emails are dangling a large incentive in front of them.

  The emails claim the recipient is receiving a $2 million cashier’s check along with $50,000 in money orders. The email then instructs the recipient to send their personal information to another address. From there, the recipient’s identity could be easily stolen. The USPS hasn’t said if anyone has fallen victim to this scam yet.

  As always, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. No one is sending out $2M checks out of the goodness of their hearts. Even if they were, the check would more than likely not be sent through the regular mail. Subsequently, the USPS does not reach out to customers through text, email, or phone call about undeliverable packages. They never ask for personal or payment information, either.

  If you receive an email like this, you’re asked to forward it to spam@uspis.gov before deleting the email.