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  Geebo 8:09 am on July 15, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: florida ( 30 ), job scam, repackaging ( 21 ), reshipping ( 21 ), Scams ( 1,219 )   

  Job scam victim almost ends up in jail 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We always warn our readers that there is one scam that could land a victim in jail if they’re not careful. That scam is the reshipping or repackaging scam. In the reshipping scam, scammers will advertise this as a work from home position where the victim’s job is to inspect packages they receive. Typically, the items sent to victims are either stolen or have been purchased using stolen credit card information. The scammers pose as a shipping company or known retailer. The victim is then instructed to send the contents of the packages to a third party. The third party is usually someone overseas. These positions are often advertised online with such titles as ‘shipping coordinator’, ‘warehouse distribution coordinator, or ‘local hub inspector’.

  A man from Florida recently found out how perilous being a victim of this job scam can be. He thought he was working in a quality control position while sending out the packages he received with new shipping labels. Unbeknownst to him, an iPad the man had shipped off had been reported stolen. Investigators were able to track it to a UPS drop-off box. By reviewing security camera footage, police approached the man at the same drop-off box and placed him in handcuffs. After the man explained the situation to police, he was informed of the scam by a police investigator familiar with such scams.

  Receiving stolen goods under false pretenses won’t necessarily land a victim in jail. However, there is a step that some victims have taken that have landed them in legal trouble. If a victim knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, they could face jail time. This is regardless of whether the victim knows it’s a scam or not.

  The best way a jobseeker can protect themselves from a shipping scams is to not accept the position in the first place. No legitimate company sends products to an employee’s home for reshipping. Scammers are only too happy to have a stolen item traced back to the victim’s home address rather than wherever the scammer is located. By accepting this phony job position, victims are acting as an unwitting middleman in a stolen goods ring.

  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.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 13, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin atm ( 19 ), car wrapping ( 10 ), fake check ( 43 ), job scam, Microsoft ( 18 ), prescription drugs ( 3 ), ransomware ( 11 ), Scams ( 1,219 ), tech support scam ( 43 )   

  Scam Round Up: Door to door prescription scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Today, we’re bringing you three more scams happening around the country that could easily show up in your area.

  ***

  With the weather being warmer, even with rising gas prices, more people are taking to the roads. This has allegedly led to a resurgence of the car warp scam. This is when scammers promise their victims they can make money by wrapping their car in advertisements. While there are legitimate offers for this, the majority of them online are scams. The car wrapping scam is just another avenue for the fake check scam. The scammers send victims a fake check they’re supposed top deposit into their bank account and then use the remainder of the check to pay an ad agency who provides the wrap. The supposed ad agency is part of the scam as well. The victim almost always ends up being held responsible for the full amount of the check to their bank.

  ***

  Unfortunately, another elderly victim was recently targeted in yet another computer virus scam. The Massachusetts woman was using her computer when a message said that her device had been compromised. The message contained a phone number that claimed to be from Microsoft and that she would need to call it to have her computer fixed. This number did not go to Microsoft, but instead went to what is essentially a call center for scammers. They instructed her to take $30,000 out of her bank account and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM. Luckily, police were able to intervene, and the woman got her money back. Keep in mind with this scam that companies like Microsoft don’t usually take phone calls, and no computer repair is worth $30,000.

  ***

  Lastly, we have a story out of Oklahoma City, where authorities are warning about a particularly frightening scam. Law enforcement there are saying that people there are posing as pharmacy employees and going door to door asking residents for expired medication. These are not pharmacy employees, and they are looking for narcotics. If someone comes to your door asking for expired prescriptions, you may want to contact your local police. If you do have expired prescriptions, especially if they’re opioids, you can take them to many pharmacies which do have drug disposal programs. It is also recommended that you can dispose of them in the trash if you mix them with something unpleasant like used cat litter or coffee grounds.

  ***

  Hopefully, these scams won’t come to your area, but if they do, you’re now better prepared for them.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 25, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity scam ( 32 ), check scam ( 76 ), fake check ( 43 ), job scam, Scams ( 1,219 )   

  New tack on fake check job scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The fake check scam has been around since people started buying goods online. This is where scammers will send you a phony check for whatever reason and tell you to deposit the check in your own bank account. Typically, they’ll either ask for some of the money back or to use that money to pay someone else who is also in on the scam. Once the bank discovers the check is fraudulent, the victim has to pay their bank the amount of the check and any associated fees. Meanwhile, the scammers make off with money that they essentially made appear out of thin air.

  The two most notorious fake check scams are the overpayment scam and the job scam. In the overpayment scam, victims will have an item listed for sale online. The scammer will pay with a check that is much more than the amount asked. The scammer will say the check was made out in that amount accidentally and has the victim send back the difference. In the job scam, victims think they’ve been recently hired by a legitimate company only to be paid in fake checks. In many job scam cases, the scammers will tell the victims to use that money to buy supplies from a vendor that is in on the scam.

  Now, the state of Michigan is warning residents about a new version of the fake check job scam. The scam starts after a victim posts their resume online. The scammers hire the victim as a charitable donations coordinator. The victim is told that they will receive donation checks and that they should deposit the checks in the victim’s bank account before sending the money to charities that need it. In return for their service, the victim can keep 5% to 7% of all donation checks. The money the victims send out is sent out by Western Union, probably to other participants in the scam.

  There is one big red flag that should tip anyone off that this is a scam. No legitimate employer will ever ask you to deposit a check into your own account that’s supposed to be used for business purposes. For legal and logistical reasons, that is just not done. Anytime a supposed online employer asks you to do this, the check is fake, and they’re looking to take your money.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fake check ( 43 ), job scam, jury duty scam ( 26 ), mystery shopper ( 5 ), police impersonation scam ( 49 ), Scams ( 1,219 ), secret shopper ( 15 ), teachers ( 2 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 7 )   

  Scam Round Up: Teachers targeted in scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Today, we’re presenting our readers with three scams that, while not new, deserve to be reviewed.

  ***

  Reports from Pennsylvania are saying that the Mystery Shopper or Secret Shopper scam is making the rounds again. Many retail chains do employ secret shoppers who go around to the various stores and rate their experience. However, scammers would have you believe these positions are plentiful, which they are not.

  In Pennsylvania, reports there state that victims of the scam are being given fake checks to deposit in their bank accounts. They’re then asked to purchase hundreds of dollars in gift cards using the money from the fake checks. The victims are then asked to give the gift card numbers to their fake employer. By the time the victim’s bank notices the check is fake, the scammers have made off with the amount of the gift cards, while the victim is responsible for the amount of the fake check to their bank.

  Remember, no legitimate employer will ever ask you to deposit money into your bank account that is supposed to be used for business purposes.

  ***

  Our next scam comes to us from the Jacksonville, Florida-area. Reports there state that a police impersonation scam is ongoing there. In this particular police impersonation scam, the scammers are posing as U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. The scammers tell their victims that a box of drugs intended for the victim was intercepted. In order to avoid arrest, the victims are asked to make some kind of payment.

  If you receive a phone call like this, it’s recommended not to give the caller any personal information before hanging up.

  Again, no law enforcement department or agency is going to call you and threaten you with arrest if you don’t make a payment to them.

  ***

  Lastly, we have another police impersonation scam, and it’s the most common one. What’s different about this scam is who the scammers are targeting.

  Reports out of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-area are reporting an increase in the jury duty scam. This is where the scammers pose as local police and tell their victims they missed jury duty and a warrant is about to be issued for their arrest. Of course, a payment over the phone will make the warrant magically disappear.

  Like we said, this is hardly a new scam, but the scammers are specifically targeting school teachers in the Pittsburgh-area. The scammers have even been calling schools and are asking to be patched in to teachers while they’re teaching class.

  The report doesn’t say why scammers are targeting teachers, but if we had to hazard a guess, they’re targeting a profession where teachers usually have their hands full with what’s going on in the classroom and could be distracted easily by the scammers.

  When it comes to matters concerning jury duty, all communication is usually done through postal mail and not over the phone.

  ***

  These three scams can happen at anytime, anywhere in the country. Hopefully, we’ve armed you with enough knowledge to protect yourself.

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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check scam ( 76 ), employment ( 33 ), job scam, Scams ( 1,219 ), work from home ( 7 )   

  BBB warns of work from home job scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  During the height of the pandemic, many jobs that had previously been done in offices were changed to work from home positions. To many, this showed that commuting to an office every day wasn’t necessarily needed for their jobs. When companies started calling their workers back to the office, many workers decided to find other work from home positions instead. While this can be seen as a positive for workers looking for more of a balance between their work and home lives, it’s also been a positive for scammers.

  Work from home scams are hardly new and even pre-date the internet. In the analog days, scammers would take out want ads in newspapers offering work at home jobs stuffing envelopes. Now, with our modern internet, work from home scams have become more prevalent and more dangerous. Then add to that the pandemic showed us the viability and legitimacy of work from home positions, work from home scams are experiencing a renaissance.

  With this, the Better Business Bureau is issuing a new warning about an old job scam. In this scam, the scammers will tell a victim that they found the victim’s resume online and want to hire them. The victim will then be instructed to move the conversation to a messaging app like Telegram. After a faux-interview over the messaging app, the victim is hired and is asked to sign a contract that asks for their name, address, and date of birth, along with their banking information. This leads to identity theft, but the damage doesn’t always end there.

  In some cases, the victims are sent checks and are told to deposit them in their bank accounts. They’re then instructed to use that money at a specific vendor to purchase office supplies, such as a laptop. Both the phony employer and phony vendor are in on the scam. Once the victim’s bank discovers the check is a fake, the victim will be held responsible for the amount of the check.

  With any job offer that you didn’t apply for personally, you should always research the company first. Use the company’s name along with the terms ‘scam’ or ‘review’ to see how other people have interacted with them. Be wary of any company that doesn’t perform interviews in some personable manner. If everything is done over text, email or messaging app, there’s a pretty good chance you’re being scammed. Lastly, no legitimate company will ever ask you to use your personal bank account to pay for company expenses.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: job scam, money mule ( 4 ), repackaging ( 21 ), reshipping ( 21 ), Scams ( 1,219 )   

  Dangerous job scam back in the news 

  

  By Greg Collier

  There are several different job scams that someone could find online. In most instances, these scams will either steal your personal information, steal your money, or both. However, there is one job scam that potentially puts its victims in real danger.

  We’re referring to the reshipping or repackaging scam. In the reshipping scam, the victim is asked to inspect goods that are sent to their home before putting the goods in new packaging and sending them to a third party, usually overseas. The goods themselves are typically purchased with stolen credit card information. The scam is typically part of a larger money laundering operation.

  This scam is so lucrative that the scammers will even use paid employment platforms like Indeed. These same scammers will often claim they represent major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or that they’re contracted with them.

  Recently, in South Carolina, authorities there have received numerous complaints about a supposed shipping company that was supposedly employing reshippers all over the country. In this instance, the reshippers were never paid after sending out packages. When the victims would try to contact the shipping company about payment, the shipping company would block all communications. The company claimed that their main office was in South Carolina, but no actual company existed at the address listed.

  The real problem with the reshipping scam is that even victims could find themselves in legal trouble. If the victim knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, that is considered mail fraud and could get the victim serious jail time.

  Please keep in mind that there are no legitimate jobs that involve receiving packages and shipping them to someone else from your home. If you see an ad listing for such a job, it’s a scam.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 25, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check scam ( 76 ), college ( 14 ), fake check ( 43 ), job scam, paypal ( 10 ), Scams ( 1,219 ), Zelle ( 62 )   

  Job scam hits college student hard 

  

  By Greg Collier

  When we think of scam victims, we tend to think of the elderly. However, a very close second to the elderly are college-aged adults. While the former has a wealth of life experience, they may not be savvy with modern tech. Meanwhile, the latter typically tend to have little life experience to draw on to help protect hem from scams. It may even be that since they were raised with the technology, that could make them even more susceptible to scams.

  For example, a college student from Florida was looking to supplement his income while taking classes. He received an email from someone who was using an email address issued by his college. If you’re not a student or faculty member of said school, then it is almost impossible to get access to one of the school’s email addresses.

  The job was said to pay $500 a week and would have the student helping out foster homes and orphanages in the area. The employer sent the student a check for $4500. The student was instructed to print out the check before making a mobile deposit of the check. He was told to keep $500 for himself, while sending the rest of the money to other employees of the company through PayPal and Zelle.

  It wasn’t too long before the student’s bank contacted him to let him know the check was a fake. The student texted his supposed boss, who sent him another check and told him to deposit that one too. That check was recognized by the bank as also being fake and denied the deposit. The bank even informed the student that he would be responsible for the overages in his account.

  If you know someone in your family who is about to head off to college or has just started college, please let them know about this scam. Let them know that no legitimate employer will ever ask them to use their own bank account for business purposes. Even in today’s marketplace with non-traditional employers, they will never ask you to deposit anything in your bank account to pay someone else. If they do, they’re not a legitimate employer.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: employment ( 33 ), job scam, LinkedIn ( 3 ), Scams ( 1,219 ), social media ( 73 )   

  Even LinkedIn has job scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  When we think of social media scams, we normally think of platforms like Facebook and Instagram. When we think of online job scams, we might typically think of platforms like Craigslist. When it comes to job scams on social media, we don’t usually think of LinkedIn. While it may not be LinkedIn’s intention, the social network gives off an impression that it’s for professionals to network with other professionals. LinkedIn may also give its users a false sense of security when it comes to being recruited by an employer. What many LinkedIn users seem to forget is anybody can open a LinkedIn account under any name they want. Anybody can claim to hold a position that they don’t currently hold, such as job recruiter.

  The Better Business Bureau is warning LinkedIn users that phony job recruiters are scamming victims out of money and personal information. In one instance, an Indiana woman was hired rather quickly for a work at home position she applied for on LinkedIn. The woman was asked by her supposed employer to open a bank account in her name to book a conference for the phony company. Thankfully, she realized it was a scam before she opened the account. Unfortunately, others have not been so lucky.

  In other instances, the phony recruiters have asked for money upfront for training or business supplies. After the victims have paid the recruiter, the job never materializes. This is after the victim has supplied the recruiter with their personal information during the application process. This often leads to the applicants becoming victims of identity theft.

  The best way a LinkedIn user can protect themselves against this scam is to thoroughly research the company and the recruiter offering the position. If their profiles are filled with grammatical errors, the odds are pretty good they’re scammers. You can also ask to speak to the recruiter on the phone. While it’s not a guarantee of dissuading a scammer, it will go a long way in weeding many of them out.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 22, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: job scam, money laundering ( 11 ), package mule scam, repackaging ( 21 ), reshipping ( 21 ), Scams ( 1,219 ), work from home ( 7 )   

  FBI warns of scam that could land victims in jail 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Both the FBI and the Better Business Bureau have issued a warning about a work from home scam that could have devastating consequences for its victims. They’re referring to the scam that’s called the repackaging or reshipping scam. It also goes by the name of the package mule scam.

  Scammers will advertise a work from home position as a package inspector. Applicants will be asked to receive deliveries at their place of residence. These inspectors will be asked to make sure the item they received isn’t damaged before sending the item to a third-party. Typically, the items are purchased using stolen credit card information. By the time anyone realizes the purchase has been made, the item has been shipped overseas by the unwitting package inspector. Calling this a scam almost downplays the seriousness of the matter. The reshipping scam is actually part of a larger money laundering operation.

  The reshipping scam can have several harmful outcomes for the package inspector. For example, the supposed company could pay the inspectors with a fraudulent check. The inspectors could also be asked to use that check to pay for business equipment needed for the job with the money from the fraudulent check. This would leave the inspector with a large debt to their bank they might not be able to pay. However, the most serious outcome is the one where the victim is arrested without knowing they were being scammed. If an inspector knowingly falsifies shipping documents under the instruction of the scammers to get around US customs, they could face jail time.

  The best way to protect yourself from a scam like this is with the knowledge that work from home package inspector is not a real job. Often, these scammers will pose as large companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. They’ll give the phony positions names like ‘shipping coordinator’, ‘warehouse distribution coordinator’, or ‘local hub inspector’. The FBI says corporations like this should be able to do any kind of item inspection on their own.

  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.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bitcoin ( 29 ), check scam ( 76 ), cryptocurrency ( 43 ), employment ( 33 ), Indeed, job scam, Scams ( 1,219 )   

  Contemporary job offer is same old scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning over a company that offered positions in cryptocurrency trading that was allegedly a scam. Several people have reported applying for a position on the job board Indeed that ended up costing the victims thousands of dollars. The position was said to be for a portfolio manager for stock and Bitcoin, but instead, the victims were used as money mules. While dealing in Bitcoin trading may seem like a job of the future, in this instance, it turned out to be one of the oldest job scams in the books.

  Right off the bat, the victims received payments in their own bank accounts. They were then instructed to use the money to purchase Bitcoin for clients. One victim even used his own Cash App account to purchase the cryptocurrency. A few days after receiving the payments and having already bought Bitcoin, the victims’ banks inform them that the payments they received were fraudulent. This meant that their bank accounts were overdrawn by thousands of dollars, which the banks hold them responsible for. The supposed company has since disappeared from the internet.

  If this scam sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a variation of the fake check scam. Even though no paper checks were involved in this particular scam, the outcome is the same. No legitimate employer will ever ask you to deposit funds to be used for business into your own bank account. Scammers are taking advantage of a courtesy of banks that lets you withdraw money from your account before the check or payment has been verified as legitimate.

  This story also shows that even well-known job boards like Indeed aren’t immune to job scams. These scammers even held multiple interviews, albeit online, with their victims. Victims were even sent official looking documentation that outlined their job responsibilities and salary.

  Scammers are so practiced in their craft that they can appear to be a legitimate business. However, there is almost always a telltale sign to indicate a scam. In this case, it’s using your own bank account for supposed business related expenses.