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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: employment ( 40 ), identity theft ( 119 ), job scam, repackaging ( 23 ), reshipping ( 23 ), Scams ( 1,519 ), work at home ( 14 ), work from home ( 12 )   

  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.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 13, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: car wrapping ( 11 ), check scam ( 81 ), debt collectors ( 11 ), fake check ( 51 ), job scam, law firm ( 2 ), real estate ( 134 ), Scams ( 1,519 )   

  Scam Round Up: Phony Law Firm Scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week, in the Scam Round Up, we’ll be reminding our readers of an old scam, a new twist on a familiar scam, and a new and potentially terrifying scam.

  ***

  Lots of scams are designed to swindle people who are looking to make a supplemental income. One of those scams is the car wrap scam. This is where scammers promise to pay you for putting advertising decals on your car and just driving around town. While there are legitimate opportunities to do this, they aren’t as frequent as the scammers would have you believe. They’ll also go to great lengths to try to convince you that they’re the legitimate offer.

  For example, an Arkansas man received what appeared to be a legitimate car wrap offer in the mail. The offer appeared professional in nature, but the closer the man looked, the more he realized it was a scam.

  The offer included a check for $3700. $100 of it was for gas, $600 was supposed to be the man’s payment, and the remaining $3000 was supposed to go to the company that would wrap his car. Except, he was supposed to deposit the check and then pay the company through Venmo or Cash App.

  Thankfully, the man waited before sending any of the money. He waited for his bank to let him know whether the check was legitimate or not, and it turned out to be fraudulent. Just by waiting, he saved himself from being thousands of dollars in debt to his bank.

  ***

  Speaking of fake check scams, one seems to be hitting the real estate market hard. Scammers are sending fraudulent cashier’s checks to realtors and title companies, posing as someone who is interested in buying a house. Once the check is deposited, the scammers claim they’ve changed their mind about the home and want their money back. Now, most knowledgeable realtors won’t move forward with any transaction until the check clears.

  While most realtors wouldn’t fall for this scam, it’s still tying up properties while realtors wait to see if the check is real. Taking a property off the market and putting it back on can not only hurt the home’s value, but it also keeps it out of the hands of people needing to find a home.

  ***

  Lastly, we have a story about a man who received a cal from a law firm trying to collect a debt. The law firm said that he had defaulted on a loan from 2016. The caller said they needed to send someone to his home to receive his signature. The scammers even knew a lot of information about their target, including his Social Security number, and the names of his family members.

  They said he owed $9000 but would be willing to take an immediate payment of $4000. The man was taken aback at first, but once he gathered his composure, he realized this was a scam. After the man hung up on the scammers, the scammers called the man’s adult son to try to intimidate the man further.

  If you receive a call from someone trying to collect a debt, ask them to mail you a debt verification letter that will detail where the debt supposedly came from. If they know way too much information about you than they should, consider putting fraud alerts on all your financial accounts.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cash App ( 43 ), check scam ( 81 ), college ( 17 ), fake check ( 51 ), job scam, Scams ( 1,519 ), venmo ( 29 )   

  College students still vulnerable to job scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  College students and other young adults tend to be more technologically inclined than previous generations. Unfortunately, being more comfortable with modern tech can lead young people into a false sense of security. When it comes to finding a job, many of the analog ways of older generations are still in effect. Scammers will take advantage of the convenience of tech while using the anonymity it can sometimes afford them. This chicanery has become very prevalent in the job market. With many young people striking out on their own for possibly the first time, they could easily fall victim to job scammers.

  This recently happened to a college student in Texas. She was searching for a job online and more than likely had posted her resume on employment platforms. She received a text message that claimed to be from a textile company in Chicago, offering her a job. The position was a remote data entry position that offered close to $40/hr along with benefits and a 401K. All interviews and follow-ups were done through text or messaging app. The student never saw the face of anyone at the supposed company.

  She was hired almost on the spot. She was then told she would need equipment for the position. The student was then sent two checks that added up to $10,000. The company instructed her to deposit the checks and use the money to buy the equipment she needed. She was told to use specific vendors and that she could pay them through Venmo or Cash App. When payment wouldn’t go through on either of those apps, she was told to wire the money. The checks turned out to be fraudulent, which not only wiped out her savings but left her in debt to her bank.

  Those that are inexperienced in the job market may not be aware that businesses do not use apps like Zelle and Venmo to pay for business expenses. Even those who have years of job experience may not know that legitimate businesses, even those offering remote positions, do not send checks that the employee is supposed to deposit in their own bank account to use for business expenses. The fake check scam is one that has been duping job applicants for years now.

  If colleges and universities are not doing do already, scam awareness should be part of the orientation process. If you know a young person who is attending college, you may want to let them know about the scams that specifically target them, like this one.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check scam ( 81 ), college ( 17 ), fake check ( 51 ), job scam, Scams ( 1,519 )   

  Job and check scam targets college students 

  

  By Greg Collier

  College students have it hard enough today without having to worry about scammers. Unfortunately, that’s what makes them prime targets for scammers. With the ever-increasing cost of tuition, college students often take on part-time jobs along with their full class schedule. Juggling both isn’t an easy feat, and that’s if a student can find a job that allows them the flexibility to attend their classes. With that amount of activity on their plates, it’s no wonder scammers are targeting students.

  One college student from Iowa found this out the hard way to the tune of $3000. The student received an email that appeared to come from his university. It even came from an email address used by his school. The email offered him a job for $450 a week running errands for an off-campus employer. The student said he knew other students who had similar positions, so he didn’t think it was a scam.

  The student was sent a $3000 check and was told to deposit the check into his bank account. He was told to keep $450 for himself and send the remainder of the check to charities. If you’re a regular reader, you know exactly what happened next.

  After the student sent out the money, the student’s bank discovered the check was fraudulent. The charities were more than likely other scammers waiting for their cut. Even though the student was a victim of a scam, he still owes his bank the full amount of the phony check. There aren’t too many college students who can just produce $3000 out of thin air. Having a delinquent bank account like this can also affect his future credit and other banking opportunities.

  While we might like to think our nation’s universities and colleges have their email accounts on lockdown, they don’t. Even email addresses that end in .edu can be hijacked by scammers. They’re just as vulnerable as personal and business email accounts if they have a weak password or were compromised in a data leak.

  Also, no legitimate employer is ever going to ask you to deposit a check used for business expenses into your own account. If they do, the check is fake, and they’re a scammer.

  If you’re a college student, and you receive an email like this, call the proper university department to verify if the job offer if legitimate or not. If you know a college student or have one in your family, you might want to pass this story on to them. Let’s try to make their lives a little easier.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 50 ), check scam ( 81 ), impersonation scam ( 174 ), job scam, military ( 12 ), Playstation 5 ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,519 ), secret shopper ( 15 ), social media ( 86 )   

  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 8:09 am on July 15, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: florida ( 31 ), job scam, repackaging ( 23 ), reshipping ( 23 ), Scams ( 1,519 )   

  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 ( 29 ), car wrapping ( 11 ), fake check ( 51 ), job scam, Microsoft ( 21 ), prescription drugs ( 5 ), ransomware ( 11 ), Scams ( 1,519 ), tech support scam ( 52 )   

  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 ( 38 ), check scam ( 81 ), fake check ( 51 ), job scam, Scams ( 1,519 )   

  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 ( 51 ), job scam, jury duty scam ( 35 ), mystery shopper ( 5 ), police impersonation scam ( 83 ), Scams ( 1,519 ), secret shopper ( 15 ), teachers ( 2 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 8 )   

  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.

  Scam Round Up: Homeless victim loses savings in scam and more | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check scam ( 81 ), employment ( 40 ), job scam, Scams ( 1,519 ), work from home ( 12 )   

  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.