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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 28, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: AI ( 17 ), arrest warrant ( 26 ), check washing ( 16 ), identity theft ( 107 ), impersonation scam ( 146 ), jury duty scam, police impersonation scam ( 64 ), Scams ( 1,373 ), voice cloning ( 24 ), voice spoofing ( 21 )   

  Scam Round Up: Weird AI scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Our first scam comes to us from Athens, Texas, where residents have been experiencing a twist in the arrest warrant scam, also known as a police impersonation scam. Typically, when scammers pose as police, they’ll call their intended victims and tell them they have a warrant out for their arrest, The scammers usually claim this for missed jury duty, but they can also claim a number of other infractions.

  For example, residents of Athens have complained the scammers are accusing their victims of using their phone to transmit a photo that traumatized a child. Essentially, the scammers accused their victims of sending explicit material to a child. The victim is then asked to pay several hundred dollars over the phone to resolve the complaint.

  That’s not how arrest warrants work. If there is a warrant for your arrest, especially one that’s supposedly this serious, the police are not going to call you over the phone. Also, no law enforcement agency will ask for money over the phone, and then ask for it in unusual ways, like gift cards or cryptocurrency, just to name a few.

  If you receive a call like this, hang up and call your local police at their emergency number. Not only can you verify there is no warrant for your arrest, you can let the police know scammers are working in your area.

  ***

  Police in Connecticut are warning residents there has been an uptick in check washing. Check washing typically involves stealing checks that are in outgoing mail. Thieves often steal the mail from residential mailboxes, along with the outdoor drop-off boxes used by the US Postal Service. They then dip the written checks in a chemical solution that removes the ink from the check, so the thieves can write the checks to themselves.

  The police in Connecticut are also warning residents the thieves can steal checks out of your trash. If you use your bank’s mobile app to deposit checks, and then throw the checks out, make sure they’re properly shredded before throwing them out, as check washing can still be performed on voided checks.

  If you have to write a check, which is going in the mail, use a gel-based ink pen. The ink in gel pens is said to be more resistant to check washing. Also, don’t put the envelope that holds the check in your mailbox and the put the mailbox flag up. This is a signal to thieves there may be a check in there.

  ***

  Lastly, we’ve read about another AI voice-spoofing scam. There has been a rash of these scams nationwide over the past year or so. In this scam, the victim gets a phone call where the voice sounds like exactly like one of the victim’s loved ones. The scammers manipulate the loved one’s voice in such a way where it sounds like the actual loved one is in some kind of trouble and needs money to resolve the issue. Typically, the scammers ask for bail money, or in some cases a ransom. However, the loved one is usually unaware their voice is being used in a scam.

  However, the recent news article we read out of Alabama, suggests scammers are using the voice-spoofing technique in identity theft. An Alabama woman received a call she thought was from her brother, but was actually from scammers. Instead of asking for money, they asked the woman for personal information. They then used this information to hijack her Facebook account and use that for additional scams. Police there have said the scammers used the videos the brother posted on social media to mimic his voice with AI.

  We can’t say for sure, but this sounds like the scammers may have been asking for the woman’s security questions in case she lost her Facebook password. Considering the answers to these questions are something like “What was your first pet’s name?” or “What city were you born?” these may seem like innocuous questions coming from a close family member.

  In cases like this, it’s best to ask the family member calling a question only they would know to verify their identity.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 12, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: doctor ( 4 ), Houston ( 9 ), jury duty scam, Scams ( 1,373 )   

  Doctors taken for $300K in scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Many of us consider doctors to be some of the best and brightest among us. They never stop learning, as their profession requires them to be on the cutting edge of medical science. But for all their medical knowledge, even doctors are susceptible to scams. We’re not talking about a medically specific scams, either. We’re talking about one of the most common scams there is.

  Recently, In Houston, Texas, 60 people were targeted in the jury duty scam. Many of the victims were doctors, and each victim lost $5000 each for a combined loss of $300,000.

  For new readers, the jury duty scam works like this. The scammer will call the victim, posing as a representative of the local court system, and claim that the victim has failed to appear for jury duty. They will then tell the victim that there is a warrant out for their arrest and that they must pay a fine to avoid being arrested. Typically, scammers will ask for payment in something largely untraceable like a prepaid debit card, git cards, or cryptocurrency.

  If you think about it critically, this is a pretty ingenious twist on the jury duty scam. Doctors tend to make more money than the average consumer. It only takes a handful of doctors to fall for the scam in order for the scammer to make a substantial profit.

  The reason we bring up the fact that doctors are falling victim to one of the most common scams is because it shows that no matter how intelligent a person might be, there’s a scam out there that they could fall for. It may not be the jury duty scam, but there is a scam out there that could be the one that finally fools you. We’ve seen everyone from teachers to CEOs who have lost vast amounts of money to various scams.

  As far as the jury duty scam is concerned, please keep in mind that no law enforcement agency will ever threaten someone with arrest over the phone. In most cases, the court will send a summons via mail, and any communication related to jury duty will be conducted in person or via official court correspondence. If you receive a call or email claiming to be related to jury duty, it’s important to verify the authenticity of the communication before providing any personal or financial information.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 29, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), jury duty scam, police impersonation scam ( 64 ), police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,373 )   

  Protect Yourself from the Jury Duty Scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As we tend to say, the most common scam featured in the news is the jury duty scam. We find news stories about this scam every day. Just a quick Google search found us jury duty scam warnings from police departments or sheriff’s office in Pennsylvania, Iowa, and New Mexico. If it hasn’t been reported in your area yet, it’s only a matter of time before it does. Even with all the warnings going around, the jury duty scam continues to find victims. So, we thought it’s probably time to remind our readers of this scam.

  The jury duty scam is a common scheme in which scammers impersonate officials from a court or law enforcement agency and contact people by phone, email, or text message. They claim that the person has failed to appear for jury duty and that there is a warrant out for their arrest. The scammers then demand payment of a fine or fee to avoid being arrested.

  In some cases, the scammers may ask for personal information such as Social Security numbers or financial information, which they can use for identity theft or to steal money from the victim’s accounts.

  It is important to note that legitimate court officials or law enforcement agencies will never ask for payment or personal information over the phone or email, and they will not threaten to arrest someone for failing to appear for jury duty. If you receive a suspicious call or message, do not give out any personal information or send any money, and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.

  If someone legitimately misses jury duty, they may face penalties or consequences, depending on the jurisdiction and the specific circumstances. In some cases, the court may issue a bench warrant for their arrest, and they may be required to appear before a judge to explain why they failed to appear for jury duty.

  However, please keep in mind, that when police do issue an arrest warrant for someone, they do not call them over the phone to warn them.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 1, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), customer service ( 50 ), gift cards ( 101 ), health insurance ( 5 ), identity theft ( 107 ), impersonation scam ( 146 ), jury duty scam, police impersonation scam ( 64 ), pop-ups ( 26 ), Scams ( 1,373 ), tech support scam ( 50 )   

  Scam Round Up: Scammer dresses as cop and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week on the round up, we’re bringing you three scams that may not be new, but have a new aspect to them.

  ***

  For our first scam, we have a Nebraska woman who lost $53,000 to a pop-up scam. She got a pop-up on her computer that said someone had used her personal information for online gambling. The pop-up also had a number to call. The woman called the number, and the person she spoke with claimed to be from her bank. She was told she needed to transfer her money to a separate bank account to protect her money. The new aspect of this scam is that she was told when the person who supposedly stole her information tried to take money from her account, they would be arrested. Instead, she transferred her money to scammers.

  Never call any phone number that appears on a computer pop-up. Those numbers only go to scammers, no matter what the pop-up might say.

  ***

  Our next scam shows how well-informed scammers can be. In Los Alamos, New Mexico, retirees of the historic Los Alamos National Lab, were recently told their prescription insurance would no longer be taken at Kroger pharmacies. This story doesn’t get any more local. However, it hasn’t escaped the purview of scammers. Residents have reported that they’ve received phone calls from people impersonating the prescription insurance company. These callers have been asking for personal information like Social Security numbers and dates of birth.

  Health insurance companies typically only call customers when the customer has called them first. Also, the health insurance companies typically don’t ask a customer for their Social Security number, as most insurance companies use their own internal ID numbers for their customers.

  If you get a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from your insurance company, hang up and call them directly at the customer service number on your health insurance card.

  ***

  Lastly, we have a disturbing version of the arrest warrant scam, as if that weren’t disturbing enough. In the arrest warrant scam, scammers will pose as local police and call their victims. The scammers will tell their victims they’ve missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for the victim’s arrest. The victim will then be instructed to make payment through gift cards or pre-paid debit cards. But this scam usually only takes place over the phone.

  In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this scam is said to have stepped into the real world. A man dressed as an officer from the local County Sheriff’s office approached a woman and told her she would need to buy $8,000 in gift cards to avoid arrest for missing jury duty.

  It’s unclear how the victim in this news story was approached, however, if you’re approached by someone you think may be impersonating an officer, there are steps you can take. If you’re approached at your vehicle or home, call 911 and ask them if you’re being contacted by an actual officer. Police dispatch will have a record of it if they are an actual officer.

  No police officer would ever stop someone and threaten them with arrest if they didn’t pay a fine then and there. Police would also never ask for payment in gift cards.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 6, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), expert witness scam ( 2 ), jury duty scam, Scams ( 1,373 )   

  Scammers are too deep into our personal lives 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As we’ve said before, if we were asked what the most common scam is, we’d have to say the arrest warrant scam. Scammers across the country pose as law enforcement, including spoofing their phone numbers to make it look like police are calling their victims. The scammers tell their victims that they owe some kind of fine and need to pay it immediately or get arrested. The most common form of this scam is where victims are told they’ve missed jury duty.

  Usually, that’s enough for a victim to pay the scammer money. However, there is a variation of this scam that targets professionals. For example, if a victim ever had to testify in court as an expert witness, you could be targeted for this scam.

  In North Carolina, a woman was targeted in just such a scam. She’s a physical therapist who had testified in a lawsuit as an expert witness about a client of hers who had been injured in a car crash. The scammers used publicly available information to convince her she had missed a required court appearance. She was told that her physical therapist license could be in jeopardy if she did not pay a court fine immediately over the phone. She was also told that her phone was being tracked and that she couldn’t talk to anyone else about the fine because of a gag order.

  The scammers then sent her through an ordeal to get the money she needed to pay this fictitious fine. She withdrew the money from her bank, and the bank teller even commented on the large withdrawal. The victim replied she couldn’t comment on it because she was still on the phone with the scammers, thinking they were police.

  She was instructed to drive to five different Walmarts to send the money in smaller payments, more than likely through a money transfer service. She was also told that she needed to set up an appointment for a signature verification test. If her signature did not match the one on the subpoena, she would get her money back. So, she thought she would go to the police department to make the appointment.

  At this point, the scammers tried to get her to stay in her car. They told her she could be arrested if she went inside, since there was an active warrant for her arrest. She didn’t listen to them and went inside, where police told her she had been scammed. The victim had lost over $10,000 in the scam.

  Just because someone has a lot of information about you, that doesn’t make them the police. As shown in this story, even just a little bit of publicly available information can be used to scam victims. In many other scams, the scammers have used private information, such as the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number or credit card. This information is usually gathered after a data breach and can be bought on the dark web. They can even use information that they’ve gathered from a victim’s social media accounts. While a scammer may know a lot about you, that doesn’t make them an authority on you and should be hung up on.

  Please keep in mind, police would never call someone and threaten them with arrest if they didn’t pay them immediately. If a victim did owe a fine or court cost, they wouldn’t be asked to go to Walmart or any other store to make the payment. And gag orders are only applied to participants in an ongoing court case, not people who haven’t even been arrested yet. Anytime something feels wrong on a phone call, hang up and call the department or business they claim to be calling from.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 12, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), concert tickets ( 3 ), jury duty scam, puppy scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,373 ), Taylor Swift ( 3 ), tickets ( 17 ), US Attorney's Office, Zelle ( 66 )   

  Scam Round Up: Taylor Swift ticket scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week in the Round Up, we’re going over some familiar scams with a slight twist to each of them.

  ***

  As we keep saying, the most common scam out there is probably the arrest warrant scam. Not a day goes by where we don’t see this scam in the headlines from somewhere in the country. Typically, scammers will pose as your local police department when they call a victim. The scammers will then demand money over an arrest warrant that doesn’t actually exist. More often than not, the scammers will tell the victim they’ve missed jury duty. In many jurisdictions, missing jury duty is no longer an arrestable offense, although you can be fined. However, you would receive a notice in the mail and not an officer calling you on the phone.

  Anyway, some scammers have turned up the pressure on their victims by claiming to be from a much higher law enforcement office than your local police department. Some scammers are claiming to be calling from the US Attorney’s Office, demanding their victims pay ‘legal fees’. The caller ID On these calls is spoofed to make it appear like the calls are coming from the US Attorney’s Office.

  Always keep in mind, no law enforcement office will ever call you demanding money. That goes for the smallest police departments in the most rural towns, up to and including the higher echelons of law enforcement like the FBI.

  ***

  There’s actually some good news on the puppy scam front. According to a recent report from the Better Business Bureau, puppy scams are actually on the decline. We’re specifically talking about the scam where victims pay for a puppy they find online, only to find out the puppy doesn’t exist. In many instances of this scam, once the scammer receives the initial payment, they’ll try to get more money from the victim by asking for more money for things like delivery insurance or special transport crates.

  And that’s where the bad news comes in. The reason puppy scams are on the decline is that scammers are taking more money from victims than before.

  If you’re in the market for a puppy, do not send any money to anyone without seeing the puppy in person first. Try to stick to local breeders or your local shelter.

  ***

  There’s no bigger star in today’s music industry than Taylor Swift. Tickets for her latest concert tour went on sale back in November, and quickly sold out. If you’re still looking to snag some tickets to this premium event, be careful where you try to get them from.

  A New Jersey woman thought she was buying tickets from another member of a Facebook group she belonged to. The woman sent $1500 through Zelle, for the tickets. She never received the tickets, and the scammer kept asking her for more money. If scammers can fool someone once, they’ll often try to get more money out of their victims.

  If you’re trying to buy tickets to any event that is in high demand, stick to reputable retailers. Also, never send money through Zelle to someone you don’t know personally.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 22, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), delivery ( 8 ), grandparent scam ( 69 ), jury duty scam, phishing ( 77 ), Scams ( 1,373 ), voicemail ( 4 )   

  Scam Round Up: Black Friday warning and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week in the Scam Round Up, we’re bringing you a reminder of an old scam, a new twist on a persistent scam, and a warning about this year’s holiday shopping season.

  ***

  The grandparent scam is still out there and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s becoming almost as common as the arrest warrant scam, which we’ll get to shortly.

  An elderly Florida woman recently lost $16,000 to the grandparent scam. A scammer called her, posing as one of her grandsons, and claimed he needed $50,000 for bail because of a car accident he was in. This scammer hit all the beats, saying he hit a pregnant woman with his car and not to tell anyone else in the family. The victim sent the scammers $16,000, which was all she had in savings. Her family found out when the victim started asking her friends how she could get more money.

  If you have an elderly relative, please let them know about this scam. If you receive a call like this, don’t say the grandchild’s name. This lets scammers know they have a potential victim on the phone. Ask the caller a question that only that person would know, to see if they are who they say they are.

  ***

  As we have said on multiple occasions, the arrest warrant scam is probably the most common scam in America. It’s at least the most reported one. Not a day goes by where we don’t see a report from some police department or sheriff’s office warning their residents of this scam.

  Typically, scammers call their victim posing as police while telling their victims they have an arrest warrant out for them. In most cases, the scammers will say the arrest warrant is for missing jury duty.

  More recently, residents of a Chicago suburb started receiving voice mails stating they had arrest warrants. They were then instructed to call a number that did not belong to their local police department.

  It’s unknown what happens when the fake police phone number is called, but all arrest warrant scams are designed to scare the victim into making some kind of payment that will make the warrant magically go away.

  No law enforcement office or agency will ever call you to demand a payment over the phone. If you receive one of these calls, hang up and call your local police at their non-emergency number.

  ***

  With Black Friday being this week, scammers will be out in droves trying to separate you from your money. This year, the Better Business Bureau is saying that the scammers will be more inclined to pose as a delivery company like UPS or FedEx than posing as a retailer like Amazon or Apple.

  This means scammers will be sending out texts and emails claiming you missed a delivery, or they need additional information to make the delivery. These messages will contain a link for you to click on. If you click on the link, you could be taken to a phony site that looks like the legitimate one from that delivery service. You’ll then be asked to input your personal information. Sometimes, you’ll be asked for your financial information for a redelivery fee, which isn’t a real thing. The phony website could also inject malware into your device, stealing even more information.

  As always, do not click on links in text messages and emails from people you don’t know personally. If you think there’s a problem with your delivery, go to the retailer’s website, and they’ll have the tracking information.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: jury duty scam, MoneyPak, police impersonation scam ( 64 ), police scam ( 37 ), prepaid debit card ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,373 )   

  Jury duty scammers continue to harass victims 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As we’ve said previously, not a day goes by where we don’t see a news headline warning readers about jury duty scams. This is where scammers try to take advantage of a victim’s inexperience in dealing with the court system. Most of us have heard that you can be potentially arrested if you miss reporting for jury duty after receiving a summons. However, not everyone knows the court’s process if someone is to be fined or arrested, and the scammers are counting on that.

  Recently, scammers tried to take advantage of a young woman from North Carolina. They had called her, posing as the local sheriff’s office. They told her that not only did she miss jury duty, but now had to pay a $950 fine or be arrested. The scammers even tried to make every part of their scam seem official. They informed her that she needed to pay the supposed fine in MoneyPak vouchers. MoneyPaks are not vouchers, but a brand of prepaid debit card like Green Dot. Then the scammers tried to have the woman meet them in front of the county courthouse to make the payment.

  While this was a harrowing experience for the young woman, she thankfully had someone on her side helping her. The conversation the woman had with the scammer was on speaker, and the woman’s mother had a feeling this was a scam. Her mother called the local sheriff’s office, who assured her this was a scam.

  Now, it is true you can be fined or arrested for missing jury duty, however, the scam is not even close to how the courts really work. If someone were to somehow miss jury duty, they would receive an additional summons in the mail. At this point, they can contact the court to try to settle the matter. Neither the courts nor the police will ever call someone to harass them into making a payment. Even if someone did need to pay a fine to the courts, it wouldn’t be through nontraditional means like prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. These forms of payment are tools for scammers to avoid having the payment traced by the actual police.

  If you are ever unsure about whether a call from police is official or not, you have the right to hang up and verify the call with law enforcement.

   
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  Geebo 8:01 am on August 10, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: gift cards ( 101 ), jury duty scam, police impersonation scam ( 64 ), Scams ( 1,373 )   

  Jury duty scammers go to great lengths to fleece victim 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Many scammers will use extreme measures to try to convince their victims that what they’re saying is true. There is so much effort put into some of these scams that we think the scammers could probably make a mint if they decided to make an honest living. They employ such devious tactics with the skill of an award-winning actor, it’s no wonder they continue to find victims.

  For example, a woman from Texas recently lost $1,000 to a jury duty scam. In the grand scheme of things, $1,000 may not seem like a lot of money to some, but it was enough for the scammer to use the following tactics.

  The woman was called by a man identifying himself as a US Marshall. The caller ID even read as being from a Federal Government phone number. She was told that there was a warrant out for her arrest since she failed to appear for a grand jury. However, she was told she could resolve the matter with a payment of $1500. The victim was even told that the US Government can’t accept payment in debit cards, credit cards, or checks, and they only take payment in gift cards.

  She was then given additional instructions she had to comply with. Not only did she have to stay on the phone with the caller the entire time, she also had to provide photos of two forms of identification, one with her picture and one without. The victim then drove around to several different stores, buying gift cards. When she gave the caller the card numbers, the caller said there was a problem with one of the cards, and she needed to buy another $1000 worth of cards. Thankfully, at the next store she went to, a store employee who worked in the fraud department recognized the scam and prevented the victim from losing any more money.

  Now, you may think that you wouldn’t fall for this scam because you’re aware of this scam. Unfortunately, not everyone is. The victim in this case is a licensed professional with a master’s degree. It goes without saying that you have to be pretty smart to obtain that level. However, it’s not intelligence that scammers prey on, but emotion. They want to get you into that state of fear where reason becomes secondary, and they’re quite good at it. As we like to say, there’s a scam out there with your name on it. It only takes the right set of circumstances for anyone to fall for a scam.

  As far as the jury duty scam goes, police or other law enforcement will never call you demanding money in gift cards or any other form. In most cases, if you were to actually miss jury duty, you’d be sent a fine in the mail. If there was an actual warrant out for your arrest, police would not call and warn you. If you receive a call like this, hang up and call your local police.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: jury duty scam, police impersonation scam ( 64 ), police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,373 ), voicemail ( 4 )   

  New elaborate addition to the jury duty scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  There’s hardly a day that goes by where we don’t see some police department warning local residents about the jury duty scam. This scam is simple in its design, as it uses a basic human fear to take money from its victims. Typically, scammers will pose as local law enforcement, even going as far as to spoof the police department’s phone number. The scammers will call a potential victim and identify themselves as a police officer. The victim will be told that they missed jury duty and now have to pay a fine to prevent being arrested. Most times, this is enough to get the victim to pay. The scammers will almost always demand payment in some form of untraceable means, like gift cards or a prepaid debit card.

  Now, it seems, jury duty scammers are stepping up their game as authorities in North Carolina are warning residents of a new elaborate twist to the typical jury duty scam. Law enforcement in the Tarheel State have received complaints about jury duty scammers who have set up business-level voicemail systems that mimic those of police departments.

  Instead of just trying to find a victim on a live call, some scammers are now leaving voicemails telling the victims they’ve missed jury duty. The scammers then leave a local return phone number for the victim to call. If the victim does return the call, they’ll be placed into a phone tree that claims to be from a police department. When scammers pick up the call, they’ll identify themselves with the names of real police officers from the department they’re posing as.

  Not only does a scheme like this add the appearance of legitimacy to the scam, it also shows the lengths scammers will go to.

  No legitimate law enforcement agency will ever call you on the phone and threaten you with arrest if you don’t make an immediate payment. Also, no court system ever accepts payment in gift cards, money transfers, cryptocurrency, or any other type of untraceable and nontraditional payment.

  If you receive one of these calls, hang up and call the police department at their non-emergency phone number. Do not use any phone number that may be left by the caller.