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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 18, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Online Classifieds ( 12 ), online marketplace ( 11 ), pennsylvania, safe exchange zones, safe zones ( 4 ), Safety ( 45 )   

  State Promotes Safe Exchange Zones 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A bipartisan effort to improve public safety is moving forward in Pennsylvania with a new proposal to create designated Safe Exchange Zones. These public spaces would be used for completing online sales, trades, giveaways, and even custody exchanges in a secure environment. The bill recently advanced in the Pennsylvania Senate, moving closer to becoming law.

  The proposal was introduced following concerns about the dangers of in-person meetings for online transactions, particularly after a tragic incident in 2021, where an individual lost their life after meeting a buyer from a popular online marketplace. The bill seeks to prevent such tragedies by providing safe, monitored areas for these exchanges.

  If passed, the legislation would establish a grant program, allowing municipalities to set up Safe Exchange Zones at locations like police stations, sheriff’s offices, and other public places. These zones would be monitored by video surveillance and include clear emergency contact information. The Department of Community and Economic Development would oversee the program, ensuring proper policies for video monitoring and retention, while safeguarding constitutional rights.

  While this is a positive step toward improving safety, concerns remain about how effective these zones can truly be without direct supervision. Video surveillance alone may not be enough to prevent incidents, and by the time someone places an emergency call, it could already be too late to prevent harm. Without an immediate response or active monitoring, the zones may offer only limited protection in the most dangerous situations.

  If approved, this initiative could make Pennsylvania a safer place for everyday exchanges, offering residents a secure environment for meeting strangers, whether for online transactions or custody arrangements. However, the question remains whether these spaces can fully guarantee safety without more active oversight.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 30, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Election ( 21 ), Massachussetts ( 4 ), pennsylvania, Scams ( 1,386 ), text messaging ( 36 ), text scam ( 23 ), voting ( 4 )   

  Beware of Text Message Voter Scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As election season heats up, voters in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are being targeted by scam text messages designed to sow confusion and steal personal information. Officials in both states are warning citizens to stay vigilant and protect themselves from these deceptive tactics.

  In Pennsylvania, voters in key areas near Philadelphia such as Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties have reported receiving fraudulent text messages ahead of the November general election. These texts falsely claim that there are issues with the recipient’s voter registration status or that their previous votes were not counted. Some messages even direct voters to call fake numbers, allegedly belonging to local election offices.

  These messages are part of a broader attempt by bad actors to manipulate voters during a critical election period. Pennsylvania’s Department of State has emphasized that voters should not trust unsolicited messages that provide alarming or urgent information about their voting status. Instead, voters should verify any concerns by visiting the official state voter services website at vote.pa.gov or by contacting their local election office directly.

  Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, the Secretary of State’s office has issued a similar warning to voters about a potential text message scam as the state primaries approach. Some voters have reported receiving texts claiming they are not registered to vote, with a link provided supposedly to resolve the issue. The state cautions voters not to click on these links, as they may be attempts to collect sensitive information for malicious purposes.

  Massachusetts election officials will never contact voters via text message about their registration status. Voters who are unsure about their registration can check their status on the official website VoteInMA.com or by contacting their local election office directly.

  As election day draws near, it’s essential for voters in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and across the country to be cautious about unsolicited communications regarding their voter status. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and their messages may appear credible at first glance. However, by relying on official sources and reporting suspicious activity, voters can help protect themselves and ensure their voices are heard without interference.

  If you receive a suspicious text message related to voting, don’t engage with the content. Instead, report the message to your state’s consumer protection agency and verify your voter information through official channels. By staying informed, you can play a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of our elections.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 17, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: EBT Cards ( 3 ), food stamps ( 5 ), pennsylvania, Scams ( 1,386 ), text scam ( 23 ), Virginia ( 9 ), wisconsin ( 3 )   

  Text message scam targets food stamp recipients in multiple states 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you or someone you know receives any kind of benefit assistance from your state, you may want to be on the lookout for suspicious text messages regarding your benefits. Just this week, we’ve come across three states where those receiving benefits through EBT cards have been warned about text messages that appear to come from the state.

  In all three states, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the scams are the same. Recipients have received text messages stating that their benefits would be cut off if they didn’t call the number in the text to confirm their account number and their PIN. Once the scammers have this information, they’re able to drain the recipient’s account.

  For many recipients, if they miss even a month of benefits, that could mean their children go hungry, or they could be evicted from their homes. With this kind of risk hanging over their heads, you can see why some may respond to these text messages out of fear. This fear is precisely what the scammers are counting on.

  The scammers don’t know who specifically is receiving benefits, so they’re sending out text messages en masse in hopes of finding a few victims. You may receive a text message even if you’re not receiving any state benefits.

  Most states do send out texts to benefit recipients, such as reminders when it’s time for renewal. However, these states will never send text messages asking for personal information like your PIN, Social Security number, or date of birth, just to name a few.

  Since this scam has already happened in multiple states, there’s a good chance it could be happening in yours. If you receive a text message like this, do not respond and delete the message. If you fall victim to this scam, contact your state immediately, as it could take another month before the benefits can be replaced.

   
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  Geebo 8:03 am on April 11, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: grandparent scam ( 69 ), pennsylvania, Scams ( 1,386 )   

  Man saved from grandparent scam by store owner 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Typically, when we talk about the grandparent scam, either a victim has been taken for a lot of money, or there’s been a new method used in the scam. This time we’re bringing you reasonably good news for once as an attentive store owner has prevented an elderly man from falling victim to the scam.

  Before we get to that, we always talk about how the scam works. While the grandparent scam has a number of variations, they all basically follow the same tactic. A scammer will call an elderly victim and pose as one of the victim’s grandchildren. The phony grandchild will claim that they’ve gotten in some kind of legal trouble, usually a DUI where someone was injured. If the victim claims that the caller doesn’t sound like their grandchild, the caller will say their nose was broken and that’s why they sound different. As with most scams, the goal is to get the victim to give money to the scammers. In the grandparent scam, the impostor grandchild will ask for bail money or legal fees that often total into the thousands of dollars. Over the past few years, it’s become one of the more prolific scams across the country.

  More recently, places like banks and stores that sell gift cards have become wary to these scams and have saved victims from losing their life savings. In Pennsylvania, an owner of a UPS store saved a man from losing $12,000 to the scam. The owner could tell the package the man was asking to have delivered was full of cash, but the victim claimed the package contained documents and pleaded the store owner to just send the package. The package was supposed to be delivered to an attorney’s office to get the victim’s grandson out of jail, but the store owner showed the man that the address it was being sent to was an apartment building. The store owner was able to locate the man’s grandson on social media and was able to call him to prove he wasn’t in jail. The scammers had asked for $12,000 that the man had almost sent to them.

  Unfortunately, not every store and bank employee knows the telltale signs of this scam, so many people need to protect themselves instead. If you or someone you know receives one of these phone calls, it’s best to hang up and contact the person the scammers are claiming to be. Scammers will try to pressure you into staying on the line, however, if someone is truly in a legal jam, it’s not going to make matters worse if you make additional calls to verify their story.

  Again, we ask that if you know an elderly person or couple who live alone and do not have access to the internet, please let them know about this scam.

   
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  Geebo 9:01 am on February 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FBI ( 22 ), Minnesota ( 8 ), oil rig ( 4 ), pennsylvania, romance scam ( 71 ), Scams ( 1,386 )   

  Romance scams ramp up in time for Valentine’s Day 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Recently, the FBI issued a warning urging citizens to be wary of romance scams in the run-up to Valentine’s Day. For new readers, romance scams typically consist of scammers luring their targets into false romantic relationships as a way to steal money. The scammers usually pose as oil rig workers, military members stationed overseas, or international business people. This is done in order to have a built-in excuse as to why the scammer can’t meet their victim face to face. While anybody can fall for a romance scam, elderly women are frequently the targets for this scam. While the FBI is warning about Valentine’s Day as a possible flashpoint for romance scams, they can happen at any time.

  For example, a woman in Minnesota is said top have recently lost $57,000 in a romance scam. While it’s not clear who the scammer was posing as, the scammer kept giving the woman excuses as to why they couldn’t meet face to face. Moreover, the scammer would use these excuses to solicit more money from their victim. In one instance, the scammer said they made it halfway to Minnesota, but fell ill before they could get there. Another time, the scammer said they made it to the Twin Cities, but needed more money for gas. When nobody showed up, the woman realized she had been scammed.

  Another recent romance scam happened in Pennsylvania, where a woman lost $5000. She met a scammer on a chat app posing as an oil rig worker in the Gulf of Mexico. The scammer claimed they had lost their debit card and needed money. The victim ended up mailing $5000 in cash to an address in Ohio.

  It’s believed that many romance scams go unreported because the victims are too embarrassed to come forward, which is the main reason why this scam continues to proliferate.

  If you ever meet a potential romantic partner online, the first thing you should do is a reverse image search on their picture. Scammers will often steal pictures from someone’s social media who has no idea their picture is being used in a romance scam. If your prospective partner is being cagey about meeting in person, that is usually a good indicator that they’re trying to scam you. Lastly, if they ask for money before meeting, that’s a huge red flag indicating a scam.

  If you know someone who may be a victim in a romance scam, it’s often difficult to convince them that they’re being scammed. It may help if you show them this blog post or any of the articles out there that detail how a romance scam works.

   
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  Geebo 9:01 am on November 23, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: pennsylvania, phishing ( 77 ), Scams ( 1,386 ), sweepstakes ( 25 ), unemployment benefits ( 23 ), unemployment scam ( 30 )   

  New sweepstakes twist on unemployment scam 

  

  The Keystone State of Pennsylvania was one of the first states hit hardest by the nationwide problem of unemployment scams. For those who may not have heard, scammers are filing for unemployment benefits in all 50 states. The scammers use the identities of people who had their information exposed in corporate data breaches. Due to the sheer number of unemployment claims that have been filed since the start of the pandemic, most states’ unemployment systems have been overworked. This has allowed scammers to take advantage of the crisis and slip through the cracks and steal benefits.

  Now it seems that the scammers aren’t content with using the stolen identities they got through data breaches. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, residents there have reported receiving emails and social media messages about having won a prize. The messages contain a link that takes them to a page that requests personal information so the ‘prize’ can be claimed. This is what’s known as a phishing attack. Once the scammers have the victim’s information, they allegedly use it to file for unemployment benefits in the victim’s name.

  Since this new variation of the unemployment scam is appearing in Pennsylvania it’s more than likely happening in your state as well. The unemployment scam is one of the rare instances where a scam has happened almost everywhere in the country at once.

  As with all sweepstakes scams, if you’ve never entered anything you can’t win anything. So any online message that claims you’ve won something is more than likely a scam. Once you give your personal information to a scammer it’s out there for good and can never be retrieved. Even if you clear things up with your state’s unemployment office, there’s a good chance that this could be the first in a long line of instances where you have to fight to prove your true identity.

  Lorrie is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Lorrie 3:13 am on November 28, 2020 Permalink

    I never got mine and I’m a victim of iidenty theft help!!!

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  Geebo 8:01 am on June 2, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: identity theft ( 108 ), pennsylvania, Scams ( 1,386 ), wic   

  New scam targets mothers on food assistance 

  

  As if it wasn’t bad enough that scammers were targeting Pennsylvania’s unemployment system, now it seems the scammers are also targeting those in the Keystone State that are also in need of food assistance. According to state officials, scammers are now targeting recipients of the Women, Infants, and Children program otherwise known as WIC. WIC is a government assistance program that helps provide healthcare and nutrition to low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five.

  According to reports, scammers are posing as WIC representatives and calling recipients promising them additional funds. The scammers will then ask the WIC recipient for personal information such as their Social Security information or banking information. Some scammers have promised to deposit the phony funds directly into the recipient’s bank account.

  The information stolen by the scammers can be used for any number of additional crimes such as identity theft or money laundering. Just because someone may be in a low-income situation it doesn’t mean that their personal information isn’t valuable to online criminals. Anyone with a Social Security number is potentially at risk.

  Pennsylvania WIC’s office says that if you’re unsure if a call from WIC is legitimate or not to hang up and call the WIC office directly.

  We’d also like to remind our readers that just because this scam isn’t currently happening in their state, that doesn’t mean it may not be in their state soon. The current unemployment scam problems started in one state and quickly spread to several others.

  We find this scam particularly reprehensible since it could potentially take food and healthcare away from those who need it most. We wonder when the scammers will start taking candy from babies.

   
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  Geebo 8:59 am on June 29, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Backpage ( 69 ), Human trafficking ( 98 ), pennsylvania   

  Pa. conference shows the ugly truth about online trafficking 

  

  Ever since the shutdown of Backpage I’ve seen a number of increasing articles about how Backpage’s closure has made it less safe for sex workers. I personally find this hard to believe since being advertised on Backpage led so many victims to be assaulted, tortured and killed by either pimps or johns. Backpage made it more convenient for predators of all sorts to find their victims and have them delivered to them like a discount pizza. A human trafficking conference in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania was recently held to show how dangerous Backpage was.

  The conference was held at DeSales University in Upper Sacuon Township and was entitled ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ During the conference a mother of a 15-year-old girl told the story about how her daughter ran away and was approached by another woman who handed her off to a pimp. That pimp then sold the girl for sex 108 days straight on Backpage where she would end up being raped by johns several times a day. Another eye-opening moment from the conference came from a 32-year police veteran who said that cell phones and the internet have put sex workers in even more danger.

  Lt. Detective Donna Gavin, a 32-year Boston Police veteran, who has most recently headed the department’s human trafficking unit, talked about how the Internet, and more specifically cellphones, changed prostitution from a local visible issue to an online, often hidden, crime of violence and exploitation.

  This story reminds me of a human trafficking conference that Geebo CEO Greg Collier and I attended a few years ago in Richmond, Virginia. I got the opportunity to talk to a woman who was the victim of trafficking and was advertised on both craigslist and Backpage. When I saw her sitting by the podium I assumed she was just another dignitary or politician who would talk about how legislation was proceeding within Virginia. When she stood at the podium she then introduced herself as a victim of human trafficking and told us of her harrowing experiences of being sold for sex by a violent pimp. She was barely able to escape that life and still had some psychological issues while trying to integrate back into a free world. Backpage didn’t exactly make things any safer for her and for countless other victims who were advertised against their will for sexual slavery.

  When people say that Backpage made sex work safer I also point them to this New York Times article from 2015 written by a former trafficking victim. She goes on to say how the consenting adult concept is largely a myth.

  I know there are some advocates who argue that women in prostitution sell sex as consenting adults. But those who do are a relatively privileged minority — primarily white, middle-class, Western women in escort agencies — not remotely representative of the global majority. Their right to sell doesn’t trump my right and others’ not to be sold in a trade that preys on women already marginalized by class and race.

  The effort to decriminalize the sex trade worldwide is not a progressive movement. Implementing this policy will simply calcify into law men’s entitlement to buy sex, while decriminalizing pimping will protect no one but the pimps.

  So basically what these Backpage defenders are saying is that they don’t care who gets hurt as long as they get paid.

   
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  Geebo 10:53 am on January 25, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle, pennsylvania   

  Man charged for selling bourbon online 

  

  If you’re not the imbibing type, you may never have heard of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. It’s said to be the holy grail of bourbon and is said to be the most difficult bottle of the sipping whiskey to obtain, it’s also said to be one of the most expensive. So it should come as no surprise that when someone came in possession of a bottle of it that they would try to flip it for a profit.

  A Pennsylvania man attempted to sell a bottle of the much coveted whiskey online, but instead of seeing a bidding war for his bottle he was instead visited by agents of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement. As it turns out, according to Pennsylvania law, even reselling a bottle of bourbon requires a liquor license. The LCE bought the bottle from the man but it was unclear how much they paid for it. It may not matter how much they paid the man was charged with a misdemeanor and may need that money for court fees.

  So while this may not be Eliot Ness bringing down Al Capone, be careful of what you sell online as it may run afoul of state or local laws.