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  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 6, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , IC3, , police impersonation scam,   

    Phony FBI letters sent by scammers 

    By Greg Collier

    Scammers will take advantage of a victim. ‘Good’ scammers will try to take advantage of the same victim twice. You can see this in the scam recovery service scam we’ve posted about in the recent past. That’s where scammers go after scam victims and promise the victims they can recover their money for a fee, of course. Now, a new scam has emerged, and while it doesn’t specifically target scam victims., they can be more vulnerable to this scam.

    It’s being reported in South Central Pennsylvania that residents are receiving a letter which appears to come from the FBI. Well, the letters are actually embedded in emails sent to victims. The letters claim to not only be from the FBI, but also from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is better known as IC3. The IC3 website is where scam victims can go to report internet scams.

    Getting back to the letters, they claim that the recipient was the victim of a cybercrime. The letter goes on to state that the recipient’s email address was found in the database of a Nigerian scammer. The hook to this scam is the letter says the recipient is eligible for restitution in the amount of $1.4 million.

    The report we read doesn’t state what the scammers are after, but if history is any indicator, it could be one of three things. The first is the scammers will need victims to make a payment which will be disguised as taxes or processing fees. The second thing the scammers could want is the victim’s personal and financial information under the guise of where they should send the phony payment. This could give the scammers access to the victim’s bank accounts. Lastly, the scammers could include a link in the email which could inject malware into the victim’s device. If it’s the right device, the scammers could steal the victim’s identity and take over their life.

    Thankfully, there is a simple way to protect yourself from this scam. Law enforcement will not conduct official business through email. If the FBI really wanted to get a hold of you, they would do it by official mail or a personal visit. Secondly, very few scam victims are scammed for $1.4 million dollars. If the FBI recovered that much money and there were multiple victims, you may get partial payment by check in an amount that would be similar to those issued in a class action lawsuit, i.e., nowhere near $1.4 million. If you receive one of these emails and still have questions, contact your nearest FBI Office directly, and do not use any contact information included in the letter.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on May 18, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , police impersonation scam,   

    Check scam has police impostor twist 

    By Greg Collier

    The check scam is so common place, it is often used in multiple scams. For example, there is the overpayment scam. If you’re selling something online, the buyer will send you a check that’s more than the asking amount. In employment scams, it’s used to falsely pay the employee while they pay out to scam vendors. Fake checks are even sent as prizes for contests the victims never entered. However, they all have one thing in common. The scammers want the victim to deposit the check into the victim’s bank account and have the victim send money from the account before the check is detected as fraudulent. The scammer gets paid, while the victim is held responsible for the amount of the check.

    Now, scammers are using fake checks as an intimidation tactic. Victims in South Carolina have been receiving fake checks in one of the scams listed above. After receiving the check, victims are emailed by scammers posing as the FBI. The victims are threatened with arrest by being accused of being part of a money laundering ring. While the news report doesn’t mention, we’re assuming the scammers follow up the threat by asking for the money from the check to be sent to them. Meanwhile, the supposed FBI emails are sent from a Gmail account.

    Even if a check appears to clear initially, it doesn’t guarantee its authenticity. Avoid withdrawing or spending the funds until your bank confirms that the check has fully cleared, which can take several days or even weeks.

    If someone asks you to send a portion of the money back after depositing a check, consider it a red flag. Legitimate transactions rarely involve sending money back in such a manner.

    It’s also important to remember that legitimate law enforcement agencies typically do not make arrest threats or demand immediate payments over the phone or through email. They follow proper procedures and protocols when dealing with legal matters.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on May 10, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , police impersonation scam, ,   

    Can scammers freeze your phone? 

    Can scammers freeze your phone?

    By Greg Collier

    Sometimes, the better story isn’t what’s in the headline, but what’s buried in the body. For example, take this story from Durango, Colorado. In it, a local coffee shop is targeted in a police impersonation scam that specific to small businesses. Scammers called the shop posing as police, and told one of the shop’s employees that one of their bank deposits was made with fraudulent bills. The employee was told the shop could be in trouble if someone didn’t make a $1500 payment.

    Thinking they were talking to the police, the employee took the $1500 and left the shop to arrange the payment through a money transfer service. The employee was sent a barcode that could be scanned at the point of transfer to send the money. However, sometime during the call, the scammers asked for the phone number of the shop owner, which the employee gave them.

    Another employee saw the first employee leave with the money and called the shop owner. The shop owner tried calling the employee who took the scammers call, but the call function from their phone had been disabled. Could the scammers have remotely disabled her phone just by having her phone number?

    Most of the attacks we’re aware of that can disable your phone, cannot be implemented almost instantaneously like that. In most cases, the user of the phone would need to accidentally download some kind of malware. Or, the scammers would need to do a SIM-swapping attack, which can’t be performed that quickly. So, was the shop owner’s phone attacked, or was their phone freezing just an unfortunate coincidence? Unfortunately, we can’t say for certain, but local police are examining the phone for answers.

    To better protect your phone from such attacks, it’s best to install an antivirus program and occasionally run scans on your phone for malware. As far as the business cam goes, keep in mind that actual police departments and law enforcement agencies will never call you asking for money. That’s not how the police or banks work. If you own a small business, you may want to share this story with your employees.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on May 9, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , police impersonation scam, ,   

    Scam targets families of college students 

    Scam targets families of college students

    By Greg Collier

    One of every parent’s worst fears is getting the late night phone call and hearing a police officer on the other side. Rarely, does that bring good news. Now imagine the call is coming from out of state where your child attends college. Of course, you want to do anything you can to help your child, but what can you do being so far away? That’s when the helpful police officer offers a solution that can be done online. Except, the solution is no solution at all. In fact, it’s an even bigger problem.

    That’s what’s currently happening to the parents of some college students across the country. Scammers are calling the parents of college students while impersonating campus police. Parents will see the phone number appear as their child’s college or university in their caller ID. The parents are then told the caller is with campus police and their child is in some kind of legal trouble. For example, a report from the University of Iowa said the scammers claimed the student had gotten into a fight and was currently being detained.

    As with most scams, the scammers will try to emotionally manipulate a payment out of their victim. The scammers will threaten to take the student to jail if payment isn’t made. Typically, scammers will ask for a payment that can be done over the phone. Another report from Texas A&M University states that scammers there were asking for payment over the mobile payment app Venmo. This is done because once a payment goes through on apps like this, it’s gone forever.

    Meanwhile, this is all going on while the student is completely unaware they’re being used as the bait in a scam.

    If this scam sounds familiar, it should. The scam borrows heavily from both the grandparent scam and the virtual kidnapping scam, with some police impersonation thrown in.

    If you receive a phone call like that about any family member or loved one, ask the callers for their information, such as name and badge number. Even if they give you the names of actual officers, don’t believe them until you verify their information. Hang up the call or use another device to contact the person who was supposedly arrested. You’ll more than likely find that person has not been arrested. Lastly, never send any money. Real law enforcement agencies will never ask for money over the phone.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on April 21, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , police impersonation scam, , us marhals   

    Never move your money for law enforcement 

    By Greg Collier

    Police impersonation scams are far from new, but they seem to be picking up steam lately if the reporting is to be believed. Even we made a post recently about three different police impersonation scams. Although, the phrase ‘police impersonation’ can be a misnomer. Scammers also impersonate federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the DEA, and Borders and Customs. Or, in the case of today’s scam, the U.S. Marshals Service.

    An elderly woman from Massachusetts recently received a phone call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal. The caller told the woman she had been a victim of identity theft and that her money was at risk. The victim was then instructed to empty her bank account, so the money could be ‘protected’ by the U.S. Marshals. She was told she’ll deposit into a Bitcoin ATM, where she would have a digital wallet that would be hers alone.

    The victim was then instructed to go to four different branches of her bank and withdrawal $30,000, all the while being kept on the phone with the phony Marshal. Unfortunately, none of the bank branches ever inquired about the withdrawals.

    She made two deposits into two separate Bitcoin ATMs before driving to her attorney’s office, who immediately informed her it was a scam.

    Seniors can be particularly vulnerable to police impersonation scams, since many of their generation were raised to have a health respect for the police. It also didn’t help that this scammer sounded calm and helpful on the call, while most scammers threaten their victims with arrest.

    Moving your money to protect it from hackers and identity thieves isn’t a thing. If a bank account becomes compromised, the money is gone instantly. There’s no ‘grace period’ where police can intervene. Additionally, law enforcement doesn’t tend to warn consumers if they’be been a victim of identity theft. That would be something the victim would need to report to police. Lastly, anytime someone you don’t know personally brings up Bitcoin as a form of payment, the odds are you’re being scammed since the cryptocurrency is largely unrecoverable.

    If you receive a call like this, ask for the officer’s or agent’s name and badge number before calling the actual police department or agency they claim to be from.

    If you know someone who you think may be vulnerable to this scam, please let them know.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on April 18, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , police impersonation scam,   

    Scam Round Up: Police Impersonation Scams 

    Scam Round Up: Police Impersonation Scams

    By Greg Collier

    We often say the jury duty scam is probably the most common scam going if news reports are any indication. As we do research for this blog, we’ll find news stories about the jury duty scam on an almost daily basis. The jury duty scam is a form of another scam called the police impersonation scam, since the jury duty scam always involves the scammer posing as police. However, that is only one version of the police impersonation scam. Today, we’re bringing you three police impersonation scams that are happening around the country.

    You might have guesses that our first story is the arrest warrant scam. This is where scammers will call a victim while posing as police and telling the victim they have a warrant out for their arrest. Recently, the Pittsburgh office of the FBI has issued a warning that scammers are posing as the FBI. The phone calls to victims even show up as the FBI on caller IDs. Along with the threat of arrest, victims are being asked to purchase pre-paid debit cards and give the numbers to the scammers. The scammers claim these are to prove the victim’s identity.

    As with most police impersonation scams, real police do not call people who have warrants out for their arrest. Police would never give a real suspect a chance like that to flee.

    In Lawrence, Kansas, at least one victim has received phone calls that appeared to have come from the Lawrence Police Department. The caller accused the victim of harassment, while the caller ID carried a non-emergency number used by the LPD. The victim hung up on the caller and called the actual LPD. While the victim was on the phone with the LPD, the scammer called three more times.

    The LPD recommends if you receive a call like that, ask the caller for a name and badge number, then call the department the caller claims to be from.

    In Columbus, Ohio, the parents of a college-aged athlete got the scare of their life from a scammer. They received a call from someone claiming to be with the campus police from Ohio State University. The scammer claimed the couple’s daughter was arrested while leaving a nightclub, and if the parents didn’t pay $2000 their daughter would be turned over to the Columbus Police Department. Again, the caller ID had the number of the OSUPD.

    The parents didn’t fall for the scam, as their daughter had a game the next day, and she wouldn’t typically go out the night before a game. It turns out, the scammer targeted the parents of a number of athletes from the same team.

    If you think this sounds a lot like the grandparent scam, you’d be correct, as the grandparent scam is also another version of a police impersonation scam.

    If someone claims to be a police officer, ask for their name, badge number, and the name of the department they work for. You can then call the police department directly to verify their identity. Try to avoid volunteering any personal information, as that can be used against you while the scam is taking place. Lastly, never give the scammers any money. No legitimate law enforcement officer or agency will ever ask for money over the phone.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on March 29, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , police impersonation scam, ,   

    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.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 8, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , police impersonation scam,   

    Scam Round Up: Scammers use fallen officer’s name and more 

    By Greg Collier

    Our first story in this edition of the Round Up is a reminder to Medicare recipients that Medicare will not reach out to you by phone unsolicited. Scammers often try to obtain a recipient’s Medicare information by posing as Medicare and offering victims a new Medicare card. In the past, scammers have offered new plastic cards to victims. However, Medicare does not use plastic cards. More recently, scammers have said Medicare is sending out new cards to all recipients because of COVID. One of the main tip-offs to this scam is that Medicare doesn’t need your Medicare number, as they already have it. If anyone calls you asking for your Medicare number, there’s a good chance they’re a scammer.

    ***

    Speaking of COVID, even though we’re on the other side of the pandemic, scammers are still using the virus to their advantage. Scammers are still offering at home COVID tests as a way to get either your financial or insurance information. The scammers will offer these supposed tests over the phone while telling their victim they qualify for the free tests under their health insurance. Or, the scammers will ask for payment information for a small shipping fee. In either case, no test is ever sent, and the victim’s information is used for fraud.

    If you need some at home COVID tests, you can still get them for free through the USPS website.

    ***

    Our last story is another example showing there are no depths scammers won’t stoop to. In Tennessee, scammers are using the name of a Sheriff’s Deputy who fell in the line of duty. The scammers are looking for victims on dating apps and threaten them with arrest using the fallen officer’s name. Money is then extorted from the victim.

    While law enforcement does often patrol dating apps looking for potential predators, they will never threaten someone with arrest if they’re not paid.

    If someone calls or contacts you like this, threatening arrest if you don’t pay them, hang up and call your local police. Once you explain to them what happened, they’ll be able to tell you that it’s a scam.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 22, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Federal Locker, police impersonation scam, , , ,   

    Scammers trick victims into sending money to fake ‘federal locker’ 

    Scammers trick victims into sending money to fake 'federal locker'

    By Greg Collier

    There is a government/police impersonation scam that’s been around for a while. Now, scammers have added a new element to the scam to make the scam appear more legitimate.

    In this scam, scammers call their victims posing as a member of law enforcement. Typically, the scammers will say they’re from a federal law enforcement agency like the FBI, the DEA, US Marshals, or Border Patrol. Other than that, the scam usually follows the same script.

    Scammers call their victims and tell them a car rented in their name was found near the Southern Border near Mexico. The car supposedly had drugs and/or guns in it, and now investigators are looking at the victim as a suspect. The victim is threatened with arrest, but the victim can avoid arrest if they just pay a fine then and there. This is when the scammers ask for payment in some kind of untraceable means like gift cards or cryptocurrency.

    In the more current version of the scam, the scammers try to attract more victims with honey rather than vinegar. The scammers will tell the victim that their identity has been stolen, but the ‘agent’ can help the victim protect their money. Victims are instructed to send their remaining money to a ‘federal locker’ where the government will protect the victim’s money.

    Except, federal lockers used to protect a citizen’s money isn’t a real thing. The only federal lockers that exist are the one’s government employees use to store their coats. What the scammers claim is a federal locker is just the scammers’ bank accounts.

    If there were as many abandoned rental cars filled with drugs on the Southern Border as scammers claim, they would probably be stacked ten-high from California to Texas.

    That’s not even mentioning that if law enforcement thought someone was involved in drug trafficking, they wouldn’t be calling the person to warn them. In these matters, law enforcement would be coming to your door.

    If you get one of these calls, hang up. There’s no law that says you can’t hang up on law enforcement. Then call your local police department and tell them what the caller told you. They’ll be able to advise you on it being a scam. However, please keep in mind that no legitimate law enforcement agency will call you and threaten you with arrest or demand money.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 1, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , police impersonation scam, , ,   

    Scam Round Up: Scammer dresses as cop and more 

    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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