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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: jury duty scam ( 32 ), MoneyPak, police impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), prepaid debit card ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  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 ( 102 ), jury duty scam ( 32 ), police impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,429 )   

  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 ( 32 ), police impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), 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.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 12, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deceased ( 3 ), identity theft ( 109 ), jury duty scam ( 32 ), police impersonation scam, real estate ( 131 ), rental scam ( 88 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  Scam Round Up: Homeless victim loses savings in scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  In this week’s round up, we have an update on a recent scam, a reminder of a grim scam, and a heartbreaking story on how heartless scammers are.

  ***

  You may remember a story from our last Scam Round Up where teachers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area were being targeted in a jury duty scam. More recently, this scam moved westward and is now targeting teachers from the Cleveland, Ohio area, with at least one teacher falling victim to the scam.

  This is where scammers pose as local police and tell their victims they missed jury duty and a warrant is about to be issued for their arrest. However, a payment over the phone will supposedly resolve the matter.

  Much like in the Pittsburgh scam, scammers are calling schools in the Cleveland area asking for specific teachers and threatening them with arrest. One teacher is said to have lost $2000 to these scammers.

  Again, when it comes to jury duty, all communication is done through postal mail and not over the phone.

  ***

  In Upstate New York, police there are warning residents about a scam affecting the families of the recently deceased. Scammers are calling these families posing as an actuarial company claiming there’s been a data breach of the deceased’s information. The families are then asked for personal identifying information of the deceased.

  In this instance, scammers are likely trying to commit identity theft. They want to do things like open credit cards or take out loans in the deceased’s name before the credit companies update their record.

  If you were ever to receive a phone call like this, the best thing to do is to ask for them to send a request in writing. While not a guarantee, this does go a long way on discouraging these kinds of scammers.

  ***

  If that story wasn’t disturbing enough, a homeless woman from Florida was recently taken for over $1000 in a rental scam. After saving up enough money for her and her newborn baby to rent a home, she responded to an online real estate ad. She was texted by the supposed landlord, who asked her to pay a $75 application fee over Zelle. She was told she couldn’t see the property for a few days since it was currently occupied. Then she was asked by the supposed landlord to send $1049 for the first month’s rent. Fearing she might not get the home, she sent the money.

  Anytime a prospective landlord can’t show the property for whatever reason, there’s a good chance they’re not really the landlord.

  ***

  We hope that our readers never have to deal with scammers like this. But if you do, we hope we’ve prepared you enough to detect them.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 4, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fake check ( 49 ), job scam ( 82 ), jury duty scam ( 32 ), mystery shopper ( 5 ), police impersonation scam, Scams ( 1,429 ), secret shopper ( 15 ), teachers ( 2 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 7 )   

  Scam Round Up: Teachers targeted in scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

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

  ***

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

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

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

  ***

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

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

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

  ***

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

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

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

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

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

  ***

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

  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 April 26, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), jury duty scam ( 32 ), police impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  The most common scams are the worst 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The most common scams are also the most profitable scams. The reason scammers keep committing these scams is that victims keep falling for them. As we research the news for the latest information about scams, there’s one scam we continually see on an almost daily basis. If we were asked, we’d probably say that the most common scam in this country is the jury duty scam.

  The scam is almost elegant in its simplicity. Many of us grew up being told that if we miss jury duty, you can be arrested. Scammers take that one kernel of truth and twist the reality around it to make their scam seem so plausible.

  For example, a woman from the Houston-area of Texas almost fell victim to one of these scams. She received a phone call that appeared to come from a local phone number. The man on the other line spoke with a Texas accent and claimed to be from the Sheriff’s Office. He informed the woman that she had missed jury duty. The caller gave the woman three options to rectify the matter. She could either go to the Sheriff’s Office and be held in custody for 8-10 hours, have a warrant issued for her arrest, or drive to a nearby address with $900 in cash.

  This scammer is good at what he does. His threats for not paying the cash are more of an inconvenience than life and death stakes, making the scam seem more believable. As well as only asking for $900, as that can appear to seem like a reasonable court cost to many. However, I think he overplayed his hand by asking the woman to go to an address with cash that I’m guessing wasn’t the Sheriff’s Office.

  While the woman admitted that the scam seemed very real, she did not fall victim to it. Her husband contacted a lawyer friend of his, who told them it was a scam.

  Our point is that just because a scam is common doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone has heard of it. We deal with this subject every day, so we know. You read our posts, so you know. But there are so many more people out there who don’t.

  The only thing the others are missing is just a small amount of knowledge to protect them from that scam. And that knowledge is police departments don’t call citizens to threaten them with arrest over jury duty. Everything concerning jury duty is typically done by the postal mail. That includes missing jury duty. So if you haven’t received anything in the mail about jury duty, you’re not on the verge of bring arrested.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 21, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: counterfeit money ( 9 ), missing person ( 8 ), police impersonation scam, prison ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  Why are scammers asking if you’ve seen a missing person? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  In a follow-up to yesterday’s post about police impersonation, we found three more police impersonation scams in less than 24 hours. These scams have become so prevalent that the scammers have started changing their game in order to find new victims.

  Our first scam comes to us from Georgetown, Kentucky, where scammers are posing as investigators with the local police department. While spoofing the number of the police department, the scammers are asking victims if they’ve been in contact with a missing person. The victim is then told that their phone number is the last one the missing person contacted. The next step of the scam is kind of unclear, but the police are saying the scammers are asking the victims for $1500 that is supposed to help the family of the missing person. Typically, in these scams, the scammers demand money under the threat of arrest. It’s unknown if that tactic is being used here. In any event, Georgetown Police are asking residents to contact them if they receive a call like this.

  Scammers in Southwestern Virginia are taking advantage of families who are already down on their luck and have a family member who is incarcerated. These families are receiving calls from someone posing as a sergeant from the regional jail where the victim’s family member is being held. The scammer is offering to have the incarcerated family member moved to a home confinement program for $500 to $600. In this instance, the scammer is said to be accepting money through a payment app, although the specific app has not been made known. Please keep in mind that law enforcement and government agencies do not ask for payments through apps like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, etc.

  Lastly, police in Vermont are warning retail business owners about a scam that’s been targeting them lately. In this scam, the scammers pose as police, again using a spoofed phone number. The scammers then tell one of the business’ employees that the owner has filed a police report claiming that the money in the cash register has been switched with counterfeit bills. The employee is then instructed to collect the money and bring it to the back door of the business. There’s no word on if anyone has fallen victim to this scam. For the victims’ sake, we hope not, as an in-person scam like this could put a victim in extreme danger.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 20, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: arrest warrant ( 26 ), bitcoin ( 32 ), jury duty scam ( 32 ), Police ( 9 ), police impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  The latest twist on the police impersonation scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Law enforcement officers and agents are arguably the people most imitated by scammers. Most people either have a certain respect for or a fear of the police. So, it seems almost an obvious choice for scammers to impersonate police to get their victims to do what they want.

  We’ve discussed many of these police impersonation scams before. The two most common police impersonation scams are the jury duty scam and the arrest warrant scam. Actually, they’re both the same scam. In the jury duty scam, the scammers will call their victims to tell them they’ve missed jury duty. The victims are then instructed to make a payment over the phone or a warrant will be issued for their arrest. In the arrest warrant scam, the scammers just say that there is a warrant out for the victim’s arrest, although a payment could make the warrant go away.

  When these scammers ask, or in some cases, demand payment, they usually ask the victim to pay through untraceable means. These usually include payment apps like Venmo and Zelle, prepaid debit cards like Green Dot, cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, and of course, gift cards.

  King City, on the Central Coast of California, has reported that scammers are posing as one of their detectives in a police impersonation scam. However, the scammer isn’t threatening their victims with arrest. In this case, the scammer says that they’re investigating a case where the victim’s identity has been stolen. The victim is then instructed by the phony detective to move all their money from the bank to a Bitcoin account to clear their identity. In reality, the money goes into the scammer’s Bitcoin wallet, and they make off with the victim’s money.

  This scam isn’t just limited to your local police department, either. In the past, we have seen scammers pose as the FBI, the DEA, Homeland Security, and Border Patrol just to name a few. However, you can protect yourself from this scam with just one important piece of knowledge. No law enforcement office or agency will ever demand payment for anything over the phone.

  If you ever receive one of these phone calls, try to give the caller as little information as possible and tell them you’ll call them back. Don’t let them keep you on the phone. Then call your local police department and inform them of the call.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 23, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: free piano scam ( 2 ), gift cards ( 102 ), mail fraud ( 23 ), movers ( 8 ), police impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,429 )   

  Scam Round Up: The free piano scam and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week in the Scam Round Up, we have the reemergence of an old scam, a new twist on an old scam, and scam we’ve not heard of until now.

  ***

  As our readers know, gift cards are being used in all manner of scams. Often, the advice about gift cards is to only use them for gifts. But even then, you can still be scammed. In Centennial, Colorado, a woman purchased a gift card in the amount of $500. However, no funds appeared on the card. A scammer had replaced the barcode on the back of the gift card with sticker. The sticker had a barcode that redirected the $500 to a card the scammer had bought. When buying gift cards, check the card for tampering before taking it to the register. You should also take the cards from the middle of the stack as they are less likely to be tampered with.

  ***

  Another scam our readers should be aware of is the arrest warrant scam. This is where scammers will pose as your local police department or sheriff’s office. Typically, the scammers call their victims and threaten the victims with arrest. In the majority of cases, the scammers will say that the victim missed jury duty, but other fake infractions have also been used. The scammers tell the victim that they can avoid arrest by paying a fine over the phone. Again, scammers usually ask for these payments in gift cards.

  One county in Northeastern Pennsylvania is receiving these threats in the mail instead of over the phone. The letters appear to be an arrest warrant from a federal court. The letter also says the arrest is on hold for 24 hours and can be avoided by purchasing gift cards.

  As always, no law enforcement agency in the United States accepts gift cards as payment.

  ***

  Lastly, we have the scam we’ve not heard of before which is saying something. It’s called the free piano scam. Have you ever seen an online ad for a free piano? They’re out there. It seems really plausible when someone says they have a piano that no one uses, and they just want to get rid of it. As with most things that are too good to be true, there’s a catch. If the seller says that the piano is on a moving truck and the buyer needs to contact the moving company, there is a scam afoot. The scam is when the moving company asks the buyer for money to have the piano shipped to them. Once the buyer sends the money, the movers disappear with the money.

  If you’re in the market for a piano and find an ad for a free one, unless you pick it up yourself, or hire your own movers, it’s best left alone.

  ***

  While these scams may not be currently appearing in your area, it could be a matter of time before they are. But now, you’ll be ready.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 11, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 74 ), identity protection PIN, IRS ( 26 ), money mules ( 5 ), police impersonation scam, police scam ( 37 ), Scams ( 1,429 ), tax scam ( 12 ), U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 7 )   

  Scam Round Up: Protect yourself from tax scammers and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week on the Scam Round Up, we’re bringing our readers a great tip, a new scam, and a reminder of an old scam.

  ***

  One of the more prevalent tax related scams over the past few years has been scammers filing a tax return in your name, so they can claim your refund check. Previously, we’ve recommended filing your tax return as early as possible to beat the scammers, but that isn’t always possible. However, there is another way to prevent fraudulent returns being filed in your name. The IRS has an option where you can get an identity protection PIN. This is a six-digit number that only you and the IRS know. If this number is not included on your tax return, it will not be processed by the IRS. If you’d like to know more about the identity protection PIN or apply for one, you can find more information at the IRS website.

  ***

  A Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina has recently uncovered a scam that could be affecting people nationwide. According to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, scammers are stealing money from bank accounts where the account holder may not notice the missing money. They give estate accounts as an example. The scammers will then send a check to an unsuspecting victim asking them to deposit the check, keep a portion of it, and wire the rest overseas. The Sheriff’s Office found a man who was just getting ready to wire close to $200,000 overseas. If you have an account like an estate account, you may want to check on it periodically to make sure there are no fraudulent transactions. Also, no matter how good the promise of money may be, never deposit a check from a stranger then wire the money somewhere else. Not only could this be a fraudulent check, but you could also potentially get in legal trouble for helping to facilitate the scam.

  ***

  Lastly for today, the Border Patrol scam is making headlines again. This is where scammers will pose as agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Victims will receive a phone call that says Border Agents intercepted a box full of drugs and money that was supposedly being shipped to the victim. Other times, the scammers will say that a car rented in the victim’s name was found with drugs in it near the Southern Border. In either case, the scammers will threaten the victim with arrest if they don’t pay a fine. As with most modern scams, the scammers will ask for payment in non-traditional means like cryptocurrency or gift cards. Always keep in mind, no law enforcement agency will ever ask for money over the phone or threaten someone with arrest over the phone.

  ***

  We hope you found this post informative, as nobody should ever have to endure the damaging schemes of scammers.