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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 26, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cryptocurrency ( 50 ), FBI ( 22 ), law firm ( 2 ), recovery scam, recovery service ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Crypto recovery scams torment victims says FBI 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The rapid expansion of cryptocurrency has brought with it a growing number of scams. In response to this alarming trend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued warnings about an increase in fraudulent schemes where criminals pose as law firms or legal representatives offering to help victims recover lost digital assets.

  Fraudsters, often posing as lawyers from fictitious law firms, reach out to victims via social media, email, or other messaging platforms. They claim to have special authorization to investigate and recover funds lost in cryptocurrency investment scams. To appear legitimate, these so-called lawyers assert that they are collaborating with well-known government agencies such as the FBI or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), or they might reference real financial institutions and money exchanges.

  Victims, desperate to recover their lost funds, are duped into providing sensitive personal information, paying upfront fees, or even covering nonexistent taxes and additional fees purportedly associated with the recovery of their funds.

  If you’ve been the target of a cryptocurrency scam, or any other type of scam, it might be wise to refrain from discussing your experience on social media. Scammers specializing in recovery frauds actively search for individuals who have been previously scammed. It’s common for our blog posts or social media updates about scams to attract comments from individuals pretending to be victims who claim they successfully retrieved their funds through a recovery service. These comments are often another layer of the scam, aiming to lure in more victims.

  If someone unknown contacts you while claiming they can recover your stolen cryptocurrency, be extremely cautious. Do not divulge personal or financial information, and avoid sending any money.

  Remember, legitimate law enforcement agencies do not charge fees to investigate crimes. If you are approached by someone claiming to be affiliated with agencies like the FBI, consider verifying their identity through official channels.

  Treat unsolicited offers with suspicion, especially those that promise guaranteed returns or claim to recover lost funds for a fee.

  If you suspect that you have been targeted by a scam or have already fallen victim, it is crucial to report the incident. The FBI encourages anyone affected to file a detailed report with the IC3 at http://www.ic3.gov, including as much information as possible about the contact method, the identity of the fraudster, and any financial transactions that occurred.

  As technology evolves, so do the tactics of those looking to exploit it. The latest alerts from the FBI serve as a critical reminder of the importance of diligence in the face of offers that seem too good to be true. Always exercise caution and prioritize the security of your personal and financial information to avoid falling prey to these sophisticated scams.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 24, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: recovery scam, recovery service ( 8 ), romance scam ( 70 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Romance scam victim falls victim to second scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The quest for love has transcended physical boundaries, with countless individuals turning to the internet in hopes of finding their soulmate. However, this modern-day fairytale is not without its dark side.

  A widow from Long Island, who sought companionship during the isolating times of the pandemic, found herself ensnared in a romance scam that cost her a staggering $468,000.

  The scam began with a seemingly charming engineer from the Philippines, who, over six months, gained the widow’s trust and affection. But as their relationship progressed, so did his requests for money, under the guise of protecting them both from harm. It was only after nearly half a million dollars had vanished that the widow realized the bitter truth of the deception.

  However, the ordeal didn’t end there. In a desperate attempt to recover her losses, the widow turned to online support groups, only to fall victim to another layer of fraudsters posing as FBI agents promising to retrieve her funds. These individuals purported to be agents affiliated with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, an entity known for investigating online scams. Despite their assurances of no upfront fees for their assistance, the victim soon found herself sending money to these deceitful impostors posing as investigators.

  Regrettably, this scenario is all too familiar. Scammers actively target individuals who share their scam experiences on social media platforms. They often exploit these posts by leaving comments suggesting that they successfully retrieved their lost funds with the help of a supposed recovery service. However, these purported recovery services are nothing more than additional scams in disguise. Similar to other scam tactics, they manipulate victims by continuously demanding money under the guise of securing the promised recovery. Despite assurances of results, they never deliver on their promises, leaving victims further deceived and financially exploited.

  Scam recovery services should be approached with extreme caution, as they are typically illegitimate operations. The reality is that the only credible entity with a chance of potentially recovering funds for scam victims is law enforcement. However, even this prospect is often slim and contingent upon various factors. It’s crucial to recognize that legitimate law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, will never initiate contact with a scam victim via social media without prior solicitation. Furthermore, they will never request money from a victim. Awareness of these red flags can help individuals avoid falling deeper into the clutches of scammers posing as saviors.

  As a general rule, never send money to someone you’ve met online, especially if they pressure you or concoct elaborate tales to justify their request. If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a scammer, reach out to trusted friends, family members, or authorities for guidance and assistance.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 6, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: hacking ( 31 ), recovery scam, recovery service ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), social media ( 79 )   

  Don’t pay to get your social media accounts back 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Losing access to your social media accounts can be frustrating. Sometimes it’s as simple as not remembering your password, or no longer having access to the email for that account. Other times it can be malicious as being tricked out of your login credentials by scammers. Scammers especially like to hijack Facebook accounts. Once an account has been hijacked, any number of scams can be perpetrated on anyone in your friends list. One of the more popular scams after hijacking someone’s profile is to list imaginary items for sale on Marketplace, while collecting ‘deposits’ on the item.

  So, what can you do if you’ve been locked out of one of your accounts? Well, what you shouldn’t do is pay someone to get your account back. Scammers are posing as recovery agents who claim they can get you your account back, for a fee, of course.

  One Instagram user was locked out of their account and was approached online by one of these phony recovery services. They told the user they could get their account back for $100. Then the user was asked for an additional $130 so the recovery service could purchase the software they needed. The scammers then told the user the account couldn’t be recovered, but they could delete it for another $50. The account was never deleted.

  Scammers like this pour over social media, waiting for someone to mention they’ve been locked out of one of their accounts. Once someone does that, the scammers follow. You might even receive comments from people who swear they had their accounts recovered by using some service. Those commenters are also scammers.

  While it’s not the optimal way, and it feels like it takes an eternity. The best way to recover your account is through the official account recovery pages from the platform itself. That’s not even a guarantee you’ll get your account back.

  In order to avoid losing access to one of your accounts, strong passwords are recommended. If you have trouble keeping track of your passwords, think about using a password manager. There are several reliable free and paid options. And lastly, never give out your access information to anyone.

   
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  Geebo 8:01 am on May 19, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: missing pets ( 11 ), recovery scam, recovery service ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  New twist on missing pet scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  There is a missing pet scam that’s been around for a while. When a missing pet’s owner posts fliers in the neighborhood or makes a post about the pet on social media, there’s a good chance they’ll be contacted by a scammer. Typically, the scammer will say they have the missing pet but will ask for money for the pet’s return. In reality, the scammer doesn’t even have the missing pet and is just looking for a payout.

  Now, there is a new twist to this scam. In Tennessee, a woman recently lost her French Bulldog. She made several posts across social media in case anyone had seen her dog. Like clockwork she was contacted by a scammer. Except this time, the scammer didn’t say they had the dog. Instead they claimed to be from a professional pet finding service which has a 97% success rate in finding lost pets. But their service wasn’t free and the woman sent $400 to the scammers. LIke many scams, the scammers kept asking for more money to supposedly find her dog.

  Not only is this scam a new twist on the missing pet scam, but it’s also a twist on another scam called the recovery scam. With the recovery scam, we’ve seen scammers promise they can find your stolen car and even promise to help scam victims get their money back. All for a fee of course, but the victims never see any results for their payment.

  Any service that promises it can find your lost or stolen property is not a real company, especially if they approach you first.

  You can ensure the safety of your pet by following these essential steps. Before your pet can run off, it is crucial to take them to the veterinarian to have them microchipped. Microchipped pets significantly increase the likelihood of being reunited with their owners if they happen to wander off. When creating fliers or social media posts to locate your lost pet, it is advisable to utilize your email address instead of your phone number. Sharing your phone number could potentially expose you to scammers who could exploit your personal information. Should someone claim to have found your pet, kindly request them to provide a photograph as proof. However, exercise caution if that person then proceeds to ask for money transfers or gift cards, as this is a clear indication of a scam attempt.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 13, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: recovery scam, recovery service ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), social media ( 79 ), suckers list   

  BBB warns scam victims may be on a “sucker’s list” 

  

  By Greg Collier

  It’s tough being a scam victim. Not only have you lost money that you needed for something important, but you lost it to a con artist. Maybe you thought you could see a scam coming from a mile away, yet you fell for it anyway. To make matters worse, it’s embarrassing to admit that you’ve been scammed. You might even be too embarrassed to go to the police to try to get your money back. This keeps people in your community from knowing about the scam, which means they could fall victim to the scam as well. But you came forward, which you should be commended for. However, coming forward may also have an unwelcome side effect.

  The Better Business Bureau is warning scam victims about potentially being scammed a second time. This scam, known as the recovery scam, specifically targets people who have previously fallen prey to other scams. Typically, recovery scammers would search for someone on social media who may have mentioned they fell for a scam. The scammers would then offer their services to recover the victim’s money for an upfront fee, of course. If a victim were to pay the recovery scammer, the scammer would disappear with the victim’s money. We’ve seen this previously a lot on Instagram. We’ve even seen it on our own social media accounts when we post about scams.

  The BBB is now warning that it’s not just social media scam victims have to worry about. According to the BBB, scammers now have what’s called a ‘sucker’s list’. This is a list of scam victims that’s being traded around by scammers. This list makes any scam victim a potential target for future scams.

  Scammers are also setting up fake websites promoting themselves as a scam recovery service.

  Please keep in mind, there is no such thing as a scam recovery service. The best way to recover your losses is to go to the police. But be aware, that in the vast majority of cases, once a victim has lost money to a scammer, it’s gone for good.

  If you’ve been the victim of a scam, you may want to refrain from posting about it on social media, as this could attract recovery scammers. Instead, report it to your local police and allow them to warn your community.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 3, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cryptocurrency ( 50 ), FTX, recovery scam, recovery service ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Crypto scam victims continue to be victimized 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you follow the news, you’ve no doubt heard about the FTX scandal. FTX was a cryptocurrency exchange company that sold its own cryptocurrency called FTT. FTX is accused of allegedly falsely inflating the value of FTT. When this was discovered, not only did the value of FTT Crash, but many investors tried to cash out while they could, leading to a run on FTX’s liquidity. This is one of the largest cryptocurrency crashes of all time, possibly affecting one million investors.

  Now, you may think that FTX investors were all wealthy and can afford to take the loss. However, keep in mind that FTX advertised itself as the crypto exchange for everyone. Many investors into FTX were probably first-time crypto investors, who may have put a little too much of their money into FTX. And these are the victims who continue to be preyed upon.

  The State of Oregon has issued a warning to those who may have lost money in the FTX crash. Scammers are said to be running a phony website that appears to be run by the US State Department. The website claims it can help investors who lost money in the crash get their money back.

  This is a ploy we’ve seen used by scammers before, who prey on scam victims. What the scammers are looking for are a victim’s personal information and probably some of the victim’s money under the guise of being a recovery service. These scammers are preying on desperate people who’ve already lost money and are dangling the promise of recovery in front of them to take more from them.

  The reason this story should be important to the average consumer is that this scam isn’t limited to cryptocurrency. It can be done following just about any scam. In the past, we’ve seen it used against victims who have had their car stolen. We’ve also seen it used against victims of the grandparent scam.

  There are no scam recovery servicers. Once money is lost to a scam, 99% of the time it’s gone for good. That doesn’t mean a service can get it back for that other 1% of the time. Anyone promising they can get a scam victim’s money back is just trying to further scam that victim.