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  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 26, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , walmart   

    Scammers have a lie for every occasion 

    By Greg Collier

    As much as scammers are a plague on society, sometimes we’re almost in wonder of the ingenuity of some scams. We often imagine what would become of scammers if they plied their ingenuity and skill toward a legitimate purpose. Unfortunately, one of their skills is lying like a master politician. Scammers always have a response to any question their victims may have, and what makes it worse, is that they’re convincing.

    For example, an Arizona couple almost fell for a customer service scam. They received a call from someone claiming to be from Walmart. They were asked if they had made a recent purchase for $3,000. The caller was said to have such detailed information that they knew the couple’s address down to the apartment number.

    When the couple told the caller they didn’t make a purchase like that, the caller said they would transfer the couple to their bank’s fraud department. Instead, the next person who got on the line was someone claiming to be a Scottsdale police officer.

    The supposed police officer told the couple their bank was being investigated for fraud. They claimed that a bank employee gave out their financial information and their account was about to be frozen. The caller said for them to protect their account, they would need to take $3000 out of their bank and buy gift cards with the money. When the couple asked why they would need to buy gift cards, the caller didn’t hesitate with a response.

    “He said because, these people who contacted you know your home address and your apartment number, and you will be robbed.”

    Thankfully, when the couple were looking at gift cards, a store employee realized they were being scammed and hung up on the scammers for them.

    Like we’ve always said, anyone can fall victim to a scam because scammers are very good at what they do and act very convincing while doing it.

    The best way to protect yourself from scams like this is to have knowledge of the scam beforehand. In a scam like this, Walmart is never going to call a customer to ask them about a large purchase. If you do happen to talk to Walmart’s customer service, they do not have the ability to transfer your call to your bank or your local police department. If there was such a matter that required your bank’s or the police’s attention, any customer service rep would tell the customer to call those entities themselves.

    As far as the police go, they’ll never tell you to buy gift cards for any reason. Gift cards are used as currency by scammers because they can be easily converted into material goods and are virtually untraceable.

    Lastly, if the caller tells you that you can’t speak to anyone about the matter, they’re trying to prevent them from being found out and stopping the scam. No one can force you not to talk.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 18, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , self checkout, walmart   

    Watch out for self-checkout scam at Walmart 

    By Greg Collier

    Recently, Walmart has courted controversy with their self-checkout kiosks. There’s been more than one story about how shoppers will notice there are no regular check out lanes open, and only the self-checkout lanes are available. Some will blame these situations on staff shortages with the mantra of ‘no one wants to work’. Others will blame Walmart themselves for allegedly trying to maintain or increase profit margins at the expense of their employees. The self-checkouts even figure into the recent accusations of price gouging by Walmart. Some have indicated that the self-checkouts have led to greater retail theft, which is referred to as shrinkage in the retail industry.

    Now, we’re hearing about another issue with the self-checkout kiosks, which has a direct effect on consumers. Some Walmart shoppers who have used the kiosks have found additional amounts added to their bill for something they did not purchase. It’s not Walmart who’s adding these charges, though. As you’ve probably surmised, it’s scammers.

    Scammers are going up to the self-checkouts and start the purchase of a pre-paid debit card, then leave the kiosk before the purchase is completed. They’re hoping that the next person who uses the kiosk won’t notice the additional charge as the victim starts scanning their items. If the victim completes the purchase, the scammer will empty the pre-paid debit card immediately, essentially stealing cash from the shopper.

    When using a self-checkout kiosk, most of us aren’t even paying attention when we start scanning our groceries. Before scanning, make sure the screen is clear of any previous charges. If there are incomplete charges on the screen, use another kiosk or contact a store employee to void the previous purchase.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 15, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , walmart   

    Why are online shoppers getting a cardboard square in the mail? 

    Why are online shoppers getting a cardboard square in the mail?

    By Greg Collier

    There have been reports from around the country of online shoppers receiving a weird delivery in their mail. Consumers who have used large online retail outlets like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart have reportedly been getting envelopes which have nothing in them but a cardboard square. To make matters more puzzling, they’re all supposedly coming from the same address in Nebraska. Is this some elaborate prank, or is there something more insidious at play?

    According to security experts, this is another version of the brushing scam. The brushing scam always involves getting items from retailers the recipients didn’t even order. This is largely done through Amazon, but has been known to be done through other online retailers. However, it’s not Amazon or other online retailers who are mailing out cardboard squares, the brushing scam is usually committed by third-party vendors who sell their items through retailers like Amazon.

    The reason vendors do this is to increase visibility of their product, although in an underhanded way. First, the vendors make it appear as if the recipient is a verified buyer of the item. This way, the vendors can put fake five-star reviews for their items in the recipient’s name. In turn, this increases the visibility of their item on websites like Amazon.

    Sometimes, the recipients will get a package that doesn’t even have the item that’s supposedly being sold. Instead, recipients will get something lightweight like a pair of cheap sunglasses, or in this case, a cardboard square. Scammers don’t want to actually use their money to pay for the postage quality items need.

    So, what does this mean for you if you receive an unordered item like this? The good news is you can keep the item you’ve received. The bad news is your online shopping accounts may have been compromised. Check your accounts like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and the like to make sure no purchases have been made without your knowledge. If there has, contact that retailer’s customer service immediately. If not, you’ll want to at least change the password on your retail accounts.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 30, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , walmart,   

    Walmart sued over money transfer scams 

    By Greg Collier

    Before Zelle and cryptocurrency became all the rage among scammers, money transfer services were in vogue. In many of the scams we’ve detailed over the years, money transfer services like Western Union and MoneyGram were used to extort money out of scam victims. This was done because once a scammer collects the money from a money transfer location, they can disappear into the wind. This meant that once a scam victim sent their money to a scammer through one of these services, the money was gone and could not be recouped.

    This did not go unnoticed by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC sued both MoneyGram and Western Union for failure to protect their customers from scams and frauds. Both services were ordered to pay restitution to scam victims. As expected, the losses of both companies ended up being in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

    Now, the FTC has gone after the one company that has a MoneyGram or Western Union in each of its locations. That would be the retail giant Walmart. The FTC is suing Walmart, claiming the retail chain also did not do enough to protect their customers from money transfer scams. Walmart is accused of turning a blind eye to scams while collecting money for the transfer fees. In its complaint, the FTC claims Walmart did not properly train its employees and failed to adequately warn consumers of the dangers of using money transfers. The FTC is looking to have Walmart also pay restitution to scam victims.

    To be fair, when we do post about scams that involve money transfers, the victim is almost always instructed to use one of the services at a Walmart.

    In its defense, Walmart claims that the FTC has overreached its boundaries, considering they’ve already won lawsuits against both MoneyGram and Western Union for their failure to prevent fraud.

    What do you think? Is Walmart responsible for allowing scams to happen, or has the FTC done enough already? Please let us know in the comments.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on March 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , walmart, Wish.com   

    Brushing scam continues to plague consumers 

    Brushing scam continues to plague consumers

    By Greg Collier

    On the surface, the brushing scam seems like a victimless crime. You receive a package in the mail addressed to you that you didn’t order and probably didn’t pay for. By law, you get to keep whatever was in the package. No harm, no foul, right? Well, not exactly.

    In the brushing scam, third-party vendors that sell products on platforms like Amazon, Walmart and Wish, will send hundreds of their products to unsuspecting users of those sites. They use the fact that you received the package to use your name in a product review as a verified buyer. This allows the vendor to give themselves phony five-star reviews for a product that more often than not is cheaply made and shoddy. In turn, this tricks unsuspecting consumers into buying this product because of the false positive reviews. As you can see, while the scam is quite elaborate, it’s not without its victims.

    The State of New York, recently issued a warning to its residents about the brushing scam. They suggest that if you receive anything organic, like food, plants, or seeds, to dispose of them as they could pose an ecological threat, especially if they’re from overseas. If the package comes from a platform like Amazon, you should notify them and have them remove any false reviews made in your name. Lastly, you should check all your retail accounts to make sure that you weren’t charged for any of these products. Just as a precaution, you should change your passwords to these accounts every few months or so.

    In some cases, the recipients of these products have had their personal information compromised. So, if you receive one of these brushing packages, you may also want to keep an eye on your credit history to make sure your identity hasn’t been stolen.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , walmart,   

    Major surge seen in this job scam 

    Major surge seen in this job scam

    By Greg Collier

    Between the unpredictability of the pandemic and the ‘Great Resignation’ movement, more people are seeking work from home opportunities. But even before the pandemic, work from home positions were not only few and far between, but many of them were straight up scams. Even going back decades, there were positions advertised for envelope stuffers where the applicants had to pay an upfront fee to start working. Then they would barely get paid, if they were even paid at all. Work from home scams have barely changed since then, except that the scammers now have a larger reach through the internet and social media.

    The Better Business Bureau has stated that the reshipping or repackaging scam represents 65% of all work from home scams. In the reshipping scam, you’re asked to inspect goods that are sent to your home before putting the goods in new packaging and sending them to a third party, usually overseas. The goods themselves are typically purchased with stolen credit card information. The whole scam is frequently part of a money laundering operation. Even victims of the scam can find themselves in legal trouble if they did anything to try to skirt US Custom laws, even if they were instructed by the scammers to do so.

    This scam is so lucrative that the scammers will even use paid employment platforms like Indeed. These same scammers will often claim they represent major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or they’re contracted with them. Anytime that you see a position on a platform like Indeed that seems too good to be true, check the employer’s website to see if that’s a legitimate employment opportunity.

    While a work from home position is one that many consider ideal, they are also rife with scams that you should be aware of.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 7, 2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , walmart   

    Brushing scams return in time for the holidays 

    Brushing scams return in time for the holidays

    While brushing scams have been around for a while, they came to prominence over the summer. That’s when a multitude of consumers across the country received unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail. While the latest round of brushing scams don’t appear to have the same scope as the seed scam, that doesn’t make them any less of a risk.

    If you’re unfamiliar with a brushing scam, it’s when overseas scammers send items to your home that you didn’t order. Usually, these items are sent from major online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Brushing scammers are usually third party sellers on these retailer’s sites who are using the phony sales to inflate their review scores. Basically, the scammers will send you the product, then use that as a verified purchase to give themselves a good review. That’s just one of the many reasons why you shouldn’t believe every product review on a retailer’s website.

    Even though you may have received some products that are legally yours to keep, your personal information could be the cost. In many brushing scam cases, if you’re receiving these unsolicited items, it could mean that your retail accounts have been compromised. A number of these retailers allow you to keep your payment information on file. Potentially, these brushing scammers could also be making purchases through your account which you could be responsible for.

    The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers that if you receive unsolicited products, check your retail accounts to make sure that you haven’t been charged for any unauthorized purchases. You should also change the passwords on your retail accounts to try to prevent scams like this from happening to you in the future. Lastly, you should report any unsolicited products you receive to the retailer as it could help put a stop to the brushing practice.

    With the holidays right around the corner and many of us receiving deliveries from major retailers, these brushing packages could go unnoticed. Keep an eye on your deliveries and your credit and debit card statements to make sure you’re not being scammed.

     

  • Geebo 8:10 am on April 6, 2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , social distancing, , walmart   

    Stores implementing new social distancing rules 

    Stores implementing new social distancing rules

    With Amazon and other retailers having their delivery schedules pushed back for months, now more than ever we’re all going to have to start relying more on brick and mortar stores. However, this comes with problems of its own as it’s recommended that we don’t gather in large groups in contained areas. Unfortunately, with the rash of panic buying that has been happening for the past few weeks that can’t always be helped when we go shopping for supplies. Now, some of the nation’s largest retailers will be implementing new procedures to keep customers from gathering too close to each other in their stores.

    Both Walmart and Target have announced new procedures that will allow only a handful of customers into their stores at a time. In order to lessen the impact of possible coronavirus infections, Walmart has started to only allow 20% of the store’s capacity in at one time. There will only be one door open to the store and if the store reaches capacity customers will be allowed in on a one in and one out basis. So there may be extended waits just to get into the store if you go. A member of our team experienced some of this over the weekend as the Walmart they went to only had one entrance accessible and had a line of shopping carts being used to cordon customers in line to enter the store. Even though our team member did not experience any lines longer than usual, that may change in the coming days. Target has not made their plans public as of yet but one could assume they would be similar to Walmart’s.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSeGpLzx6qA%5D

    As the virus continues, more retailers will probably adopt similar policies if they haven’t already. Please keep in mind that we are all in this together. Patience may wear thin while we might have to wait in a long line just to get a gallon of milk. While frustration is certainly understandable, causing disruptions either in the line to enter or while in the store helps nobody.

    This is just one of the many situations in today’s global crisis where things will work better and more efficiently. If we just work together and keep our fellow inhabitants in mind we’ll be able to weather the storm and come out of it a stronger community.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 28, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , walmart   

    Scammers took advantage of late teen’s fundraiser 

    Scammers took advantage of late teen's fundraiser

    Here are some more scams happening to various communities from around the country. Always keep in mind that if they’re happening in one place, they could be happening somewhere near you.

    In Arkansas, a 15-year-old boy passed away after a freak accident that happened at his home. His grandparents took to social media in order to raise funds for the boy’s funeral expenses. While the family was able to raise the money needed, scammers set up fake social media accounts also posing as the boy’s family. The scam targeted people who already donated asking for phony donations in Amazon gift cards. Thankfully, many of the victims were able to get their money back. However, it shows what depths scammers will stoop to just to make a few hundred bucks.

    In Central Texas, a local police department is warning residents about a phone scam that has been worrying local residents. In it, the scammers pose as agents from the Social Security Administration claiming that there have been bank accounts opened using your Social Security number and that they’re tied to criminal activity. They threaten to freeze all of your bank accounts unless a payment is made over the phone. These calls are reportedly coming from overseas while appearing to be from local phone numbers.

    The last scam may seem like it’s an urban legend passed around on Facebook but according to police in Indiana, it has happened to a number of victims. Police there say a man has been going to WalMart and using the self-checkout to scam victims. The scammer has been allegedly using the self-checkout to scan gift cards but not paying for them. Then, the next person who uses the self-checkout inadvertently ends up paying for the gift card that the scammer scanned. While this sounds like a simple scam to foil, anyone could fall for this if they’re not paying attention. Always make sure that there are no already scanned items on the self-checkout screen. If there are, go to another scanner or contact a store employee.

     

    • Nk 9:36 pm on November 5, 2019 Permalink

      I spoke yesterday to a young man who was in India who originally claimed to be from social security. I admonished him for lying and stealing from people. He was very serious and proud of himself and his team because they don’t wipe out anyone’s money. They only take half. He said that if they have $1000 in their account, they only take $500. He said that’s because they show compassion.

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 10, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , walmart   

    Would you trust WalMart in your home? 

    Would you trust WalMart in your home?

    There used to be a time in our country where home grocery delivery was commonplace. However, that was before we started moving to the suburbs and usually at least one person was home most of the time. Now, with as busy as we all are we can’t afford to have someone home all the time to wait for a delivery person. That’s why a number of companies are trying out home delivery programs where you don’t have to be home to get your groceries. The nation’s leading retailer Walmart is now one of those companies testing this option.

    Recently. WalMart announced they’ll be testing a home delivery option where a delivery person will deliver groceries into your home if you’re not there. That would require a customer to have a smart lock that would allow a delivery person into your home to place the groceries directly into your fridge. The test program will be rolling out in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Vero Beach, Florida. Walmart says that delivery people will have worked with WalMart for at least a year and will be equipped with body cameras so you could watch the delivery remotely.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0THVdc1snQE%5D

    If you’re uncomfortable with a stranger in your home, WalMart has said that this attitude among consumers will change. They cite rideshare services as an example as consumers used to be wary of getting into other people’s cars but that attitude has since relaxed. They believe home delivery like this will also have a similar attitude shift. However, with ridesharing, you’re getting into a driver’s car. Letting someone into your home, especially when no one is there, is a whole other level of trust that consumers may not be willing to give.

    Would you be comfortable allowing a delivery person into your home under WalMart’s proposed security measures? Please let us know in the comments below.

     

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