SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services for low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

July 31, 2019.

WORSHIPERS TARGETED BY GIFT CARD SCAM

The Federal Trade Commission is experiencing a new spin on gift card scams. This time, scammers are pretending to be a pastor, rabbi, priest, imam, or bishop. They’re asking worshipers for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Appeals are often made by email, but some persons are also getting texts and phone calls.

The bogus emails often include the name of the local pastor and a legitimate looking email address. But a closer look should raise some red flags. For example, the email address isn’t the one normally used by the church, and the service provider is different. The message may begin with a simple “Hi,” but doesn’t include a recipient’s name. There also may be spelling errors, including the pastor’s name.

The imposter will ask you to buy a popular gift card — frequently, iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon — and then ask for the gift card number and PIN on the back of the card. Those numbers let the scammer immediately get the money you loaded onto the card. And once that’s done, the scammer and your money are gone, usually without a trace.

If you or someone you know paid a scammer with a gift card, report it as soon as possible. Call the card company and tell them the gift card was used in a scam.

 Here is contact information for some of the gift card companies that scammers use most often.

Report gift card scams:

Amazon – Call 1 (888) 280-4331

Google Play – Call 1 (855) 466-4438

 Apple Support – Call 1 (800) 275-2273, then say “gift card” to be connected to a live representative.

MoneyPak – Call 1 (866) 795-7969

Then, tell the Federal Trade Commission about it at www.ftc.gov/complaint. Your reports may help law enforcement agencies launch investigations that could stop imposters and other fraudsters in their tracks.

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services for low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

July 27, 2019

SOCIAL SECURITY SCAMS

Reported by Federal Trade Commission.

Scammers are calling, pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and saying that your Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended because of suspicious activity or being involved in a crime. Sometimes, the scammer wants you to confirm your SSN to reactivate it or will ask for money or gift cards to keep your SSN or bank account safe.

Here’s what to know:

Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended. You don’t have to verify your number to anyone who calls out of the blue. And your bank accounts are not about to be seized.

SSA will never call to threaten you or your benefits. And SSA will not tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on gift cards. Anyone who tells you to do those things is a scammer.

Don’t trust what you see on caller ID.

Scammers can make it look like they’re calling from anywhere they wish– even a real SSA phone number.

Never give any part of your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.  The same for your bank account or credit card number.

Real SSA staff do call people who have ongoing business with the agency. But they’ll never threaten you, or ask you to send money.

Has your SSN been exposed or misused? Here’s what you can do:

File a report at ftc.gov/complaint.

 More information log onto FTC IdentityTheft.

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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services for low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

July 26, 2019

      DNA TESTING KITS SCAM

This is another government imposter scam. Medicare does not give out DNA Testing Kits.

It shows how creative scammers can be. The Federal Trade Commission is receiving reports of scammers calling claiming to be from Medicare. They are asking for Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal information in exchange for DNA Testing Kits.

The callers might say the testing kit is a free way to get early diagnosis for cancer or other diseases.

Red Flag Warning

Anytime the “government” caller demands information (or payment by wire transfer or gift card), it’s a scam.  Government agencies will rarely, if ever, call you. If they do, it will be after they send you a letter, or return a call you made to them.  

Don’t trust caller ID

Scammers use technology to hide their real number, but shows one that seems legit. If the caller ID shows 202 area code, or says “government” or “Washington, DC” don’t take it at face value. It could be by anyone calling from anywhere.

Protect your Personal Information

Never give any unknown person your Medicare, bank account, credit card or Social Security number. Scammers will steal your identity and talk action that will cost you money.

Report any scam to http://www.ftc.gov.

You are urged by the FTC to report government imposters by e-mail at www.ftc.gov.

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who served low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

July 10, 2019

CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS SCAMS

At one time or another, you may receive a notification of your entitlement to participate in one or more class-action lawsuits. What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?

A Class Action lawsuit allows joining together a large number of people with a common interest who suffered similar harm or have a similar claim. The claims usually result from allegations of injuries, financial loss, frauds (i.e. scams) and other harms.

What to Do if You’re Entitled to a Claim. If you’re notified that your name has been included in a class action, or if you believe you’re entitled to participate even though you haven’t been notified, you generally will have to file a claim.

If after a likely extended time there is a settlement, you should receive what’s called a class notice (or you’ll see it advertised). You then you have to submit a claim to the legal firm handling the lawsuit.

But don’t expect a quick settlement and payout. Most class action lawsuits take years rather than months. Nor should you expect a big windfall. By the time the proceeds of a settlement are divided up among all those affected, your share might be just a few dollars.

How to Guard Against a Lawsuit Scam. You can guard against potential lawsuit scams by following these 5 tips:

*Be wary of email notifications. Most lawsuit notifications arrive in the US Mail. An email notification usually signals a scam.

*Never pay upfront to take part in a claim. Legitimate lawyers get their fees from the settlement, not from plaintiffs. Scammers often try to lure victims by promising thousands of dollars in settlements. That’s a red flag.

*Be extra cautious if you’re asked to provide confidential financial information, like bank account details or Social Security numbers. They’re not required for the lawsuit and settlements are usually paid by check.

*Check the Internet for information about the lawsuit. Review the court’s case records. The notification documents or advertisements should name the court and include a case number (known as a docket number).

 *Watch out for fake settlement checks followed by a request for you to wire part of the payment to a scammer disguised as an attorney.

You should also keep tabs on the case as it progresses through court. 

To learn more about class action lawsuits, visit ClassAction.org.

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services for low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

July 8, 2019

WE PAY CASH FOR YOUR HOUSE SCAM

“We pay cash for your house” You’ve probably seen those signs posted on streetlights, planted on empty lots, increasingly on social media sites or mailed directly to you.

If you’re in a hurry to sell, or having difficulties attracting an offer, it may seem like a tempting deal.

These guys are known in the real estate business as “opportunity investors.” Their “opportunity” is someone else’s distress – victims of foreclosure, divorce, bankruptcy, or other urgency.

If you are diligent and take the right steps to check out the cash buyer, you might cut a deal that at best gets you out of financial trouble. But you won’t get the price a regular realtor might land for you. On the other hand, you won’t pay a commission and other escrow charges.

According to one report the average cash offer is about 65 percent of a home’s fair market value (FMV) that a legitimate realtor might obtain. The “buyer” will then almost certainly relist your home and since, unlike you, he’s not in a hurry, earn himself a fat profit. Oh, and he’ll make you sign a contract that prevents you from seeking any further amount after the sale.

Their tactics usually involve pitching an offer that matches your outstanding mortgage and other debt (if it’s not too high). They know how tempting it sounds.

How to Minimize the Cheats:

*Have your home professionally appraised so you’re in a better position to judge the value of the offer.

*Check out the reputation online of the cash buyer. In particular, watch out for so-called “bird-dogs” – people who are just trawling for potential business, selling your contact details to investors.

*Ask for references, such as details of houses they previously bought, with names of the sellers. And ask for the buyer’s bank details so you can check that they even have the money. Some disreputable buyers have no cash but try to borrow it from a bank once they prove they have a good deal lined up.

*Be wary about any company that charges fees for processing or administration. This is not the norm in the real estate business.

*Beware of offers-to-buy “sight unseen.” If you get an offer from someone who hasn’t seen your home, it’s almost certainly a scam.

*Watch out for an advance check fraud. A scam buyer will send a dud cashier’s check and ask you to deposit it and forward part of it to a designated person to cover fees.

If you follow the instructions, you should expect what happens next: You deposit the dud cashier’s check in your bank account, forward money from your bank account, then the check bounces. You end up reimbursing your bank out of your pocket at a time when you can least afford it.

Attribution: scambusters.org

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services to low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

July 3, 2019

BITCOIN SCAM

Are you intrigued by the thought of making money from crypto-currencies — virtual currencies like Bitcoin? What if they were offered for free?

A scam? You’re right.

 An ad recently appearing on some websites offers $5 to $30 worth of Bitcoins for free every day through a program called “Bitcoin Collector.” All you have to do is download the Collector program and it’ll get to work for you automatically.

But it won’t be doing what you have been promised. It’ll be placing malware on your computer, which will steal log-in credentials from every site you visit.

Remember. There’s no such thing as free Bitcoin!

Attribution: scambusters.org.

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