SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 31, 2020

FAKE FREE HELP DURING PANDEMIC

Courtesy Federal Trade Commission

During the pandemic many persons need help. Fraudsters take advantage of that need.

Fraudsters send messages through WhatsApp or Facebook purporting to be from Pepsi, Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, and other big-name brands. These messages all offer money to people who need it — through grants, coupons for food support, or other giveaways. But they’re all fake, and not from those companies at all.

You might receive this kind of message, in English or Spanish, from a friend or contact. The message tells you to click a link to get your money. If you click, you might be directed to take a survey. Or they might ask you to enter your name, address, phone number, or other information. And they might ask you to forward the message to several friends to be eligible to collect.

But what these messages are doing is running a phishing scam to collect your information (and your friends’ info), and possibly putting malware on your phone, tablet, or computer if you click the link. There’s no money to be received, and no help to be had. It could have been a real (and hopeful) friend who forwarded that message to you – but it could have been a scammer who hacked your friend’s account.

So: what do you do if you receive one of these messages?

*Don’t click on any links. That could download malware, expose you to even more scams, or add your phone number to lists sold to still other scammers.

*Delete the messages – and certainly don’t share them.

*Call any friend who shared the message. Did they forward it to you? If not, warn them their account might have been hacked.

If you already clicked or shared, run a security scan on your device to see if malware has been installed.

And then tell the FTC: ftc.gov/complaint.

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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 22, 2020

Free Roof Inspection

Door-to-door scammers tell victims they’re working on another roof in the area and will carry out a full survey of their roof at no cost.

They frequently target older folk and, again, use high pressure tactics, often trying to belittle victims by suggesting they must be crazy to turn down a free offer.

Once on the roof, they damage it and take photos they can then show the victim as evidence that they need work.

The crooks will inflate the price, demand an upfront deposit and, if they do the work at all, it’ll be poor quality.

If you have been a victim of this scam you can notify the local police and report it to the Federal Trade Commission http://www.ftc.gov.

ATTRIBUTION: scambusters.org.

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 21, 2020

FACEBOOK FRIEND SCAM

Facebook is a terrific tool for staying in touch with old friends, former classmates, family, and community members. Unfortunately, scammers using Facebook’s Messenger service are trying to defraud by posing as long-lost friends. While this scam is not new, the request to take the conversation off Facebook Messenger and on to text message is a new twist.

Anyone who asks you to send money to receive money in return is attempting to swindling you. If you are asked to pay money to collect a prize, grant, stimulus check, or any other type of reward, it is a scam.

A scam begins when a recipient receives a message on Facebook Messenger from someone impersonating a former classmate or an old friend. When the recipient responds, the scammer strikes up a conversation to build trust. Once trust is established, the impersonator offers the recipient information on how to receive a grant, prize, or even government stimulus funds.

When the victim showing interest responds they are urged to pay an up-front fee and/or supply personal information (Social Security number, bank account/credit card information, etc.) to collect the non-existent money. Victims who do send the money are then urged to send even more money.

Here are tips to reduce your risk of falling victim to this scam:

*Don’t immediately assume your Facebook friend is who they claim to be. If you receive a message from someone you have not spoken to in a long time, do not assume that the message is legitimate. The safest course of action is to simply ignore the message.

*Test them. If you do engage in a conversation and become suspicious, you can try to verify the identity of the person messaging you by asking them a question only they would know (i.e., who was our 9th grade English teacher?).

*Beware requests to take conversations off Facebook Messenger. This is a big red flag for fraud.

Copy and paste scams:

Avoid this scam by ignoring any message on Facebook that urges you to “copy and paste” instead of “sharing.” 

 A tell-tale sign of such scams is misspelled or unusual words or phrases in the text of the message.  These messages may seem innocuous and they may make you feel good by helping to spread a message you agree with. However, by copying and pasting a message instead of using the “share” function, you may be helping fraudsters build lists of people to contact later with friend requests or other messages.

If you suspect that you have become a victim, report it immediately. You can file a complaint at http://www.Fraud.org via the secure online complaint form, or http://www.ftc.gov. Your complaint will be shared with a network of law enforcement and consumer protection agency partners who can investigate and help put fraudsters behind bars.

ATTRIBUTION: http://www.fraud.org

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 18, 2020

YOU HAVE WON! (NOW PAY US) – SCAM

Who would not like to win a million dollars, a new car, or a vacation home? But if you receive a call from someone saying, “You’ve won,” do not believe it.

Here is how it works. You receive a call from someone who says they are from Publishers Clearing House or some other well-known organization. They say, “Congratulations, you have won a million dollars, a Mercedes-Benz, and seven thousand dollars a week for life!” or some other amazing sounding prizes. Then they ask you to pay upfront a “processing fee,” “taxes,” or “shipping and handling charges,” to claim your prize.

The scammers are trying to push you into a heightened emotional expectation state, to knock you off balance just long enough to steal your money and personal information. The fact is, Publishers Clearing House never notifies winners in advance. And anyone who says, “You’ve won. Now pay us,” is a scammer. Period.

Consider these tips to avoid this scam:

*Legitimate sweepstakes do not make you pay a fee to receive your prize. That includes paying “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees.” Also, do not give someone your checking account or credit card number in response to a sweepstakes promotion.

*Do not send money transfers or gift cards or give personal information. Sending money transfers or gift cards (or providing the gift card numbers) is like sending cash. Once the money’s gone, you cannot trace it or get it back. The same goes for sending money by mail or using a money order.

*Do not trust your caller ID. Scammers can make any name or number show up on your caller ID. They might use an official-sounding name like Publishers Clearing House or Reader’s Digest.

Scammers do not scam just one person. Tell your friends and family about the scam so they can avoid it. Then report it to the FTC: ftc.gov/complaint.

ATTRIBUTION: US Federal Trade Commission

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 15, 2020

CREDIT REPAIR SCAMS

A poor credit history can be a real hindrance for someone trying to recover from financial setbacks and being behind on bills. Scammers exploit that vulnerability with phony promises of a quick credit fix.

Shady companies will claim they can remove bankruptcies, liens and bad loans from your record, or even erase a bad credit history completely. They falsely claim to help you start over with a new credit identity that will make you look like a better risk to lenders.

Scammers will charge you a hefty amount for such dangerous advice.

The fact is that no one can remove bad information from your credit report if it is correct and timely. If a debt, bankruptcy or other item was accurately reported, it stays on your credit record for many years. Negative data can be deleted, however, if it is proven to be incorrect, or in some cases out of date.

Legitimate credit-repair companies can’t legally do anything you couldn’t do yourself for little or no cost at www.Annual Credit Report.com. That includes filing disputes with the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) about negative items, in hopes it will show them to be wrong.

Crooks might also offer you an alternative nine-digit number called a CPN (credit privacy number or credit profile number), or direct you to falsely obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service. Using one of those can get you in legal trouble.

Warning Signs

*A phony credit-repair company says it can get bad debt off your credit record, guarantee a better credit score or give you “a new credit identity.”

*The company tells you to give false information on loan applications.

*The company urges you to dispute information in your credit report that you know is accurate.

*The company tells you not to contact the credit bureaus yourself.

Do’s

*Do regularly check your credit history. You can get one free credit report a year from each of the three major credit bureaus at www.Annual Credit Report.com.

*Do dispute inaccurate information by contacting the credit bureaus directly.

*Do know your rights when it comes to credit repair. The federal Credit Repair Organization Act requires companies to give you a written contract that spells out the services it will perform, what you will pay and how long it will take to get results. Request a written contract and read the “‘fine print” before paying anything.

*Do remember that there is no legitimate quick fix for poor credit. Improving your record takes time and effort. It requires sticking to a personal plan to pay off your debts, says the Federal Trade Commission.

*Do consider contacting a reputable credit counseling organization instead of going to a shady credit-repair firm. Legitimate credit counselors can help you create a plan to manage your debts and develop a budget you can stick to.

Don’ts

*Don’t sign up with a credit-repair company that insists upon payment before it does any work on your case.

*Don’t trust companies that are secretive about their methods or claim they alone can fix your credit problems.

*Don’t follow instructions to lie on a credit or loan application. It’s a crime that could result in fines or a prison term

*Don’t follow advice to apply to the Internal Revenue Service for an EIN to use as a substitute for your Social Security number when you apply for credit. Obtaining an EIN under false pretenses is a crime

For guidance you can call the AARP Hotline 877-908-3360, and report to Federal Trade Commission www.FTC.gov

ATTRIBUTION: AARP

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 11, 2020

FAKE SAVINGS CLUBS

Courtesy Federal Trade Commission

Imitation is a great form of “scammery.” That is why scammers are imitating a type of informal savings club known as “sou sou” or “susu”. They aim to trick people into joining what amounts to an illegal pyramid scheme.

A real “sou sou” is a rotating savings club with historic roots in West Africa and the Caribbean. It is a savings arrangement among a small group of trusted people – usually family and friends – who regularly pay a fixed amount into a common fund and take turns taking money out. In a real sou sou, you do not earn interest, never get out more than you paid in, and there is no reward for recruiting people to join. This is a way of saving based on the honor system, and it is not without risk from dishonest fellow depositors.

It is not surprising that scammers are pitching FAKE sou sou savings clubs with names like “The Circle Game,” “Blessing Loom,” “Money Board”. These kinds of illegal pyramid schemes are the exact opposite of a real sou sou: They falsely promise you will make more money than you put in. They depend on recruiting new people to keep money flowing into the fund. Like all other pyramids, once they run out of new recruits to bring money into the club, the money dries up, leaving everyone holding the bag waiting for their pay out.

If you see a post or receive a direct message on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media about one of these clubs, be cautious and look for warning signs. If the phony offer has been received by a friend or family member, tell them about this scheme.

And, if you have been contacted to join a fake sou sou, please tell us: http://www.ftc.gov/complaint. Your report can help us protect others from a scam.

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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer public service attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 8, 2020

FAKE PAPER CHECK SCAMS

Paper checks create an opportunity for scammers to steal your money through a variety of fake check scams. Their approaches differ, but crooks have the same basic kicker: They want you to deposit a fake check in your bank account, then for some phony reason return a portion of the supposed funds to them.

Con artists run numerous variations on this scheme:

One common ruse is the over-payment scam. You place something up for sale in a newspaper classified ad or online post. Someone makes an offer and sends you a check — perhaps even a cashier’s check, which seems extra-safe. The check is for considerably more than what you charged for the item. The “buyer” will pretend it is a mistake and ask you to deposit the check and refund to them the over payment.

Crooks exploit the fact that banks must make funds from a deposited check available to the account holder within days. But it can take the bank longer to discover that the check is fake. When the check bounces, you have lost whatever you sent the scammer. Worse yet, you will be responsible for returning to the bank the money you withdrew.

You may receive a letter, with a fake check enclosed, saying you have won a foreign lottery, but you must wire a portion of the winnings back to cover taxes, fees or other charges.

In each case, when the check bounces you have lost what you gave the scammer.

These scams remain popular with fraudsters because they are easy to pull off. With the help of a scanner and a good printer, a crook can fabricate a bogus check — even a bank draft, certified check or cashier’s check — that is hard to distinguish from the real thing. Some fake checks even contain authentic-looking watermarks.

Warning Signs:

*A prospective buyer of something you placed for sale sends you a check for more than your asking price.

*You receive a check in the mail for lottery winnings you can only claim by wiring back some of the money in advance. No legitimate sweepstakes or lottery requires payment to play or collect a prize.

*A check purporting to be a grant or scholarship requires you to send money in advance to offset “administrative expenses”.

Dos

*Do suggest that a buyer who wants to pay you for an item or service by check use a safer alternative — for example, an online peer-to-peer service like PayPal.

*Do ask for checks to be drawn on local banks or banks with local branches. That way, you can visit the bank to make sure the check is legit before depositing it. If you do accept a check from an out-of-town bank, call the bank before you deposit the check to verify that it is genuine.

*Do examine checks carefully. Scammers can meticulously duplicate genuine checks, but some make mistakes, such as using an incorrect routing number for a bank or putting a check number in the upper left corner that does not match the one at the bottom.

*Do back out of a sale if the buyer pressures you to wire back funds.

*Do wait at least two weeks for it to clear after you deposit a check from an unfamiliar source before you withdraw or spend money from it.

Do nots

*Don’t accept a check that’s made out for more than the price of the item or service you’re selling. Insist that the buyer make out a new one for the correct amount.

*Don’t rely on a phone number for a bank that a seller prints on a check. If you want to call to authenticate the payment, look up the bank’s number on its official website.

*Don’t wire money to people you don’t know.

*Don’t give in to pressure to move fast on a payment to secure a job or supposed financial windfall. If a deal is legitimate, it will still be available after the check clears.

You can report any scam to the AARP Hotline 877-903-3360 and the Federal Trade Commission www.FTC.gov.

ATTRIBUTION: AARP

 

 

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer public service attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 3, 2020

SWEETHEART SWINDLE SCAM

Online dating can be fun and convenient. But falling for a sweetheart swindle can be costly. Be wary of “friends” you meet online who develop a relationship with you only to con you out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Falling in love with a con artist has consistently been ranked as one of, if not, the most expensive scams for the victims. The con artist may claim to be interested in the victim romantically. When the victim responds, their new “friend” may tell them a story about how they are located far away from the victim, often overseas.

As the relationship develops and false trust is built, the “friend” asks the victim to send money to help them out of some fake situation. They may claim that they need the money to visit the victim, for medical bills, to get out of jail, or some other phony reason. If the victim agrees to pay, there will inevitably be more requests for money to cover other fictitious expenses until the victim comes to realize it is a scam and stops paying, or worse, runs out of money.

How can you spot a romance scam and avoid falling victim?

Here are red flags that the person you are dealing with is after your cash, instead of your heart:

*They request that you wire money or to cash a check or money order for them.

*The “relationship” becomes romantic extremely quickly, with quick pronouncements of love or close friendship.

*They claim to be a U.S. citizen who is abroad, very wealthy, or a person of important status.

*They claim to be a contractor who needs your help with a business deal.

*They make excuses about not being able to speak by phone or meet in person.

*They quickly ask you to communicate via email, instant messaging, or text messaging instead of the online dating sites’ messaging services.

*They claim to be an American but make frequent spelling or grammar mistakes that a native English speaker would not.

If you have been approached by someone you think could be a romance scammer, or if you have already fallen victim, DON’T keep speaking with that person. Ignore their emails, phone calls, IMs, or other communications. Instead, use the online dating site’s abuse flagging system to mark the account as suspicious and file a complaint at www.Fraud.org.

ATTRIBUTION: Fraud.org

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