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Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
Fraud & Security

Scammer cheats senior out of her cash

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

 

How to prevent scammers from stealing your cash!

“Hello?” Catherine asked when she answered the phone. Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
“Hi. My name is Kevin Merchant. Who am I speaking to?” Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
“Catherine. Can I help you?” Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
“Hello, Catherine. You probably don’t remember me, but I loaned you some money a few years ago. I’m not sure why you needed it, but I trusted you and gave you a check for $6,000. I haven’t heard from you since then, and it’s taken me all this time to finally find your phone number. I’m calling to ask if you could pay me back. I really need the money now. My newborn daughter, Kim, has a heart defect, and it’s taken all my savings to keep her alive. I need the money you owe me now to pay her medical bills. How soon do you think it would take you to get the money?” Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
Catherine paused. “I…don’t remember that. Are you sure you have the right person?”
“Yes, I’m sure, Catherine. You and someone else told me you’d pay me back with interest, but then you disappeared. I need you to pay me what you owe me. Can you get to the Post Office today and send half of what you owe?” Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
“Luke? Was he with me?”
“You were with a man at the time. Was Luke your husband?”
“Yes. He died last year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Catherine,” Kevin said, “but it doesn’t wipe away your debt to me. I’m sure Luke would want to you to be an honest person and pay your debts. Don’t you think that’s what he would want?”
“Well, yes, I guess so, but—” Catherine started to say.
“It’s settled then. I need you to go to the Post Office, buy $3,000 in money orders, and express mail them to me. Get a pen and take down my address. Let me know when you’re ready.”
“I’m not sure,” Catherine said hesitantly.
“Catherine, you owe me $6,000. I have a legal right to my money. If you don’t pay it back, I’ll have no choice but to report you to the police. You’ll be arrested and go to jail. I don’t think you’d want that. I don’t think Luke would want that. Do the right thing and pay your debt to me today. You’ll feel better when you do. Do you have a pen to take down my address?”
“Okay, I’ll get one.”
“Good,” Kevin said. “You’re doing the right thing.”
***
Kevin is a serial scammer who targets senior citizens, preying on individuals in their golden years for his income. In the scenario above, Kevin coerced Catherine into paying a debt she didn’t owe. He used a variety of tactics to build intense emotional pressure including sympathy for his daughter, shame for not paying a debt she owed, and terror at the prospect of going to jail. Catherine eventually gave in to Kevin’s demands to relieve that pressure. Scammer cheats senior out of her cash
Scammers use unscrupulous tactics to steal money from others. This type of scam occurs every day, and if a scammer finds your telephone number, you could find yourself the target of his next attack.
If an unknown person calls and threatens to have you arrested unless you repay a debt you’re unfamiliar with, hang up immediately. Don’t engage in conversation with that individual. Don’t ask that person questions or listen to the person’s explanation of why you owe the debt. That person is trying to steal your money. Your most effective tool to make that person go away is to hang up the phone.
Only you have the power to end a scammer’s pressure against you. Exercise that power by hanging up, and put an end to the pressure before it begins.

Scammer cheats senior out of her cash

Scammer cheats senior out of her cash

Scammer cheats senior out of her cash Scammer cheats senior out of her cash Scammer cheats senior out of her cash Scammer cheats senior out of her cash Scammer cheats senior out of her cash Scammer cheats senior out of her cash

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Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Tech Support

Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

 
 
Selfies are a popular way of sharing good times with friends and family. They’re also a great way for criminals to find out when you’re not at home – and when they can steal your stuff if you’re away. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Criminals love easy targets. That’s why some smarter criminals study a potential target’s patterns of behavior. They record where a target visits and when that person is away from home, creating an optimal window of opportunity when a target isn’t likely to interfere with a break-in. In the past, this took some legwork before a criminal could reap unimpeded rewards, but not anymore. Now, criminals watch their targets on social media.
Selfies taken at work, the gym, or other locations frequented on a routine basis are patterns a criminal can record. Criminals will note if a person has a spouse, children, or a pet. They’ll look for any indication that identifies a home as unoccupied for an extended period. If a person shares this level of detail to anyone who monitors these posts on a social media page, a criminal could harvest this information and use it to break into the person’s home without fear of getting caught. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff

“But a criminal doesn’t know where I live. How can he steal my stuff?”

If you post photos of where you work, go to the gym, or hang out with friends, a criminal can go to these locations to find you, and he’ll know what you look like from your posted photos. From there, a criminal can follow you home and know exactly where you live. A criminal can also use a photo’s metadata to track your location and find out where you live.
Photos taken with a cellphone will embed the Global Positioning System (GPS) location, date, and time a person snapped the photo. This and other information a photo contains, such as camera model and setting, is called metadata, and a criminal can use it to see where you were when you took the photo. A photo’s metadata will give a wealth of information to anyone who wants to track you.
Don’t make it easy for a criminal to target you for the next break-in.

  • Avoid posting photos of where you work and any other places you go to regularly. If your routine is hard to track, a criminal might look for an easier target.
  • Turn off the GPS on your phone when taking selfies. This will prevent a criminal from using a photo’s metadata to see where you took it.
  • Only share photos with verified friends. Keep your profile and page private to prevent a casual observer or criminal from monitoring you.

Don’t let a selfie tempt a criminal to take your stuff. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff
Be cautious when taking photos and avoid making it easy for others to track you. Follow the advice above when posting photos on social media to prevent a criminal from creating an accurate treasure map that could lead them to your valuables. Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff

Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff

Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff Selfies Give Criminals a Treasure Map to your Stuff

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Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims
Fraud & Security

Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

When a thief uses extreme force to rip open a cluster box unit to steal mail, owners of that mail typically have no way of knowing what was stolen. Not anymore. Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims
The Postal Service recently released a new feature called Informed Delivery. Informed Delivery is a free service that offers customers the opportunity to see what’s arriving soon in the mail before items are delivered.
Once signed up for the optional program, a participant will receive grayscale images of the outside of his or her letter-sized mail pieces in an email. After reviewing these images, the recipient will know what to expect in the mailbox. This type of advanced knowledge has many benefits, but for those who might be the victim of mail theft, it takes on a new purpose.
Criminals are on the hunt for cash, gift cards, and other valuable items in the mail as a source of instant income. They’re also interested in financial instruments such as checks and credit cards as well as personal information including social security numbers and birthdates. Knowing what a thief has stolen will significantly enhance a victim’s ability to respond to the theft.
If, for example, a person arrives home after work and discovers a mailbox break-in with all contents removed, that person can review Informed Delivery emails for the past few days to see what the thief might have stolen. If one of the stolen items is a new credit card, the victim can call that company and cancel the card immediately. If it’s a gift card, the victim can contact the sender to report the fraud to the issuing company.
While Informed Delivery won’t prevent mail theft, it will increase mail transparency and allow victims of mail theft to act more rapidly to reduce the damage a criminal can cause from using the contents of the mail.
To see if your ZIP Code is eligible to participate in the program, go to http://informeddelivery.usps.com. Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims

Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims

Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims Innovation eases pain for mail theft victims
 

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Package shipment scam delivers big rip off
Fraud & Security

Package Shipment Scam Delivers Big Rip Off

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

Beware of a Box of Lies

In a recent telephone scam, a criminal tried to use a package delivery technique to lure a target into handing over credit card information. Fortunately, the scammer wasn’t as convincing as he could have been and the target hung up the phone before giving out any personal data. The next scammer, however, could be more persuasive in his pitch. Here’s what happened and how to avoid becoming a victim. Package shipment scam delivers big rip off
When the individual in this package scam twist answered her phone, a man told her that his company had a package for her that was ready to be shipped out. All they needed was her address so they could drop it in the mail. The target hadn’t ordered anything recently and told the man he was mistaken. The caller insisted the package was intended for her, but he needed her address before they could mail it. He also needed her credit card information to verify the purchase.
This caller had no personal information about his target. He didn’t know her name or address, but he wanted this information and the target’s credit card number so he could make fraudulent purchases. Fortunately, the target detected this scam immediately and deftly avoided it. The next target, however, might not be so lucky. Package shipment scam delivers big rip off
The package in this scenario was a ruse to get the target’s address and credit card information. That’s what the caller wanted. If a person you don’t know calls to offer you something for free, or an unexpected package as in the example above, it’s probably a scam. A scammer will always want financial information or money in exchange for the item. When a person you don’t know calls to ask you for anything in exchange for a free item or an unexpected package, err on the side of caution and refuse to take the bait. Tell the caller “no thank you” and hang up immediately.
Don’t engage in conversation with a scammer. Don’t tell the caller you think he’s a scammer. Don’t give in to pressure from the scammer. The decision to end the call is yours and yours alone. The scammer cannot force you to stay on the line. Your only task is to get off the phone with a suspected scammer. And when you do hang up on the scammer, feel good about yourself for avoiding the scam. You’ve earned it.
“But it could be a package I ordered” you might say to yourself. It isn’t. Even if you do considerable online shopping, the company won’t call you to request your address and credit card information. The company already has this information. A more skilled scammer could claim he’s from a well-respected online retailer such as Amazon.com, Overstock.com, or many other popular sites. Don’t be fooled. No matter what company the caller claims to represent, if he asks for personal financial information, it’s probably a scam.
When you find yourself on the phone with a scammer, your best defense is to get off the phone as quickly as possible. Always hang up on a scammer immediately to keep your money where it belongs – in your possession.

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How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers
Fraud & Security

How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

3 simple rules to protect you on Craigslist

 
It’s finally time to part with a vehicle after years of ownership. The seller cleans out the armrest, vacuums the interior, and polishes the paint to a gleaming shine. Only after the vehicle is prettied to perfection does the owner place an ad for it on Craigslist, the popular classified ad website. What happens next isn’t something the seller expects. How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers
A person emails the seller expressing interest in the vehicle. The potential buyer asks about the condition of the car, the number of miles on the engine, and the age of the tires. After several emails back and forth, the interested individual asks about a vehicle history report. Instead of asking the seller to buy a Carfax report, he suggests an alternative that’s half the price.
A Carfax vehicle history report offers such information as to ownership history, accident history, maintenance reports, and other useful data. It’s a valuable resource for buyers when contemplating a vehicle purchase. The potential buyer in our example above, however, wasn’t interested in obtaining this type of information. The person wanted something more sinister in nature – the seller’s cash. How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers
The prospective purchaser told the seller that a Carfax report was too expensive and that the seller should buy a comparable report from an alternative website. When the seller navigates to the alternative website as suggested, the landing page looks legitimate and offers what someone would expect to find on a Carfax report. After the seller enters his credit card information into the site to generate the report, the website tells him it will be emailed to him shortly.
That email never arrives. How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers
This scam is one of many that plague honest classified ad users every day. The scammer duped a seller into entering credit card information into a fake website. Once the scammer had this information in hand, he immediately used the credit card to make fraudulent purchases. Instead of getting cash for the sale of his used vehicle, the seller lost his valuable time disputing the fraudulent charges to his card company. How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers
When posting an item for sale on Craigslist, or any other classified ad resource, always assume you might become the target of a scammer. Use extreme caution when dealing with unknown individuals and take a few simple precautions:

  • Never meet a buyer alone. Have a friend, relative, or neighbor join you at the meeting location.
  • Never meet a buyer in a remote area. If the buyer wants to meet at a location that is poorly illuminated or sparsely populated, ask the person to meet at a place you’re familiar with and has lots of passersby. If possible, call a local police department or fire station and ask if it’s okay to meet there. A legitimate buyer will have no problem meeting at these locations.
  • Don’t give your financial information or send money to unknown entities. If the buyer wants you to go to an unfamiliar website or send money to a third party for whatever reason, don’t do it. The person might pressure you into the act by threatening the loss of the sale. Don’t fall for it. It’s better to lose the sale than your identity or hard-earned

Always use caution when dealing with unknown classified ad buyers. They might be interested in something other than what you’re selling. For more tips on classified scams click here. How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers

How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers

How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers
How to avoid Craigslist scammers posing as buyers

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Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love
Fraud & Security

Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

A man received a phone call recently from someone claiming to be his daughter. The woman said she was in a Las Vegas jail and needed his help to get out. Her voice sounded genuine to the concerned father, and he wanted to do what he could to help her in her time of need. What he didn’t know was that this was an elaborate ploy by scammers to steal his hard-earned cash. Here’s what happened next and how you can avoid becoming a victim. Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love
Desperate to get out of jail, the daughter told her father that her lawyer was going to call him with more details on what to do next. Shortly after that, the lawyer called and told the loving dad that he needed $15,000 to get his daughter out of jail and clear her driving record. Rather than wire cash, the lawyer asked the father to purchase gift cards from a particular retailer.
The worried father prepared to do as instructed, but at the last minute, decided to call his daughter’s office see if she’d answer. When she answered the phone, the father realized he was the target of an elaborate two-person scam.
Two hours later, the lawyer called asking for the gift card information. The father told the lawyer that he spoke with his daughter at work and knew the call was a scam. Without another word, the scammer hung up the phone and never called back.
In this scam, the caller had basic information about the target. The scammer knew the target’s name, the name of his daughter, and the target’s phone number. Using this information, the scammer manufactured a scenario that would instill enough fear and concern in the target to force him to take immediate action.
Emotion is a powerful motivator, often causing some to act quickly without carefully evaluating a situation. In the scenario above, the father paused to assess the predicament before giving the lawyer $15,000. That assessment saved the dad a considerable sum.
If you find yourself the subject of a similar phone call, take the time to carefully evaluate the legitimacy of the situation. At the very least, call the person who needs help using contact information you already have. Don’t use alternative contact information provided by the caller. It could be false.
You might ask how the caller had information about the father to begin the scam. That’s a good question, and the answer is – the availability of such information is more abundant than ever.
A technically-minded scammer can dig up basic information on potential targets by running a search online. There are many websites that aggregate such information for a variety of purposes. Skilled scammers can harness the power of this modern, easily accessible data to arm themselves with valuable ammunition in their scams. It takes a criminal more time to obtain such information and implement these scams, but the effectiveness of targeted attacks results in higher returns because they’re more personal in nature.
Always take the time you need to carefully evaluate a caller’s story before acting. It could save you a large amount of cash and considerable anguish. Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love

Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love

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Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors
Fraud & Security

Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Most people wouldn’t want to become friends with someone who is trying to rip them off. Yet, every day, people hand over their hard-earned money to strangers who’ve become good friends – within the timespan of a single telephone call. How is this possible? Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors
Some criminals use aggressive, threatening tactics to steal money from victims over the phone. It’s easy to identify these scoundrels as enemies, people who want to cause financial harm to other people. But what about someone who calls pretending to be a friend? Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors
Friendly scammers are more diabolical than aggressive ones. Hothead bullies usually take what they can and move on to other targets. “Friendly” scammers want to make long-term relationships with potential targets, stealing money over and over again from the same source. Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors
To misquote a famous movie, “These are not the friends you’re looking for.”
Scammers know the value of friendship. People generally trust friends more than strangers and are more willing to take actions suggested by friends. Scammers want to be your friend because they know they’ll have a greater chance at convincing you to give them your money if they’re successful.
These frenemies will tell you that the money you send them will help you get what you want. Whether the promised benefit will help you, family members, or a charity, they’ll latch on to any reason why you might need the benefit they’re offering and exploit that reason to the fullest extent possible.
A scammer will never be your friend, no matter what that person might tell you.
Frenemy scammers typically use the promise of a prize to lure money out of a target. Any person who calls with the promise of incredible lottery winnings, amazing raffle prizes, or free trips, and asks for money to receive that prize, is a scammer. You didn’t win a thing, but you can lose everything if you believe the scammer.
A person who sends money to these friends to receive something of substantial value will never receive that value. The “winner” will receive additional requests for cash for as long as he or she can send more money. Even when a victim runs out of money, the helpful friend requesting money will convince a person to take out loans on personal property or sell assets such as vehicles and coin collections to send in more cash.
NEVER send cash, money orders, checks, cash cards, or wire transfers to anyone to receive a prize. Ever.
A friendly scammer doesn’t care if you’re rich, poor, or somewhere in between. He doesn’t care if you need the money you have to pay for critical medical expenses or essential living costs. The friendly scammer on the other end of the telephone, a person you’ve never met, will take every dollar he can get from you, even if puts your life in jeopardy.
Always hang up on a stranger who offers an incredible windfall, pretends to be a helpful friend, and asks for money in return. This person is a scammer who wants to steal your cash, and he isn’t the kind of friend you want or need to have in your life.
Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors

Friendly Scammers Preying on Seniors

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Smart Ride: Go Anywhere with a Phone Call
Fraud & Security

New Scam: Can you Hear Me?

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

In the latest ploy by scammers to steal your hard-earned cash, criminals use the lure of a free vacation to convince targets to hand over their credit card information. What these thieves also obtain is involuntary permission to charge expensive trip features on these credit cards by convincing people to answer “yes” to the question, “Can you hear me okay?” New Scam: Can you Hear Me?
In this scam, a robocall (automated dialing system that plays a pre-recorded message) calls a target to pitch the free vacation. Here’s how an actual call begins: New Scam: Can you Hear Me?
“Hello, this is Josh from customer service. Can you hear me okay?” New Scam: Can you Hear Me?
Pause for several seconds. New Scam: Can you Hear Me?
“Great. You have been preselected for an all-expenses paid vacation which includes tickets and…”
The robocall doesn’t sound automated at this point. It attempts to simulate a live person to get the target to respond to the question, “Can you hear me okay?” A person who hears this and doesn’t know the call is from a robocaller will usually respond by saying “yes” in response to the question. If the target responds to the question with a “yes,” the scammer has what he needs to authorize charges on a credit card the scammer hopes to obtain later in the call.
This call continued with the free trip offer and outlined the many benefits of this windfall. To secure the trip and pay for any incidentals that aren’t included in the free package, all a person has to do is offer a credit card number over the phone. The scammer promises that no charges will be applied to the card unless the person makes additional purchases on the trip. That promise couldn’t be further away from the truth.
If a person provides a credit card number to this scammer, the criminal will make expensive charges on the card associated with the “free” trip. When the victim receives a credit card statement that outlines these expenses charges he didn’t agree to, the person will naturally phone the “company” to complain. The scammer who responds will aggressively tell the target that he agreed to the charges during the call, and that they have his “yes” confirmation to approve the charges.
The “yes” confirmation of course came at the beginning of the call in response to the “Can you hear me okay?” question. That’s how devious these criminals can be in their efforts to steal your money.
You have to arm yourself with the knowledge to protect yourself from these deceitful criminals to avoid becoming a victim. Here’s how you can prevent this deceptive crook from stealing your cash: Can you Hear Me Scam

  • Never answer a phone call unless you know the identity of the caller. This will prevent most telephone scams from connecting with you.
  • If you answer the phone and the person doesn’t say the name of the company he or she is connected with, the person is probably a scammer. In the robocall above, Josh stated he is from “customer service.” What company is that? Customer service is usually the name of a department within a company, not the name of the company itself. Hang up the phone.
  • A business will never call random people with whom they have no established relationship to offer free vacation packages. If a person calls to offer anything for free, hang up immediately, especially if the caller doesn’t know your name. The person is using the pretense of offering something for free to try to take your money.

Nobody can stop these criminals from reaching out to you. Nobody is going to tell you when you’re under attack by one of these criminals. Nobody is going to stop you from giving the criminal what he or she wants. Only you can defend yourself when you come under fire by a criminal. Can you Hear Me Scam on Seniors
Always remain skeptical of anything that seems too good to be true and do your best to update your knowledge frequently with the latest tricks scammers might use to steal from you. Own your defense to stay safe from criminals.
For other tips on avoiding scams click here. New Scam: Can you Hear Me?

New Scam: Can you Hear Me?

New Scam: Can you Hear Me? New Scam: Can you Hear Me? New Scam: Can you Hear Me? New Scam: Can you Hear Me?
New Scam: Can you Hear Me?
 

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Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump
Fraud & Security

Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump

by Rod Spurgeon
written by Rod Spurgeon

 
A rash of thefts at gas stations has spread across the nation in recent months. The station’s themselves, however, are not the targets of these bold acts. Instead, brazen thieves are targeting women standing alone at the pump. Will you be next? Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump
Here’s how this sneaky scheme unfolds: Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump
Criminals will monitor drivers entering gas stations. When they spot a woman driving alone, they watch to see if she takes her purse with her when she exits the vehicle. If not, they look carefully to see if she locks her car doors. Should the doors remain unlocked while the driver begins refueling her vehicle, a criminal will use the distraction to enter her vehicle from the other side.
A purse thief stays low to the ground to avoid detection, opens the car door just enough to gain access to the vehicle’s interior, and then carefully extracts the purse left inside. Once a thief has the purse, the criminal immediately hops into a nearby vehicle, possibly with a getaway driver, and leaves the station. By the time the owner of the purse discovers that it’s missing, the criminal that stole it is long gone.
Don’t give these thieves the chance to steal what’s yours.
Keep your car doors locked at all times, whether you’re inside or outside of the vehicle. It doesn’t matter if you’ll be away from your car for only a few moments or if you’ll be a short distance away. If you give thieves the chance to steal from you, for however long that opportunity exists, they’ll take advantage of it.
It might be more convenient to leave a car door unlocked for a short time for a variety of reasons, but thieves take notice of these windows of opportunity. Even if you don’t believe you’re at risk, a thief might know otherwise. You likely won’t discover you’ve been targeted by thieves until it’s too late.
One of best ways to defeat a criminal intent on covertly stealing valuables from your vehicle is to prevent easy access to them.
Locking your doors is a simple act. It takes only a second, but it creates a barrier that will shut down a thief looking for an easy target. The convenience of leaving a door unlocked, for however long you might leave it unlocked, can be costly. Don’t let that convenience turn into a substantial loss.
Always lock your car doors. It will help keep your valuables where they belong – in your possession.
Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump

Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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