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Next Show: Tuesday, July 24th, 2007 @ 11:06am
From our new Valley Talk Studio in the Historic Venetian Theater
KGAL's ScamBusters live radio talk show is an advice show about scams, rip-offs in the world of e-commerce. Joining KGAL Operations Manager and Valley Talk Host Jim Willhight is local business man Craig Solomon of e-Powersellers.com.
Archives
Craig Solomon
Co-Host of the Show
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The show airs as part of 1580 KGAL's Valley Talk lineup. It's live, it's local and it airs from 11:06 to Noon every other Tuesday on NewsTalk 1580 KGAL.
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Archives April 2007
Scambusters Radio Show Summary: April 17, 2007
Email: NoScams@kgal.com
Tax Scams
The Internal Revenue Service on Friday 4/13 warned of Internet scam artists
trying to obtain people's bank account numbers and other information by posing
as a participant in a program offering free tax preparation software to low- and
middle-income taxpayers.
The tax agency said in a statement that the IRS's Web site, http://www.irs.gov/,
is the only way to access the Free File program, and that taxpayers should avoid
other Web sites claiming to be part of the program.
Even though today is the final day to submit your taxes, please be sure not to
fall for this scam.
The tax agency said it was looking into allegations that the bogus Web sites,
which were not identified, were accepting tax information from taxpayers,
changing the taxpayers' bank account numbers to their own and filing the return
through a legitimate Free File partner.
Oprah 4/13
with Brian Ross from 20/20
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USPS
Inspectors have stopped over 6 Millions Scams / Fake Checks
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Nigerian
Scams & Phishing take the lead on scams. Scammers look for 1% return.
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Not
all Nigerian Scams come via email, many come from US Mail or Fax.
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Reverse
on the Scam, a leagal form comes in from the Nigerian Government saying that
they want to send you $1M due to your loss, but need $4K to process.
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Many
of the people scammed are quite smart, intelligent people.
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Fake
Lottery Scams
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Fake
Oprah Ticket Scams / Contests / Sweepstakes
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Repackage
Scams
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Many
fall for it due to greed, something for nothing
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Fake
scams involving a Solider and Sadam's Money is highlighted
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Scam
involving Teri Irwin, widow of the Croc Hunter, name is used in a Scam to move
money out of Australia.
Scambusters
Saves Local Couple $7000.00
Luckily we were here to prevent a local Albany couple from losing $7000 USD on
an eBay ATO car scam. The seller (Stolen Account) canceled the auction an
contacted all bidders that they car was theirs. They told the buyers that they
now live overseas and have no use for the car. The car however is in the USA and
is titled in the USA. The buyer needs to wire the full amount to the seller
overseas and once received they will release the vehicle and title.
The added "safety-net" to the buyers is they had everything set to be
paid and guaranteed through the eBay Auto Buyers Safety program, however there
of course is no such service and no protection. Anyone who falls for this deal
would lose their money with no resources actually available to assist them
retreive any of their wired funds.
2008 ID
Changes Coming!
There are three rumours floating around the internet now on Federal ID and
Drivers Licenses. The three rumours are...
1. By 2008 Motorists will have to submit to formal identification checks to
obtain or renew Drivers Licenses in the USA
A. True, there are changes coming that will require people in the USA to provide
more ID when applying for or renewing a drivers license. Items that are listed
as accepted IDs include a birth certificate or a US Passport. Other
documentation will be required to show that you reside at your listed residence
such a utility bills. The original date for this requirement was May 11th 2008,
but has been pushed back to December 31st 2008. There are more details regarding
this "Real ID Act" that can be found online under the Department of
Homland Security page.
2. A unique Federal ID number will be issued to each US DL holder as a unique
identifier.
A. False
3. Starting in 2008 when you renew your license a chip will be implanted in
motorists hands with all their personal information and Federal ID number.
A. False
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Watch
out for Notary Scams
Being a Notary myself, I read a lot of trade publications on the happenings on
the Notary Community. Before becoming a Notary I was unaware of the likelyhook
of Notary Scams, after all, it is seems like such a straight process, however
there is no end to the scams surrounding Notary's. I became a Notary because of
the natural fit with our Shipping Annex here in Albany, and even more so I am
glad I became one as it gave me access to information to makes us better
reporters at Scambusters.
The most common scam affects immigrants. In the U.S., there are reports of
Notaries (or people claiming to be notaries) having taken advantage of the
differing roles of notaries in common law and civil law jurisdictions to engage
in the unauthorized practice of law. The victims of such scams are typically
illegal immigrants from civil law countries who need assistance with, for
example, their immigration papers and want to avoid hiring an attorney.
Confusion often results from the mistaken premise that a notary public in the
United States serves the same function as a Notario Público in Spanish-speaking
countries (which are civil law countries, see below). Prosecutions in such cases
are difficult, as the victims are often deported and thus unavailable to
testify.
The other scams to watch out for, mortgage scams, power of attorney scams,
Insurance scams, wills and trust scams, divorce and custody scams and many more.
Please be aware if a document is not properly notarized it is not a legal
Document and that it may come back later and vacate all value it had when
submitted. Please visit our site at http://albanynotary.com for more information
and please feel free to contact us for any Notary questions.
Updated
10 Tips to protect your ID
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#1
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Keep
a list of all credit card and bank account numbers with bank phone
numbers so in case of loss or theft they can be notified immediately.
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#2
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Use
only one credit card for personal expenses and one card for business
expenses and monitor accounts online weekly.
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#3
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Always
send or receive mail only through secure and locked mail boxes.
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#4
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Never
give out any sensitive information (SSN, Acct #, Pin #, Password Etc)
via an email solicitation. Always type in and visit the website
directly.
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#5
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Limit
the information on your checks to your first initial, last name and
address (nothing more).
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#6
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On
all credit cards instead of signing your name write "Check ID!". #7
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#8
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Never
use a debit card or Visa/Master Check card as recovering fraudulently
accessed funds from these accounts can be extremely difficult. #9
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#10
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Store
all credit cards, bank statements and passports etc in a secure and
locked place.
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Never
give out your Social Security Number, Drivers License Number or Date Of
Birth unless they have just cause and really need it.
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Couple
caught on 1m ID Theft Scam
New York Post Article by HASANI GITTENS
April 14, 2007 -- A married couple from Brooklyn went from better to worse after
getting caught using a Queens man's identity to scam more than $1 million,
authorities said yesterday.
Emerick Martin and his wife, Donna, both 42, allegedly obtained more than $1
million in mortgages and applied for a $90,000 loan for a Mercedes-Benz - using
a forged driver's license in their victim's name, according to the Queens
District Attorney's Office.
The Bay Ridge couple has been charged with attempted grand larceny, criminal
possession of a forged instrument, identity theft, falsifying business records,
scheming to defraud and unlawful possession of personal identification
information.
The DA said the investigation of the Martins began this year when the victim, a
41-year-old man from Rosedale, learned someone was trying to obtain a $180,000
second mortgage on his home.
At the mortgage closing on Jan. 11, the Martins allegedly presented a forged
driver's license in the victim's name, supplying paperwork with the Queens man's
actual loan number, job information, telephone number and address.
The Martins also allegedly took out two mortgages totaling $1,123,000 on a home
in Dix Hills, L.I.
Investigators said that just before Christmas, the Mar tins went to a Jamaica,
Queens, auto dealership to buy a 2007 Mercedes S550 for $90,000 using credit in
the victim's name.
Again they presented the victim's Social Security number and a forged driver's
license, but were denied when the forgery was spotted.
Go to Download mp3 Audio Archive Section.
Scambusters Radio Show Summary: April 03, 2007
Email: NoScams@kgal.com
New twist on Overpayment Scam:
Customer comes into e-Powersellers, telling us about her sister who was bated for the overpayment scam, however with a new twist. Her sister had an item listed for sale on a website with a phone to call if interested. The scammer contacted her using a 3rd party service pretending to be deaf, so the service translated through the deaf TTY phone service. Said they can't talk on the phone because of their deafness and asked if they can communicate via email. Most likely this person is out of the country using VOIP and the foreign language would be a dead giveaway.
The scammer wanted to do the typical overpayment scam, wanted to send a MO for nearly ten times the amount of the item, and wanted the money immediately wired back to the intended buyer (scammer).
This is not a massive change to the scam, but a nice twist to make it more believable to seller and may be enough to scam someone out of a good deal of money.
Fake Payment Scam
This is usually a short lived scam, you would get inundated with payments and most likely the scammer will want the money turned around quickly less your (fake) commission of course and wire the money back to him overseas.
If this was a legitimate offer, then the seller would really need one person, after all, how much of his art is he really selling, and how would he figure who to send the money to? A difficult thing to keep track of to say the very least. If you were a buyer would you want to send a MO or Check to someone in another country in another name?
The reason it is short lived is that within 1-2 weeks you will find out from your bank that the payments you received are totally fake and you just sent away your savings, as you will owe the bank them money. On top of that, if the checks are stolen, you may be arrested for fraud.
Here is a copy of the email we received. On a side note, we have contacted the sender via a free email account we have to "get the details" so we can participate in this wonderful opportunity.
"Good Day,
My name is Eric J. Turner, My Company is looking for a someone in the STATES/ CANADA that is trustworthy and honest who would be helping out with payment collection and processing.. All you would be doing is receiving these payments that would come to you via the mail system in your country, have them cashed and remit the rest to me. I would be willing to pay you 10% of whatever payment you process. These payments would come in different forms.
I have been designing arts and crafts since I was a small child. That gives me about 20 Years of experience. I majored in art in high school and took a few college art courses. Most of my work is done in either pencil or airbrush mixed with colour pencils. I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the internet. I have been selling my art for the last 3 years and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines. I have sold in galleries and to private collectors from all around the world. I am always facing serious difficulties when it comes to selling my art works to Americans; they are always offering to pay with Different Modes, which are difficult for me to cash here in the UK. Because of a hold of almost two weeks that would be placed on them before they clears the banks here in the UK.
These payments would be coming in your name, so that it would be possible for you to have them cashed. And there is NO FEE or SIGN-UP FEE of any kind. The payment would be sent to you directly from my clients in the states or by me after verifying the details on them. All you would be doing is cashing the payments and deducting your share
(10%) and having the rest sent down to me via WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER. the FEE for the transfer would also be deducted from my SHARE of the money
REPLY
We did receive a reply from the FAKE Eric J. Turner, as the real Turner is an amateur cartoonist. The fake one shows mismatched fine art saying the values are in the few thousand. As we assumed the scam was clear, cash the payment (CASH THE PAYMENTS) and then WIRE the money to him immediately. Here is the email:
lo
How are you doing? the job does not entail much. all you would be doing is receiving these payments in form of Money Orders, which would be coming from some clients of mine in the United States via the mail. So when you get these Checks all you have to do is have them cashed and deduct your share ( 10% ) and wire the rest down to me here in England via ( MoneyGram Money Transfer or Western Union Money Transfer).I would also be needing some proof of Identity. so i have attached an Employment form for you to fill and send back to me via email.my phone number in the UK is : + 44 7031851304. I have also attached some of my paintings to this email for you to see. the prices of my art work range from about £1,450 ($3,000) and above. br>
Wholesale Product Scam
Not really a typical email or internet scam, but we get more of these than most people. As professional eBay sellers we get dozens of these a month. We already know that you can't buy wholesale Gucci and Louis Vuitton from Hong Hong or China or other countries, these are just good or poor quality knock off's and illegal to sell here in the USA and may even be illegal to import them. Regardless it infringes on the manufactures trademark and could involve you in a federal trial. Of course selling fake designer items on eBay can and would most likely result in the suspension of your account.
We were recently approached by clients at our store wanting us to sell two purses, a Chanel and a Louis Vuitton. They wanted 1k and 2k for the bags each. We took the bags in and before we listed them on eBay we did some research and found both bags to be fakes. The customers asked that we sell them know and "Pay them early" as they needed cash for taxes, however the scam was clear, sell the bags, get the payment, ship the item and pay the client before the winning bidder finds out the item is fake and wants their money back. We of course returned the items to the client and let them know we could not list them.
Here is the email we received.
products with high quality and a reasonable price,. You will be satisfied with our good service. Our company is growing up by integrity and profession. Please email us to get details. Fast and safe delivery by EMS, DHL, TNT, or UPS. FREE shipping fee with EMS shipment. we can deliver within 2 business days once receiving your payment, we accept: Paypal, Western Union and T/T for the payment.
If you need, we can do drop shipping for you.
We wish your visit and keep a long-term business. Please email us to get more details. Thanks for your visiting. If you have any questions contact us please. Best wishes
Bad PayPal Phishing
Some of the recent PayPal Phishes are good, but some are bad, this one is a mix of the two. The visual aspects are good but the text and reasoning is poor. Along with missing information and details there is a common missing fact in most poor phishing attempts and this is they have no actual account or personal details in the email.
This specific phish links to a website in the Netherlands, which is an unusual scam location, but still viable.
The obvious errors are:
(Your case ID for this r <<< That is it, ends with an "r" they forgot to finish the email.
Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s): <<< If you account is limited, then just go to PayPal log in and there will be notice stopping you from continuing. One would never reply to a link or notice like this, always go to the website directly.
We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with secure service. <<< Pure Garbage, never will PayPal "review your account"
We got a different PayPal phish as well, saying to activate our PayPal Debit Card. This one has a bunch of holes, as if you did not just get a card, why would you need to activate one? Also would you not get your activation information with the card?
They added one trick to the text, as they assume that you did not get your PayPal card, as this is a random phish, so they ask you log into your account through the fake link. Here is the text they are using to try to get you to log in.
Note: If you have not received your ATM/Debit Card, it was mailed to the billing address of your Primary Credit Card. To check that this address is still correct, log in to your account and go to the Profile subtab, then choose the Credit Cards link from the Financial Information column to view your billing address. Please contact us if the address is incorrect.
The quality of the scam is that if you actually clicked on the link (subset of IP 66.111.224.11) is the fake site is very authentic looking which I makes it very dangerous if you accidently overlooked the errors in the email.
Bad eBay Phish
Bad on so many levels, the most glaring the link clearly shows you are going to the website by.ru in Russia. Plus if they are looking in Russia, why would you ship the item to Daly City, California? Also what is the difference if someone saw an item just like it? This whole email is rotten phish.
This is the email, please do not click on the link.
Hello, I am interested in your item. The problem is that i am a little confuse because i've seen another item exactly like yours. Please take a look :
http://pages-ebay.by.ru/search.ebay.com/ws/ eBayISAPI.dll/WQQ_item120089542492/ Also please let me know how much will be shipping to Daly City, CA 94015. Thank you
Oh, and more importantly this email came to an email address of mine that has never been used or associated with eBay.
Government Grant Scams
Recent rash of fake government grant scams. Many of the scams come via phone calls or email. The scams include asking for personal information including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and of course asking people to pay advance processing fees.
Please remember that no legitimate group will ever contact you offering you a Government Grant. Third party companies also prey on people saying for a fee they will help you process the paperwork or research if you are a candidate for a grant, these are pure rip-offs.
All true grants go through an application and approval process, there are many legitimate resources for getting grants research those on your own and never reply to an email or phone call. Grants are always given for a specific need or purpose, they are not given because the government has spare money, you are the first to sign up or you are a good taxpayer. All these are empty promises that are just methods to steal your cash.
Here are some legitimate resources for researching government grants.
www.cfda.org, www.fafsa.ed.gov, www.govbenefits.gov, www.grants.gov
Quick review of Pharming
In this latest version of online ID theft, a virus or malicious program is secretly planted in your computer and hijacks your Web browser. When you type in the address of a legitimate Web site, you're taken to a fake copy of the site without realizing it. Any personal information you provide at the phony site, such as your password or account number, can be stolen and fraudulently used.
Fake Investment Email We Have Received
Jim, received the email below to the investment show email address at KGAL. On the surface this email reads scam, and of course why would Fidelity Investments spam out an email to get people to sneak money out of their company.
The link at the bottom to Fidelity is legitimate but the email to the "Fund Manager" asking you to email him at home through a FREE email service is such a bogus attempt at a phish / fraud. This is such a bogus email we hope no one would truly fall for this mess.
My Request,
I am Mr. Evan Davidson a Fund Manager with Fidelity Investment UK and I am
searching for a reliable and trustworthy person that can work out this
deal with me so that we can join hand as a Partnership to claim a huge
amount of fund in our company.
Explanation: I handle all our Investor's capital Project Funds that
enables me to divert 1.2 Percent Investors Excess Return Capital Funds to
our Magellan Trust Funds Account whereby anyone can be presented to claim
the funds. On this note, the total sum of 16.8Million Great British Pounds
GBP (Sixteen Million Eight Hundred Thousand GBP) has been diverted
representing the 1.2 Percent Excess Return Capital Funds from the Investor
Capital Project Funds for 2005/2007.
There is no risk attached and the funds in question can never be dictated
or traced. Our sharing ratio is 50:50. If you are interested, please send
your direct telephone numbers through my home email address
(evan1958@hotmail.com) for a smooth discussion of this deal in further
details.
Sincerely,
Mr. Evan.
Fidelity Investment UK
www.fidelity-international.com.
Informational Consumer Alert from Citizen's Bank
Consumer Alert - Solicitations Regarding Certain Mortgage Programs
WASHINGTON - The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has received inquiries and complaints from consumers who received solicitations about a "Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Program" that entitles certain homeowners to cash grants or equity disbursements. Some of these solicitations may be read to indicate that the federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies endorse or support the offers.
These solicitations appear to be a deceptive effort to encourage consumers to apply for a mortgage loan secured by the consumer's home. The agencies do not endorse or sponsor particular mortgage loan programs. Additionally, the federal law known as CRA does not contain programs as described in the solicitations, nor do such programs exist. The agencies caution the public about loan solicitations or other offers from lenders or mortgage brokers that offer consumers cash as part of a "Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Program."
The Community Reinvestment Act is a federal law that was enacted in 1977. It encourages depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, in ways that are consistent with safe and sound banking operations. The CRA does not entitle individuals to any grants or loans.
Consumers should be very suspicious of conducting business with lenders or mortgage brokers that make deceptive claims. Individuals who are considering taking out a loan using their house as security are urged to shop around. Comparing loan programs offered by a variety of different lenders can help consumers get a better deal. This online pamphlet, issued by the agencies, Looking for the Best Mortgage: Shop, Compare, Negotiate, contains useful information about shopping for home loans:
Consumers who have complaints about national banks should contact the OCC's Customer Assistance Group (CAG). The CAG may be reached at 1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450, Houston, Texas 77010-9050; toll free telephone number 1-800-613-6743; or email at customer.assistance@occ.treas.gov. In addition, questions may be directed to crahelp@frb.gov or the CRA Assistance Line at (202) 872-7584.
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e-PowerSellers,
Albany Notary,
Shipping Annex
Content from Radio Show on March 20th 2007
Go to Download mp3 Audio Archive Section.
Tangent couple lose $3,315 in 'Net scam
By Alex Paul, (c) 2007 Albany Democrat-Herald
TANGENT - All Catherine Nelson wants is an inexpensive used car that runs well. Her 17-year-old car has nearly 200,000 miles and an engine that's running on borrowed time.
Nelson needs something reliable to get her back and forth to her job working with autistic children through the local Education Service District. She and her husband, Francis Romano, were ecstatic when they found a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder for sale for $3,200 on the popular Internet site Craig's List.
The two-owner SUV was within their budget and sounded like an answer to their prayers.
"Being a spoiled vehicle, the previous owner insisted that it be kept in the garage ... no, this vehicle is not a one-owner, but you will be proud to own it," the advertisement read.
The couple's joy turned to sorrow and frustration upon learning they had been scammed by someone who provided false information designed to make them think the transaction was protected by services provided by eBay.
"We had contacted eBay several times before we sent the MoneyGram, but we never heard back from them until the day after we sent the money," Romano explained. "Catherine was very nervous about sending money this way, we just haven't done it before and we were trying to be as careful as possible."
The couple wired $3,315 on Jan. 31. The next day they realized they had been scammed when they couldn't track their purchase through normal eBay channels. Romano learned that the seller was supposedly in Utah, so he contacted the FBI office in Salt Lake City. They were told they would have to follow the chain of command. In the last six weeks they have filed seven more complaints with the FBI and haven't received any personal contact, Romano said.
The scammer had sent the couple several documents to ease their fears about sending so much money sight unseen. All looked like real eBay documents but were fake. When Romano contacted eBay by telephone, he was told they had been "spoofed."
Romano says looking back over paperwork sent by the scammer, several red flags should have popped out at him. A purchase confirmation letter contained grammatical errors and the return e-mail address was not from eBay.
"We have no hope of getting our money back," Nelson said.
"I'm going to have to drive my car until it drops," she continued. "I hope it lasts long enough for me to save up money to buy another car. I'm sick about it but I won't let this rule my life. I'm going to write to as many places as I can and hope that other people don't get scammed in the same way. You definitely need to check everything."
The Federal Trade Commission warns online buyers they should never wire money to a seller's account unless they "know the seller personally or can verify the seller's identity. Buyers should be suspicious of sellers who insist on wire transfers as the only form of payment they will accept. If something goes wrong with the transaction, you most likely will lose your payment and not have any recourse."
e-PowerSellers,
Albany Notary,
Shipping Annex
Telemarketing Fraud
When you send money to people you do not know personally or give personal or financial information to unknown callers, you increase your chances of becoming a victim of telemarketing fraud.
Warning signs -- what a caller may tell you:
· "You must act 'now' or the offer won't be good."
· "You've won a 'free' gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.
· "You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
· "You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
· "You don't need any written information about their company or their references."
· "You can't afford to miss this 'high-profit, no-risk' offer."
Some Tips to Avoid Telemarketing Fraud:
It's very difficult to get your money back if you've been cheated over the phone. Before you buy anything by telephone, remember:
· Don't buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply.
· Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately, beware -- not everything written down is true.
· Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.
· Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.
· Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment.
· Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. "What guarantee do I really have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?"
· You must not be asked to pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.
· Some con artists will send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached.
· Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap decision.
· Don't pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.
· Before you receive your next sales pitch, decide what your limits are -- the kinds of financial information you will and won't give out on the telephone.
· It's never rude to wait and think about an offer. Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor.
· Never respond to an offer you don't understand thoroughly.
· Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
· Your personal information is often brokered to telemarketers through third parties.
· If you have information about a fraud report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.
ABA WARNS OF FRAUDULENT PHONE CALLS
WASHINGTON, March 12 - The American Bankers Association has been alerted that someone or a group of individuals making phone calls purporting to be from ABA are actually part of an identity theft scam. These con artists are calling members of the public to falsely report that the receiver's personal financial information is on the Internet and ABA is calling them as a courtesy.
These fraudulent calls, which have been discovered in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, are an effort to obtain personal financial information and are not being made by the ABA. The ABA would never request such information. In effort to further legitimize themselves, the con artists sometimes do not ask for personal financial information during the first call but simply recommend that the person call their bank. The con artist will then ask for the personal financial information during a follow-up call
ABA is working with law enforcement to identify the source of the phone calls and to disrupt them. ABA offers the following advice to consumers:
· Never give out your financial information to anyone unless you have initiated the contact, and this includes emails;
· If you have already responded to this type of call or email by providing your personal financial information, contact your financial institution immediately to protect your account;
· Inform the ABA about fraudulent phone calls and emails that use ABA's name by sending an email to alert@aba.com.
Current Cell Phone Urban Legends
Must be popular, as in the last week I have had five emails from friends asking about these gee-wiz things you can do or use your mobile / cell phone for...
Claim 1. Dialing 112 on your mobile phone while in Europe will contact you with emergency services similar to 911.
· Partially True: Some countries allow for 112 access, but your call will still be blocked if the relay towers don't recognize the signal. This will also fail if you phones carrier does not share access.
Claim 2. That if your car has remote keyless entry, and you have an extra set of keys at home, you can call your home via your cell phone and someone at the other end can send the signal from the keys trough the house phone to your mobile phone and if you hold your cell phone about 1' away from your car door it would open.
· Totally False: Cars use RKE transmission systems and Mobile phones do not, they are two separate signal sources and transmit at different frequencies. This is completely impossible.
Claim 3: By hitting *3373# on your cell phone you can boost your battery for more time as there is a hidden battery reserve.
· Nokia has what is called a half rate codec that adjusts the sound quality on a phone so that the battery has a longer talk life, there is no battery reserve and on a full charge may give you up to a 30% increase in battery life. However the other error is the code is actually #4720#, as the *3373# code actually puts that phone back to full codec. Regardless this is basically a non option and not worth considering even if you have the few phones in the world that allows this to happen as the loss of quality removes the value.
Claim 4: Disable a stolen mobile phone by reporting the serial number to the provider. By entering code *#06# a 15 digit code will appear on the screen. If you write this down and you call your provider they can disable the phone even if the sim card is switched.
· Partially True: This code may or may not appear on your phone, it is easier to write down the IMEI number on any of your mobile phones, usually on the sticker on the box when you get your phone or for sure under the battery. Only certain providers can remotely disable a phone.
Claim 5: Instead of paying for 411 from your cell carrier (charges between $0.75 and $1.50) use a toll free 800 number for 411 info like 800.FREE.411 aka 800.373.3411 without incurring cost.
· Partially True: As the service is free, you are still paying for the call, so if you are paying by the minute you are still paying by the minute. Remember cellular phones don't count 800, 877, or 888 numbers as toll free, you are paying for airtime and maybe distance depending on your plan.
FBI 2006 Stats / Overview
During 2006, consumers filed 207,492 complaints. Complainants said they lost $198.4 million, the highest total ever.
Nearly 45 percent of the complaints involved online auction fraud-such as getting a different product than you expected-making it the largest category; more than 19 percent concerned undelivered merchandise or payments. Another pervasive scheme last year involved an e-mail threat of murder .
The perpetrators: Three-quarters were men. Nearly 61 percent lived in the U.S., with half in one of seven states. Other top countries included the U.K., Nigeria, Canada, Romania, and Italy.
Victims: All over the map. But the report shows that the "average" complainant was a man between 30 and 40 living in California, Texas, Florida, or New York. Individuals who reported losing money lost an average of $724; the highest losses involved Nigerian letter fraud, with a median loss of $5,100. Nearly 74 percent of the complaints said they were contacted through e-mail, and 36 percent complained of fraud through websites, highlighting the anonymous nature of the web.
See the full FBI report here: http://www.ic3.gov/media/annualreport/2006_IC3Report.pdf
Note: Oregon ranks #22 in fraud reporting
e-PowerSellers,
Albany Notary,
Shipping Annex
Bulletin on Vishing Scam
With the new commonality and popularity of VOIP Voice Over IP Internet Phones, cyber criminals are using these systems to exploit Vishing scams. As we mentioned before on our show Vishing is very similar to Phishing, except instead of email the scammers use voice (phones) to contact the mark.
There are currently two versions of this new Vishing scam.
· In one version, you get the typical e-mail, like a traditional phishing scam. But instead of being directed to an Internet site, you're asked to provide the information over the phone and given a number to call. Those who call the "customer service" number (a VoIP account, not a real financial institution) are led through a series of voice-prompted menus that ask for account numbers, passwords, and other critical information.
· In another version you're contacted over the phone instead of by e-mail. The call could either be a "live" person or a recorded message directing you to take action to protect your account. Often, the criminal already has some personal information on you, including your account or credit card numbers. That can create a false sense of security. The call came from a VoIP account as well.
The advantages of Vishing scams over more traditional phishing scams is that VOIP is inexpensive, especially for long distance which allows cheap fake international calls. Also because VOIP is web based it is easy for criminals to create real sounding incoming customer service lines. Because it is easy for these cyber criminals to hide and reroute the IP address they are hard to track and even harder to prevent.
Don't let this happen to you, be aware of the possibility a customer service call is fake, ask for the call back number and then check with the real financial institution to see if the information matches. If not the call is likely fake. Call the real financial institution directly to see if your account has any problems, odds are all is well and you just prevented a Vishing attempt.
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