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ribshaw
06-01-2013, 11:25 AM
Had a few interesting articles/blogs about scammy stuff cross my news feed over on Facebook. Thought I would drop them here for fellow scambuster reading.

Internet Scammers Plans (http://www.antiscamnews.com/internet-scammer/?utm_medium=facebook)

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ribshaw
06-01-2013, 11:27 AM
Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scam

Two businessmen have been jailed after making thousands from selling fake British Gas insurance policies from their offices in South London [31 May 2013]

Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scamThe pair scammed victims under the company name of Feature Me Ltd based in Purely, South London.

The businessmen gave their telesales staff a list of British Gas customers to call, to try to sell to them British Gas Homecare insurance products. The innocent employees believed they were selling genuine insurance policies.

Once a product was 'sold' to victims over the phone the operators would take their payment details, and file their contact details and product they had bought.

Their offices were raided after British Gas investigated a number of complaints. The men were jailed for a total of 33 months and were ordered to pay victims back.

For further information visit the Croydon Guardian website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scam | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraudsters-jailed-for-british-gas-scam-may13)

ribshaw
06-01-2013, 11:29 AM
Alert – fraudster claiming to be from Action Fraud

Our contact centre has received reports of a fraudster cold calling people claiming to be from Action Fraud [31 May 2013]

Alert – fraudster claiming to be from Action FraudThe man called one potential victim claiming to be the “Birmingham office” of Action Fraud. He told her that she was in big trouble because £2,000 had been transferred from her bank to India and he thought it was money laundering.

He then tried to give her a number to call back and verify his identify, but she refused to take it and called us directly. If you receive one of these phone calls, end the conversation immediately and report it to us.

If you want to verify the identity of a caller claiming to be from Action Fraud you can call 0300 123 2040 or email action.fraud@nfa.gsi.gov.uk.

When using a landline make sure there is a dialling tone before you call. Some fraudsters who call victims on landlines don’t hang up the phone - keeping the line open. So when you try to make another call you are connected straight back to the fraudster. This is a trick used in the courier scam.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

Alert (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/alert-fraudster-claiming-to-be-from-action-fraud-may13)

path2prosperity
06-01-2013, 01:06 PM
Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scam

Two businessmen have been jailed after making thousands from selling fake British Gas insurance policies from their offices in South London [31 May 2013]

Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scamThe pair scammed victims under the company name of Feature Me Ltd based in Purely, South London.

The businessmen gave their telesales staff a list of British Gas customers to call, to try to sell to them British Gas Homecare insurance products. The innocent employees believed they were selling genuine insurance policies.

Once a product was 'sold' to victims over the phone the operators would take their payment details, and file their contact details and product they had bought.

Their offices were raided after British Gas investigated a number of complaints. The men were jailed for a total of 33 months and were ordered to pay victims back.

For further information visit the Croydon Guardian website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scam | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraudsters-jailed-for-british-gas-scam-may13)

This is absolutely horrifying. I use British Gas Insurance for gas safety, plumbing and drains, electrical wiring and if one of their reps rings me up to suggest a new policy or amendment to my policy, I always listen and I sometimes buy what their reps recommend.

How on earth did they get a list of British Gas customers? I won't buy from a phone call in future!

British Gas customers should pass this news onto radio and TV stations.

ribshaw
06-01-2013, 05:49 PM
This is absolutely horrifying. I use British Gas Insurance for gas safety, plumbing and drains, electrical wiring and if one of their reps rings me up to suggest a new policy or amendment to my policy, I always listen and I sometimes buy what their reps recommend.

How on earth did they get a list of British Gas customers? I won't buy from a phone call in future!

British Gas customers should pass this news onto radio and TV stations.

P2P, I got this off the Action Fraud feed on Facebook. I just liked them and it shows up on my page, which is kind of handy. Will keep an eye out for other tidbits, it is sort of like having my own blog without the hassle of writing or spell check.

ribshaw
06-02-2013, 11:00 AM
Hit the feed from CID on military images and FAKE DOCUMENTS being used in scams. CID romance scam information (http://www.cid.army.mil/romance_scam.html)

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ribshaw
06-02-2013, 11:06 AM
$100,000,000 estimated to be lost in Australia each year. This is a 60 minutes video about something called the Black Money Scam. Lucifer is the name of one of the scammers, touching I know. It is a bit like the scams the Alchemists used to push, in this case the "Money" is Colored black and you are charged for "Special Chemicals" that will remove the dye.


http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/videoindex.aspx

ribshaw
06-02-2013, 09:11 PM
So this is a twist on a marriage scam, can't even fall in love on vacation safely these days. Tourists, beware of bezness | Radio Netherlands Worldwide (http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/tourists-beware-bezness#.UVjYK_eixcQ.facebook)

"Warn Dutch tourists about bezness!" Radio Netherlands Worldwide received this heartfelt plea from Egypt. 'Love criminals' who prey on naïve Westerners are a flourishing phenomenon in Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia.

'Bezness' is simply a corruption of the word 'business', but in fact it's an organised crime involving big money. Marjolein – not her real name, it's too risky to reveal it, she says – has been living in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the past four years. She sees it happening time and again, she says.

"Young men who pretend to be in love start up a romance with a tourist. For these people it's usually about four things: money, a visa for the West, sex, and the opportunity to avoid military service by marrying a foreign woman."

"I see Dutch women who go home a wreck when their marriage or relationship finishes. They're intimidated or isolated, abused, threatened. Sometimes they lose contact with family and friends and all the money goes to their lover. It's real crime, with big returns."

Young women
Bezness is certainly nothing new, but the methods – and the victims – have changed in the past couple of decades. The targets are no longer older women on the lookout for a toy boy. Increasingly they're young women and men. The perpetrators are expert at working out who's ready for a flirt and who's got money. The requests for cash only come later, says Marjolein.

Fantastic liars
"It happens hundreds of times a year. Not just in Egypt, but also in Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey. They're fantastic liars and actors. I think many Western women aren't used to all that attention and romance. They get swept off their feet."

"Just go to an internet café, you'll see all these guys sitting there. They're calling their sweetheart in the Netherlands. 'Hi love, how are you? My father's ill and we can't pay the doctor's bill.' Or he's going to build a house for their future together. 'Please transfer money quickly.'"

Blind trust
Marjolein's helped out destitute Dutch women in the past. The tourists who get swept away by romance are sometimes naïve, she says. She has little confidence at all in marriages between Dutch women and Egyptian men.

"If five percent of them work out normally – in other words without deceit, exploitation, imprisonment or a second, Egyptian wife – I'd say it was a lot. These women are so naïve they take tens of thousands of euros out of their bank accounts to pay for all sorts of wonderful plans."
"I sometimes ask them, would you do that in the Netherlands without a contract? Recently there was a woman who signed away nearly 30,000 euros. She didn't understand a word of the Arabic, but she trusted her lover blindly."

Egyptian law
Marjolein's advice: make sure you know your rights and take your own translator. But even then your position might not be strong enough. An Egyptian husband can forbid his wife from travelling. And after a divorce, in principle the children go to the man or his family.

And another tip: many people involved in 'bezness' work in tourism themselves. If a man approaches you in the street and he drinks alcohol, watch out, people often say. But Marjolein says the most important thing for women is that they keep their feet on the ground. Don't stop thinking, no matter how much in love you are.

scratchycat
06-03-2013, 09:29 AM
You have been a very busy person getting all this information together!! Plus all your 'dating'. Thanks for all the hard work and we can already see results from much of it.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w40/Lizzie6973/Animations%20and%20Graphics/Animations%20by%20Sara/Congratulations/birdsnflowersb.gif

ribshaw
06-03-2013, 11:08 AM
Thanks Scratchy. While I have a little extra time, it is a great way to spend it.

FBI — Preliminary 2012 Crime Statistics (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/june/preliminary-2012-crime-statistics/preliminary-2012-crime-statistics)

Preliminary 2012 Crime Statistics
Violent Crime Up, Property Crime Down

06/03/13

UCR 2012 graphicThe new preliminary Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics for 2012 indicate that when compared to data for 2011, the number of violent crimes reported by law enforcement agencies around the country increased 1.2 percent during 2012, while the number of property crimes decreased 0.8 percent.

The final UCR statistics—submitted by approximately 18,000 local, state, campus, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies from around the nation—will be released later this year in the Crime in the United States 2012 report.

Among the highlights of the preliminary report:

Overall, when compared to 2011 figures, the West experienced the largest increase in reported violent crime (up 3.3 percent), and the Northeast experienced the only decrease (down 0.6 percent).
The Northeast was the only part of the country where the four violent crime categories saw decreases across the board—murder (down 4.4 percent), forcible rapes (down 0.2 percent), robberies (down 1.4 percent), and aggravated assaults (down 0.1 percent).
The largest rise in reported violent crime (up 3.7 percent) was in cities with populations of 500,000-999,999.
The West experienced the only increase in reported property crime (up 5.2 percent), while the number of property crimes dropped 1.6 percent in the Northeast, 2.1 percent in the Midwest, and 3.5 percent in the South.
The number of reported motor vehicle thefts grew by 10.6 percent in the West while showing declines in the Northeast (down 7.9 percent), the Midwest (down 3.1 percent), and the South (down 2.9 percent).
The number of arson incidents—tallied separately from other property crimes because of various levels of participation by reporting agencies—fell 1.2 percent.

The UCR Program is a nationwide cooperative statistical effort of law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on crimes brought to their attention.

The idea for the program began in the 1920s, when the International Association of Chiefs of Police—recognizing a need for national crime statistics—formed the Committee on Uniform Crime Records to develop a system. After studying state criminal codes and evaluating the recordkeeping practices in use, the committee completed a plan for crime reporting that became the foundation of the UCR Program in 1929. In January 1930, 400 cities in 43 states began participating in the program. That same year, Congress authorized the attorney general to gather crime data; the FBI was designated to serve as the national clearinghouse for the collected information.

The UCR Program’s primary objective is to generate reliable statistics for use in law enforcement administration, operation, and management. Over the years, however, these statistics have become one of the country’s leading social indicators and are used by criminologists, sociologists, legislators, municipal planners, the media, and other students of criminal justice for research and planning purposes.

A word of warning, though—don’t draw conclusions from the data by making direct comparisons between cities or individual agencies. Valid assessments are only possible with careful study and analysis of the unique conditions that affect each law enforcement jurisdiction.

Once again, the final Crime in the United States, 2012 report will be available later this year.

ribshaw
06-03-2013, 11:11 AM
Scammers always think of new ways to part people from their money. URGENT: Romance Scammers Now Using Fake Webcam Footage to Deceive Victims - Online Dating Magazine (http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/datingnews/fakewebcamfootage.html)

URGENT: Romance Scammers Now Using Fake Webcam Footage to Deceive Victims
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A new online romance scam uses fake Webcam footage to get new victims...(Press Release – February 23, 2012) A new evolution in romance scams is about to create tens of thousands of new victims. Online Dating Magazine reports that scammers are now using fake Webcam footage to deceive victims.

Here’s how it works:

First, the scammer spends weeks inside Webcam chat rooms recording footage of an unsuspecting person on different days. The person being recorded doesn’t know they are communicating with a scammer.

The scammer then tries to deceptively obtain photos of the unsuspecting person by email. The scammer may also find photos on Facebook or via online searches.

Finally, armed with photos and multiple days of Webcam footage of the unsuspecting person, the scammer creates a fake online dating profile to lure victims.

“Up until now scams would consist of communication via an online dating service followed by emails and phone calls,” says Joe Tracy, publisher of Online Dating Magazine at Online Dating Magazine - Dating Service Reviews, News and Articles (http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com). “Now scammers can initiate fake Webcam chats with you to further make you believe the lie. They have full control over the footage. They can pause it, make it jump to a point where the person is laughing, type when the person is typing, etc. It comes off as very realistic and impressive.”

Tracy says that this new scam is creating two types of victims: the person being scammed, and the person who was recorded by Webcam and doesn’t realize their footage is being used in scams.

Imagine a guy named Andrew having a Webcam chat with someone he believes is a 28-year-old traveling businesswoman. The scammer memorizes the illicit video and bookmarks, in advance, certain parts of the video for quick access. So Andrew may see a woman in the Webcam typing while the scammer types, “Andrew, look at this new dress I got today.” The video of the woman in the Webcam then stands up to show off the dress. There’s now no doubt in Andrew’s mind that the person he is chatting with is real when in reality it is someone completely different. It’s possible to have a Webcam chat with the “person” on 18 different occasions and they are wearing 18 different outfits. That’s how elaborate this new scam has become.

Tracy warns that the scam can be taken further, with scammers using recorded Webcam sessions of their victim to scam someone else after they’ve gotten the victim’s money.

“This has taken the romance scam to an entirely new level,” says Tracy. “Word needs to get out quickly to warn people about this new development.”

Tracy says that the best way to test whether you are Webcam chatting with a scammer is to innocently ask them to do something and see if they react. For example, type, “What’s that crawling on the wall behind you?” If the person “pauses” or doesn’t look, then that’s a major red flag. When asked to do something they don’t have footage recorded of, scammers will pause the Webcam video and attribute it to a communication problem while answering your question in the chat window.

Online Dating Magazine is asking people to help spread the word about this new scam. Online romance scams are the most successful of all online scams, costing victims worldwide hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

“Some of these scam organizations are making more money that the big online dating services,” says Tracy. “It’s important to warn people so that they don’t fall prey to these elaborate schemes.”

About Online Dating Magazine
Online Dating Magazine is a free online publication and watchdog group for online daters and singles. The publication was launched in 2003 and has served millions of online daters since then with tips, reviews, warnings, and experiences. You can visit Online Dating Magazine at Online Dating Magazine - Dating Service Reviews, News and Articles (http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com)

Online Dating Magazine is also on Twitter (onlinedatingweb), YouTube (onlinedatingweb), Facebook (onlinedatingmagazine) and Pinterest (onlinedating).

About Online Dating Safety Awareness Month
Online Dating Safety Awareness Month was first launched by Online Dating Magazine in 2011 and occurs every February. During this time, sites are encouraged to publish information that educates online daters and singles on how to have a safe and fun online dating experience.

ribshaw
06-03-2013, 10:28 PM
Vodaphone Phishing Scam. Vodafone System Update Phishing Scam (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/vodafone-system-update-phishing-scam.shtml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

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ribshaw
06-04-2013, 08:33 PM
Always be careful with attachments that you get in your email. Fedex Email Scams (http://thatsnonsense.com/blog/fedex-email-scams-be-aware/)

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ribshaw
06-04-2013, 08:43 PM
So I got this lovely email from a poor dying lady. :crying_2: Who actually looks like 3 different people??? On a dating site, what is she thinking, no time to date. Sheesh.

422942304231

Mrs.Rose Micheal James

2:12 PM (6 hours ago)


Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ......... MY FAKE NAME WAS HERE.

Your mail have been received with lots thanks. I am glad hearing that you have the good heart for the less privilege one. Forwarded your contact information to my lawyer, who will be assisting you to receive the fund through the bank where the fund is lodged in. The lawyer will commence on getting all the relevant documents at the judiciary Department to show as a prove that I have willingly transfer right of Inheritance to you as the Beneficiary/ Next of Kin to receive my fund.

Barrister Dauda Issah
Equity Law Firm & Associates.
Jerron Quarshie Building, Castle Road,
P. O. Box AD23, Adabraka, Accra, Ghana
Phone No:00233 267069161
EMail : equitylawfirm@hotmail.com,info_equitylawfirm@lawye r.com

This lawyer will be working with you. Please try to follow up with him so that the fund will be rightfully transferred immediately. The doctor has warned that I should not answer or dial calls. They further advised that I should avoid any kind of work. It was in their absence that I am passing on the information to you as I may not understand my condition of living tomorrow. I believe that you will do my entire wish as I have previously stated in my first mail. May God reward all your effort in this transaction .You can as well as to call the Lawyer or write mail to the lawyer?

The lawyer will sent a letter of recognition/Authorization to the bank on your behalf for you to receive the fund under my instruction.

Send the following Information Immediately to my lawyer to enable him prepared / processed the entire vital document for claiming of the fund in your favour as the beneficiary as he need speaking with you as a matter of fact.

Your Phone Number/ Mobile Number ( International passport )
Your Legal Occupation if Any....
Your Age.....
Your Full Name....
Home Address.....

Waiting to hearing from you asap. Do contact the lawyer and send the requested information required to him.

Also find my picture attached while on the hospital Bed.

Remain blessed.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Rose Micheal James

================================================== ================================================== ====================================

Unfortunately I will not be about to help poor Mrs. James, but I did let her know with a brief email and some nice attachments.

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laidback
06-04-2013, 09:38 PM
So I got this lovely email from a poor dying lady. :crying_2: Who actually looks like 3 different people??? On a dating site, what is she thinking, no time to date. Sheesh.

422942304231

Mrs.Rose Micheal James

2:12 PM (6 hours ago)


Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ......... MY FAKE NAME WAS HERE.

Your mail have been received with lots thanks. I am glad hearing that you have the good heart for the less privilege one. Forwarded your contact information to my lawyer, who will be assisting you to receive the fund through the bank where the fund is lodged in. The lawyer will commence on getting all the relevant documents at the judiciary Department to show as a prove that I have willingly transfer right of Inheritance to you as the Beneficiary/ Next of Kin to receive my fund.

Barrister Dauda Issah
Equity Law Firm & Associates.
Jerron Quarshie Building, Castle Road,
P. O. Box AD23, Adabraka, Accra, Ghana
Phone No:00233 267069161
EMail : equitylawfirm@hotmail.com,info_equitylawfirm@lawye r.com

This lawyer will be working with you. Please try to follow up with him so that the fund will be rightfully transferred immediately. The doctor has warned that I should not answer or dial calls. They further advised that I should avoid any kind of work. It was in their absence that I am passing on the information to you as I may not understand my condition of living tomorrow. I believe that you will do my entire wish as I have previously stated in my first mail. May God reward all your effort in this transaction .You can as well as to call the Lawyer or write mail to the lawyer?

The lawyer will sent a letter of recognition/Authorization to the bank on your behalf for you to receive the fund under my instruction.

Send the following Information Immediately to my lawyer to enable him prepared / processed the entire vital document for claiming of the fund in your favour as the beneficiary as he need speaking with you as a matter of fact.

Your Phone Number/ Mobile Number ( International passport )
Your Legal Occupation if Any....
Your Age.....
Your Full Name....
Home Address.....

Waiting to hearing from you asap. Do contact the lawyer and send the requested information required to him.

Also find my picture attached while on the hospital Bed.

Remain blessed.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Rose Micheal James

================================================== ================================================== ====================================

Unfortunately I will not be about to help poor Mrs. James, but I did let her know with a brief email and some nice attachments.

4232If it was still airing, maybe she could get a guest star shot on "Six Feet Under"...!

ribshaw
06-05-2013, 09:54 PM
Botnets 101 FBI — Botnets 101: What They Are and How to Avoid Them (http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/botnets-101)
What They Are and How to Avoid Them

06/05/13

Last month, the head of an international securities fraud ring was sentenced to federal prison for manipulating stock prices by using botnets to distribute spam promoting those stocks. And several months ago, 10 members of an international cyber crime ring were arrested for using botnets to steal more than $850 million after obtaining personal financial information from compromised computers.




Protecting Your Computer

- Make sure you have updated antivirus software on your computer.

- Enable automated patches for your operating system.

- Have strong passwords, and don’t use the same one or two passwords for everything.

- Download free software only from sites you know and trust (malware can also come in downloadable games, file-sharing programs, and customized toolbars).

- Don’t open e-mail attachments in unsolicited e-mails, even if it comes from people in your contact list, and never click on a URL contained in an e-mail, even if you think it looks safe. Instead, close out the e-mail and go to the organization’s website directly.

- Use antivirus software on your smartphone. Criminals are already stealing personally identifiable information from smartphones after owners unknowingly download malware, and it won’t be long before we see the emergence of mobile botnets undertaking DDoS attacks and other criminal activities (unless users protect their smartphones now).

For more cyber security information, go to our Cyber Crimes webpage or to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team’s website.


The use of botnets is on the rise. And industry experts estimate that botnet attacks have resulted in the overall loss of millions of dollars from financial institutions and other major U.S. businesses. They’ve also affected universities, hospitals, defense contractors, law enforcement, and all levels of government.

What exactly is a botnet? A bot, or web robot, is an automated malware program that scans blocks of network addresses and infects vulnerable computers. A network of these infected computers—numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions—is called a botnet (robot network), and each computer becomes connected to a command-and-control server operated by the criminal.

Once the botnet is in place, it can be used in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, proxy and spam services, malware distribution, and other organized criminal activity. Botnets can also be used for covert intelligence collection, and terrorists or state-sponsored actors could use a botnet to attack Internet-based critical infrastructure. And, they can be used as weapons in ideology campaigns against their target to instigate fear, intimidation, or public embarrassment.

Your personal computer could become part of a botnet—it only takes one wrong click for you to download malicious code. For example, you might get an unsolicited e-mail promoting a dating website or a work-at-home arrangement or an e-mail that appears to come from your bank containing a seemingly harmless link. You could be sent a link by a friend asking you to view a great video (which was actually sent because the friend’s computer is already infected). You could see a link on a webpage that seems to be soliciting donations for a recent tragedy. And you might even visit a fraudulent website—or a legitimate one that’s been compromised—and download video, pictures, or a document containing malicious code.




Multiple Botnets Targeting
Financial Information Disrupted

On June 5, 2013, Microsoft—along with financial services leaders, other industry partners, and law enforcement—announced actions taken to disrupt a global cyber crime operation involving more than 1,000 botnets. Microsoft Press Release | FBI Statement on Botnet Operation


Once the malware is on your computer, it’s hard to detect. And in addition to your computer being commanded to link up with other compromised computers to facilitate criminal activity, the bot can also collect and send out your personal identifiable information—like credit card numbers, banking information, and passwords—to the criminals running it. Those criminals will take advantage of the information themselves or offer it for sale on cyber criminal forums, and you could find yourself being victimized…again.

The FBI—with its law enforcement and private sector partners—has had success in taking down a number of large botnets, most notably Coreflood. But our work is never done, and by combining the resources of government and the private sector—and with the support of the public (see sidebar on protecting your own computer)—we will continue to improve cyber security by identifying and catching those who threaten it.

If you think your computer may be part of a botnet, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and/or contact the cyber task force at your local FBI office.

ribshaw
06-05-2013, 10:01 PM
2 Nigerians arrested with US $100M, someone posted this today, but I just realized it was from 2012. Interesting though they said the fake gold nuggets made with spray were hard to test even with a gold testing machine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WGkpOSjmgc

ribshaw
06-06-2013, 09:34 AM
SCAMMER officefile47@cantv.net

Of course this email is a scam, money doesn't just "show up' in your email any more than a nice wooden horse will be built outside your castle walls.

this was received out of the blue trying to get details to use to scam no doubt: -----Original Message-----
From: Mrs.Helena James, <officefile47@cantv.net>
To: LUCKIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD IF THIS WAS NOT A LOAD OF CRAP @BS_SCAMMER.COM
Sent: Fri, May 31, 2013 7:42 am
Subject: YOUR ATM CARD?


Attention please!!!

We have registered Your ATM CARD of (US $3.7) with Dhl Express Courier
Company with registration code of ( 9665776).please Contact with your
delivery information

Dhl office
Name :Dr.Douglas water

Tel:00229,990.150.82

E-mail: ( dhl_service01dhl@ws-loei.ac.th )

We have paid for the Insurance & Delivery fee.The only fee you have to
pay is their Security fee only.Please indicate the registration Number
of ( 9665776 )and ask Him how much is their Security fee so that you
can pay it and have your ATM Card.get back to me as soon as you receive
it,

Best Regards.
Mrs.Helena James,

And as a quick tip, you can always put an email in google and see what comes up. It does not always work, but sometimes:

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ribshaw
06-08-2013, 10:56 PM
Timeshares, watch out for scams. This was a good article in that it was informative and I did not have to write it. Certainly go to Ebay before you even consider buying, and it may be one of the few legitimate places to sell. Timeshare Temptation Can Lead To Trouble : CONSUMERMOJO.COM (http://www.consumermojo.com/timeshare-temptation-can-lead-to-troubl/)

by Barbara Nevins Taylor

Vacation temptation time is here. You take a trip to Florida, Mexico, California, Arizona. Wherever. You love the sun, the beach, the sea, the golf course and start to dream about what it would be like to visit often. If you’re in a place with a lot of tourists, you’re likely to run into a timeshare sales person. We suggest you take a very deep breath before you do anything. 0

Timeshares may be a good idea for you, and they may not. The reality is that timeshares are often very difficult to resell and there’s an industry of shady characters charging hefty fees to help timeshare owners unload their investments.

First come the high pressure sales tactics to buy.

In Cancun, not long ago, we met a woman at the car rental office who didn’t seem like a sales person. She stepped out from behind a counter that made it seems as though she worked at the office. She came to chat me up on the sidewalk while I was waiting for my husband to get the car. She was charming and gave great directions to Playa del Carmen. But she also suggested we stop at a timeshare resort and have lunch for free. I said, “We’re not interested. But thanks for all of your help.” She persisted. “Why not? What do you have to lose? It’s a free lunch,” she said. 0

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

The time share might have been okay, but my husband and I really weren’t interested and I’d heard enough horror stories to keep me driving right past the resort.

Federal crackdown.

The Federal Trade Commission and Florida consumer protection agencies are cracking down on companies that take advantage of timeshare owners who are desperate to sell.

The FTC says Resolution Trust, Resort Property, and Vacation Communication took more than $18 million from consumers throughout the country who tried to sell their timeshares. The FTC and Florida officials went to federal court to stop the companies’ alleged illegal practices.

Charles A. Harwood, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, “Con artists take advantage of timeshare owners who have been in tough financial straits and are desperate to sell their timeshares. They persuade owners to pay fat up-front fees by saying they have someone ready to buy the property, but that’s a lie”

Beware of these sales tactics.

Scammers say they have interested buyers.

They ask for upfront fees-$300-$3,000.

They offer deceptive travel prizes that don’t exist.

They advertise via email, telemarketing, radio, TV and online.

The FTC has more information at: ftc.gov/travel including a travel fraud game.

Popped over to Ebay, this auction just ended. As they say a picture is worth a 1000 words.

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ribshaw
06-11-2013, 04:59 PM
From FBI:

Civil Rights in the ‘60s FBI &mdash; Civil Rights in the (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/june/civil-rights-in-the-60s-justice-for-medgar-evers/civil-rights-in-the-60s-justice-for-medgar-evers)
Part 1: Justice for Medgar Evers

06/11/13

The tumultuous 1960s were a pivotal time in our nation’s march toward equal rights for all Americans. The following is the first in a series of stories over the next few years about landmark civil rights investigations five decades ago.

About half past midnight, a shot rang out.

It was June 12, 1963—50 years ago tomorrow—in a suburban neighborhood of Jackson, Mississippi. A 37-year-old civil rights activist named Medgar Evers had just come home after a meeting of the NAACP.

As he began the short walk up to his single-story rambler, the bullet struck Evers in the back. He staggered up to the steps of the house, then collapsed.


Byron de la Beckwith

Byron De La Beckwith (left) is escorted into the Jackson Police station by FBI agents on June 23, 1963. (AP)

Across the street on a lightly wooded hill, another man jumped up in pain. The recoil from the Enfield rifle he had just fired drove the scope into his eye, badly bruising him. He dropped the weapon and fled.

Meanwhile, Evers’ wife and three children—still awake after watching an important civil rights speech by President John F. Kennedy—heard the shot and quickly came outside. They were soon joined by neighbors and police. His wounds severe, Evers died within the hour.

Leading the investigation, the local police immediately found the rifle and determined that it had been recently fired. Back at the station, a fingerprint was recovered from the scope and submitted to the FBI. We connected it to a man named Byron De La Beckwith based on its similarity to his military service prints. He was arrested several days later. Beckwith, a known white supremacist and segregationist, had been asking around to find out the location of Evers’ home for some time prior to the shooting.

With the obvious motive, his fingerprint on the weapon, the injury around his eye, his planning, and other factors, Beckwith clearly appeared to be the killer. In two separate trials, local prosecutors presented a strong case. A number of police, FBI experts, and others testified on different parts of the evidence against Beckwith.

But this was the 1960s, and in both trials, all-white juries did not reach a verdict. Beckwith went free.

By the early 1990s, however, the time was ripe to revisit the case. Evers’ widow Myrlie—a formidable civil rights organizer in her own right—asked local prosecutors to reopen the investigation and see if other evidence could be found. The FBI again provided its assistance. In December 1990, a new grand jury returned an indictment against Beckwith based on witnesses finally willing to tell their stories, including hearing the white supremacist brag how he had killed Medgar Evers.

This time, justice was done. Beckwith was convicted in 1994 and sentenced to life in prison.

The murder of Medgar Ever was a loss to his family, the community, and the nation. Evers was a devoted husband and father, a distinguished World War II veteran, and a pioneering civil rights leader. He served as the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi—organizing protests and voter registration drives, recruiting new workers into the civil rights movement, and pushing for school integration.

But his death in 1963 was not in vain. The brutal, senseless murder helped galvanize the nation in its steady march towards equality and justice. More on that later…

Resources:
- FBI files on the Medgar Evers investigation

ribshaw
06-11-2013, 05:02 PM
As if there is not enough crime on line. Facebook friends are just that unless you really know them don't send money or personal information.

Facebook cloning scam escalating | eNCA (http://www.enca.com/south-africa-technology/sa-facebook-account-cloning-scam)

Johannesburg - Reports that South African Facebook users' accounts have been cloned have flooded in over the past five days.

According to the reports, the perpetrators create fake accounts using the same photo and name as the victim. The victim's Facebook account is also mimicked.

Then, using the victim's details, a friendship request is sent to friends.

Once those requests are accepted, the fake user asks for money or private information.

A Facebook user who spoke to eNCA.com said he received a friendship request from his sister while she was sitting next to him.

Another Facebook user said that it even spread across two platforms from Facebook to Myspace.

"I had someone create a Myspace account very similar to my Facebook account, but with a few very strange changes that embarrassed me. It's still up. I emailed, but they won't get rid of it," the user said.

"I have no idea who the [cloner] is, or why they did it. There are bits taken from my biography, but then the movies and music and a bunch of other stuff is way off...

"Not sure what they are trying to promote, and apparently I only have one friend. I hate that it's there, but I can't seem to get it taken down [and there's] no response from Myspace," he added.

This exemplifies the fact that it is not just a person's finances at risk, but also their reputation.

Meanwhile Dominic White, an internet security expert at SensePost, told eNCA.com that "it is wrong to think that Facebook cannot be hacked".

"The fault often lies with users who have poor privacy settings on their profiles which would make it easier for outsiders to access one's account," he said.

"Cloning Facebook pages can be automated, and these hackers rely on mass scale of access," White said.

Steven Ambrose, managing Director at Stratey Worx – a business technology consultancy – said that the only thing one could do to protect oneself against cloning, was to be aware and vigilant.

According to Ambrose cloning accounts on Facebook is known as "social engineering".

He said it was impossible to report the crime to local police as the act is based on an international platform in the US.

“Allowing apps to have access to your information without understanding what the app is, is another issue that users should be cautious of.

"Individuals wanting to clone your account might use apps and games to get to you.

“People shouldn’t be scared of social media, they should simply be aware,” said Ambrose.

White's advice is to look at the combination of information one puts onto the web as a whole.

"When you put something up online, be it Facebook, Twitter or blogs, look at how it is adding to the total pool of information that is online about you," he said.

ribshaw
06-13-2013, 10:13 AM
Scam installation letter Scam installation letter | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/scam-installation-letter-jun13)

Derbyshire County Council has warned residents of a scam letter circulating using their name and demanding payment for an internet installation line [12 June 2013]

Scam installation letterA convincing letter has been posted by fraudsters into residents’ houses using the council’s official logo and crest. It demands part payment for a fibre optic line allegedly needed by a neighbour to enable home working from a computer.

The fake letter claims that the addressee is liable for part of the bill with the rest to be paid by the council and the employer of the unnamed neighbour. The scam letter says that the work will take place in November and will involve digging at the front of the addressee's property.

The recipient is told to pay a specific sum to Derbyshire County Council by bank transfer, credit card or cheque by October 2013. An option to pay in four instalments is also provided.

Councillor Dave Allen, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: This letter isn't from us and we're not in the business of commissioning telecommunications work for private companies and their employees.

"There's no way we'd ask a householder to pay for something that inconvenienced them, disrupted their property and was of no benefit to them.

For further information visit the Derbyshire County Council website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

ribshaw
06-13-2013, 10:21 AM
This is weird, but what in scam world isn't. https://www.facebook.com/actionfraud

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ribshaw
06-14-2013, 10:21 AM
This crossed the feed today, a few months old apparently but trick none the less.

Police scareware scam continues to target Australians Police scareware scam continues to target Australians (http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1026168)

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March 2013: SCAMwatch is urging people to continue to be alert to a scareware scam where scammers posing as the Australian Federal Police (AFP) try to scare you into handing over money to regain control of your computer.

A SCAMwatch alert on this scam was previously issued in October 2012, yet contacts to the ACCC have continued to increase since the beginning of the year.

This scam involves internet users finding that their computer has been frozen, with a pop-up alert appearing on their screen. The alert claims to be from the AFP and states that the user’s computer has been locked because they have visited an illegal website or breached various laws. The scammer claims that they will unlock the computer if a fee is paid.

The AFP does not solicit funds and this message is not associated with the AFP in any way.

Don’t let a scammer ransom you – if you pay, you are not guaranteed that you will regain control of your computer and there will likely be significant data losses once the virus is removed or computer unlocked.
How these scams work

You visit a website or receive an email that scammers have infected with scareware.
Out of the blue, your computer freezes and you receive a pop-up alert from what appears to be a reputable authority such as the Australian Federal Police. The alert may include a police logo to make it appear legitimate.
The alert states that your computer has been frozen because you have violated a law or visited an illegal website. Common claims made by the scammers are that you have violated laws around privacy, copyright or child pornography.
In order to unlock the computer, you are instructed to pay a ’fine’ – usually $100 or $199 – using a prepaid money service. These services involve you purchasing a money voucher from a store, which can then be used to make online payments.
If you pay, the scammers may or may not unlock your computer. Even if you do regain access to your computer, malware may continue to operate so that the scammers can use your personal and financial details to commit fraud.

Protect yourself

Be wary about which websites you visit and do not open emails from unknown senders – emails may contain malware and some sites may automatically download malicious software on your computer.
Before you download a file, make sure it is from a reputable source. If the file, is a program (for example, the file name ends with .exe) make sure you know exactly what it will do.
Always keep your computer security up to date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a good firewall. Only buy computer and anti-virus software from a reputable source.
Be careful what you store on your computer – if a scammer gains access to your personal data, they can use it to steal your identity and your money. If you think your computer has been infected, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and change your passwords.
If you receive a pop up alert and are unable to perform any functions on your computer, it may have been infected and you might need a computer specialist to remove the malware. If you are able to perform some security functions on your computer, use your security software to run a virus check.
If you have received this scam, unfortunately your computer’s security has been compromised. Even if you have managed to regain control of your computer – whether by your own means or by paying the scammer – it could still be infected with malware. Use your security software to run a virus check but if you have any doubts, contact your anti-virus software provider or a computer specialist.

Report

You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.
More information

In October 2012, the AFP and the ACCC issued a media release and SCAMwatch radar respectively about this scam.

For more information on malware, spyware and key-logging scams, check out SCAMwatch’s online scams section.

Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.

ribshaw
06-14-2013, 10:25 AM
Prize alerts hitting New Zealand cell phones. No you did not win, but will likely get a virus or be asked to spend money to activate your prize.

Scam Alert (http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scam-news/scam-alert-2013-prize-win-text-on-your-mobile)

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ribshaw
06-14-2013, 02:48 PM
This came across as well today and for many is a well known scam, but it can't be that well known as it is still happening. There are several variations and Mundorf had referenced one here http://www.realscam.com/f16/scammers-rental-industry-2386/. The basic set up is you are given a check to cash for more than you are asking for the item. The "buyer" will tell you that the difference is to be sent to their "shipping" company or some variation. After you cash the check, you will be asked to wire the difference back to the scammer. Of course the check will bounce and you will be held personally and possibly criminally liable. :NO:

The other two versions of this are the "Mystery Shopper" or "Personal Assistant" and it works the same, you are given a fake check to deposit and end up sending your own money or the goods you purchased to the scammer and the check will bounce.

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This is a cut and paste blog however, so here it is. 8 Vile Craigslist Scams to Watch Out For | Wise Bread (http://www.wisebread.com/8-vile-craigslist-scams-to-watch-out-for)

8 Vile Craigslist Scams to Watch Out For
by Paul Michael on 25 March 2013
Photo: Rooftop Mind
Wise Bread Picks


Craigslist is great. Really, I love it for buying and selling, finding services, and even posting jobs. But for the 99% of ads that are completely legit, you'll find postings designed to con you. That's a sad reality of life, and of Craigslist, but if you know what to look out for you can avoid the pitfalls of an otherwise awesome service. (See also: How Safe Is Craigslist?)

1. Lured to a Mugging

This is a really nasty scam, and we could all fall for it quite easily. It's also known as "robbery by appointment."

As a Craigslist seller, you will know that cash is the only way to go. You don't want to deal with bounced checks. Of course, as a buyer you have to abide by those same rules. Craigslist scammers will place an ad for something like a car, high-end electronics, or anoter product of significant value. You'll arrange to meet the seller (with a nice wad of cash in your pocket), and that's when you'll be jumped and the money taken from you. Some people have even been killed in the robbery attempt.

This "lure" scenario has happened many times over the years, and as always Craigslist advises you to meet in a safe, secure location, go with a friend (or two), and if in doubt, back out.

2. Receiving an Overpayment on ANYTHING

Another common scam is that your prospective buyer will send you a check (regular check, money order, or a cashier's check) that is for much more than the agreed price. There will usually be an excuse, like "oh, I sent a down payment for two months rent instead of one, can you wire me the difference?" Of course, the check they have sent you is fake, but the bank will often cash it and then discover the fraud later. By that time, you're out of pocket, and the scammer's pockets are full of your money.

Never wire funds, always deal with people locally, and beware of anything other than cash. Even then, cash can be counterfeit. It doesn't hurt to have a counterfeit detector pen on hand (they're less than $10) for larger transactions. And be wary of bills bigger than $20; you can easily be handed a fake $100 bill, give the buyer the item and change, and be out of pocket twice.

3. The Rental Robbery

Back in 2009 I wrote a detailed post on this scam, and it appears it is still going on. In fact, it's more widespread than ever, and the reason is that it is very easy to pull off, and almost impossible to track down the scammer.

The basic premise is this. You scour the Craigslist ads for a rental home and find one that is both beautiful and very, very affordable. Almost too affordable. You contact the address in the ad and are told that the owner had to leave the country (usually for something like missionary work) and needs money to cover the mortgage. You then are told to fill out a background check (which gives ID thieves a ton of personal info) and wire them money for one month's rent and deposit. Most of us would drop out at that point.

However, if you think "well, I'd never send money to someone I'd never met" you should also know there is a variant of the scam that involves people actually showing homes to you and collecting the money there and then. They'll even give you a set of keys (not that they'll work) and a signed agreement. They gain access to the home through various means, including getting the keys legitimately from a home that's on the market, and then renting it out to dozens of people in a single day. Watch out for this one, and if you receive an email that references leaving the country and low rent because money is needed fast, add it to your spam filter.

4. Fake or Canceled Tickets

It's bad enough that scalpers use Craigslist, buying tickets for $50 and when the concert is sold out, selling them to you for $200. But there are also scams involving tickets. These scams won't just leave you paying a steep markup, but also without the tickets you thought you were buying.

Sophisticated scammers have found ways to replicate tickets to major events that look and feel legit. They even have holograms and watermarks. But these tickets are worthless, and when you buy them, you'll lose out twice. First with the money, and second when you get turned away from the event.

A similar scam involves genuine tickets that get canceled after you buy them. A common scam involves airline tickets. You purchase the tickets for less than face value, thinking you have a bargain. The scammer will tell you they bought the tickets but cannot use them due to a family emergency. However, the tickets have been canceled and cost the scammer nothing. They will cost you dearly.

To avoid this, purchase tickets direct from the venue, from a legitimate site like Ticketmaster, or from trusted resources like Hotwire, Travelocity and so on. It's just not worth the risk to buy tickets off Craigslist.

5. The Online Escrow Service

You see an ad on Craigslist for something like a car, boat, expensive electronics, that kind of thing. When you contact the seller, they will reply that they want to use an escrow service for their protection and yours, and send you to a site.

However, unlike escrow.com, which is a legitimate site endorsed by eBay, they will recommend one that sounds just as plausible. Perhaps something like EscrowProtectionPlan.org or EscrowPaymentGuardian.net, and ask you to set up an account. But this is a fraudulent site set up by the seller, and as soon as you deposit the money, you've lost it. Be wary of any seller that recommends an escrow service to you, and if one does, take steps to verify its legitimacy.

6. The Cell Phone Swindle

This one can take a bite out of your monthly income, and if you're not monitoring your finances closely, you may not even notice it.

In this scam, someone will respond to your for sale ad saying they are interested, but cannot talk right then. Usually they're at work or otherwise indisposed. However, instead of giving an email address or phone number, they'll ask you to put your cell phone number into a website that "stores" information for them. In reality, it's a site that is signing you up for a monthly charge of $10 or more per month, and there is no way to cancel the service. The only way out, when you spot it, is to cancel your credit card. And forget about getting a refund.

Another cell phone swindle is to provide you with a call back number that appears to be an answering service, but is in fact a pay-per-call number. Although you won't be out thousands of dollars like some warnings of these numbers claim (specifically the 809 code scam), you could be charged $25-$30 to make the call. And if enough people do it, that's a tidy sum for the scammer.

7. The Job Bait

With unemployment as high as it is, people out there are desperate for work. And when jobs are in such high demand, scammers come out of the woodwork.

Here's the scam. You will see a job offer that sounds wonderful, with great salary and benefits. But when you apply, you could face any number of potential cons. They include: fake background check services and credit report sites that steal your information, being reimbursed to sign up for "free" offers, fee-based training for the potential job, and bogus focus group and survey sites.

Your best bet is to thoroughly research any company offering a job. Use the BBB, make sure they have a phone number you can call for information, and run from any posting asking for fees up front.

8. Revenge of the Free Stuff

Sometimes you will see ads in the free section that advertise a massive house clearance. Basically, the renter or homeowner is moving out the next day (perhaps even leaving the country) and needs everything to be gone. Seems legit, right? But often, this is a scammer who is setting up an innocent victim to be burglarized.

There have been news reports of people returning home to discover that their home is being stripped bare by dozens of people. The scammer is often one of these, who will be helping himself to bigger items and blending in with the crowd. The people who take the stuff, who are usually innocent themselves, can be prosecuted. The victim will rarely be able to get back any of the missing items. And the scammer gets away free and clear.

99.9% of the time, free stuff will be put out on the curb for you to take, or somewhere else outside of the home. If it's inviting you to just walk into the home and take whatever you like, it's bogus.

ribshaw
06-15-2013, 12:31 PM
SCAMMER winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com lawchambers@live.com (925) 526-4918

I got this from a Face Book friend who received it earlier this year. The email address links to another scam site so it has been out for a bit Anti-Scam-Forum-NL (http://www.anti-scam-forum.net/openThread_1328809002.htm) There is a different phone number and area code in the thread, but other details seem the same. And of course anything with a free email account should immediately raise red flags, as much as a phone number that can't be traced back to Facebook. The pitch for money was the transaction was held up for VAT, which is always a lie and sending $400 Western Union to Nigeria never a good idea.

Two documents were provided, google images helped on this one.

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Of note is the above picture can be found here, originally for $50,000. CBT Supports the development of community foundations | Kootenay Business (http://kootenaybiz.com/bizblog/article/cbt_supports_the_development_of_community_foundati ons)

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Email Body:

Graham Tarris
You are a Lucky Winner In The End Of The Year Facebook Promotion.. For More Details and To Claim Your Prize.. Contact ; (Fund Manager) Dr. Graham. Email; winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com
Thank you
January 10
11:03pm
NAME DELETED
really what did i win
...
January 22
Graham Tarris
You won the sum amount of $250, 000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars) Send an email message to the Claim Department and get your Won Prize. Contact ; (Fund Manager) Dr. Graham. Email; winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com.

This is to notify NAME DELETED that the transaction process batch #FLNL/009842/04 and REF # FLNL/107654/04 have been legally authorized and approved and all transaction and funds transferring remains valid. And content of this mail has to be kept safe for further authorization when the delivery of your Money takes place as soon as the Terms of Policy attached to the Lottery is made by Australian Federation Law Enforcement.
Thus DELETED, is the bonafide winner of the 2012 Facebook Lottery Promotions.
All funds written certificate and documents will be remitted to the said name and address and The won prize will be transferred to your Bank Account as soon as you meet up with the Demand of your Country's rules and regulations.
We will like to inform you that we just receive a message from your Country Custom and Tax Force that they have held your Money because, and we have really work hard to know what is the problem, and we are told you need a custom clearance and Tax VAT before you can carry such huge amount in your Bank Account according to the Order of DELETED Code of conduct.
The custom clearance fee is $400, and you are to pay it to before your delivery can be made to TODAY :
Name : OJO OLAMIDE
City : LAGOS
State : LAGOS
Zip Codes : 23401
Country : NIGERIA
And get back to us with the MTCN so that your Money can be delivered to you TODAY. We have done our best for you and Our services have been so helpful to you.

Thank you

Facebook Team

Mr Donald.
================================================== ================================================== =====================================

You are to contact a Legal adviser (Lawyer) on this Email : (Barrister Micheal) lawchambers@live.com Here's the address also for the lawyer as he says

ribshaw
06-15-2013, 03:11 PM
SCAMMER mrs.habibbabdul@yahoo.fr

Another one on her deathbed that wants to give money to a complete stranger. The only thing that would make this any more fake is one of the three photos being used by every dying scammer in the world. How this lady has any time to be on a dating site I will never know.

Dearest One,

Thanks, for your prompt reply to my message to you. May Almighty Allah bless you and your entire families for accepting to help me accomplish my heart desire before I go for eternity though I knew very well that Allah will give me a better place even if I die today and that was why I am donating this funds for the helpless ones and for Gods work.


Though I just tried to check my mail box now because it is not all the time that I do have the power to write. Please the most important thing you will do for me is to assure me that you are going to make use of the funds according to my desire because my spirit will be at rest there after I have died seeing that the helpless and poor ones are benefiting from the funds I am donating through you.


I would like you to get back to me urgently in receipt of this message to enable me know if i will draft a letter you will submit to the bank for the processing of the transfer to your account.

Again, I would like you to keep this offer as a top secret, because there are many people in the World today but Almighty Allah chooses only you, so exposing this to people may make them to be envy you or give you some kind of advice that may not allow you to conclude this project perfectly as God wants it.

I would like the bank to make the transferring of the funds to your bank account before I will be going for a blood remission in Canada by next week according to my doctors advice. So do forward the below information’s to me to enable me draft and send to you a letter you will be sending to the bank where the funds is deposited with other important documents to back up the claim.

I have attached here some of my pictures for your view and will like you to send to me urgently in receipt of this message the information’s as I write below


1. Your Full Name:
2. Your complete address:
3. Your age
4. Your occupation and position
5. A scan copy of your international passport/ ID CARD
6. Your direct telephone number

I need this information’s to draft a written letter that you will submit to the bank where I deposited the funds
You can call my doctor at +22998916850 at any time immediately you sent those information’s so that I will check my mail. Please it is not all the time that I do have the power to write. And it is important for you to keep this transaction as utmost secrete until the funds enter into your account to avoid bad people working against it as many things use to happened in the world today.

Do always pray for me.
I wait for your urgently reply.
Thanks and God Bless you.

ribshaw
06-17-2013, 08:44 PM
If someone says you won and then asks you for money, you did not win. Scam Alert (http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scam-news/scam-alert-2013-brochures-in-mail-with-2018scratch-and-win2019-competition/view)

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ribshaw
06-17-2013, 08:48 PM
FBI adds two to the 10 most wanted, if you know them and get a reward throw a little cash Ribshaw's way. FBI &mdash; Top Ten at 500: Two New Fugitives Added to List (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/june/top-ten-at-500-two-new-fugitives-added-to-list)

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ribshaw
06-17-2013, 08:53 PM
Ten tips to stay safe online. 10 Tips to Protect Yourself Online (http://news.yahoo.com/safer-internet-day-10-tips-protect-yourself-232418764--abc-news-topstories.html)


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ribshaw
06-17-2013, 08:53 PM
Ten tips to stay safe online. 10 Tips to Protect Yourself Online (http://news.yahoo.com/safer-internet-day-10-tips-protect-yourself-232418764--abc-news-topstories.html)

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kschang
06-17-2013, 10:00 PM
SCAMMER winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com lawchambers@live.com (925) 526-4918
I got this from a Face Book friend who received it earlier this year. The email address links to another scam site so it has been out for a bit Anti-Scam-Forum-NL (http://www.anti-scam-forum.net/openThread_1328809002.htm) There is a different phone number and area code in the thread, but other details seem the same. And of course anything with a free email account should immediately raise red flags, as much as a phone number that can't be traced back to Facebook. The pitch for money was the transaction was held up for VAT, which is always a lie and sending $400 Western Union to Nigeria never a good idea.

Two documents were provided, google images helped on this one.

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This one is rather cute. Supreme Court justice issues a certification using a lawfirm's letterhead? :D And a lawfirm that's NOT existent in San Francisco? :)

The San Francisco address belongs to Supreme Court of CALIFORNIA, not the United States of America. :)

ribshaw
06-17-2013, 10:29 PM
This was posted by someone in a group I was in before Facebook closed my account. I always like to link my work and give credit but can't right now, but this is a scam even without the proper link.

Scam Scam Scam, prizeclaimdesk@live.com

This was found in my Zorpia Inbox,

MICROSOFT45
MICROSOFT ONLINE PROMOTIONS 2013
Congratulations! Congratulations!! Congratulations!!!

Your profile has been selected among the 50 Lucky Winners in Microsoft Online
Promotions of which your profile has won you the grand sum of (£500,000.00 (Five
Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds sterlings) The selection was carried out
through a computer random selection system on Zorpia - The People Meeting Network (http://www.Zorpia.com) and your Prodile emerge as one of the lucky for this year. You are advise to contact the Claims Manager within seven(7) Business days of this notification. Winners are advised to
keep their winning details/information from the public to avoid Fraudulent claim.

Your Winning details below:
Batch number…………………MP09102ZP
Ref number…………………..Mp35447ZP
Winning number……………….MP09788ZP

Please Contact the claims manager with your winning details and information
Full Name:..............

Age:....................
Tel:....................
Nationality:............

Country:................

CLAIMS MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ms Susan.M Brown
TEL: +44 702-024-040-728
Email: prizeclaimdesk@live.com

ribshaw
06-19-2013, 10:14 AM
PHOENIX (CBS5) - Scammers now using Green Dot MoneyPak cards - CBS 5 - KPHO (http://www.kpho.com/story/21291286/scammers-now-using-green-dot-moneypak-cards)

Scams of all kinds have historically involved the victim wiring cash to a stranger, but now that many consumers have gotten wise to this fact, scammers have found a new way for them to pay them.

They're called Green Dot MoneyPak cards. They're reloadable debit cards, available everywhere, and you can use them to pay your phone, cable, or credit card bill. They're typically for people who don't have, or want, bank accounts.

Scammers like them because they're more convenient than a money wire, but just as untraceable.

"My fear was that I was going to lose my job, and my home, and my car," Dean DeVirgilio said.

Even with his autism, DeVirgilio still tends to all his own affairs. Recently, he got a call from a debt collector who claimed DeVirgilio owed $1,300 on an old payday loan. The caller said, "pay it, or else."

"Threatened to send the sheriff to my workplace, send a warrant for my arrest, and have me in jail for three years for fraud," DeVirgilio said.

Federal law prohibits debt collectors from using intimidation, threats and harassment, and no one can be jailed over a debt. DeVirgilio should have realized then he was dealing with a scam artist and the debt wasn't real. Instead, he sent the scammer the money.

"I feel I'm never going to get that all back, that's hurting me right now financially," DeVirgilio said.

How the phone caller demanded payment is a growing trend. Dean was instructed to go to Walmart, load a Green Dot MoneyPak card with the cash, then scratch off the back and call with the number.

"I read off the number, he wrote the number down, and he collected that payment. 'And you had nothing left on the card after that?' Nothing left on the card after that," DeVirgilio said.

Green Dot MoneyPak cards are not linked to bank accounts - the money is on the card. Anyone you share your card number with, has instant access to your cash and can siphon the card dry.

"He stole every cent of my money," DeVirgilio said.

The Green Dot website warns customers about possible scams and reminds them to never give their card number to people they don't know. DeVirgilio hopes others will learn from his mistake.

"Do not give those people the number off the card," DeVirgilio said.

Even though Green Dot Money Pak cards are available in 50,000 locations, and scammers could send their victims anyplace, they tend to push them to Walmart. They want you to go to a place you know and trust so you feel comfortable buying the card.

Green Dot MoneyPak cards serve a purpose for some people. The cards aren't the problem, so remember if you use them, never share your number with a stranger.

ribshaw
06-19-2013, 07:25 PM
America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion for corporate fundraisers Dirty secrets of the worst charities | Tampa Bay Times (http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/worst-charities1.page)

You may as well call them scams.

America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion for corporate fundraisers

By Kris Hundley and Kendall Taggart, Times/CIR special report

Thursday, June 6, 2013 1:30pm



The worst charity in America operates from a metal warehouse behind a gas station in Holiday.

Every year, Kids Wish Network raises millions of dollars in donations in the name of dying children and their families.

Every year, it spends less than 3 cents on the dollar helping kids.

Most of the rest gets diverted to enrich the charity's operators and the for-profit companies Kids Wish hires to drum up donations.

In the past decade alone, Kids Wish has channeled nearly $110 million donated for sick children to its corporate solicitors. An additional $4.8 million has gone to pay the charity's founder and his own consulting firms.

No charity in the nation has siphoned more money away from the needy over a longer period of time.

But Kids Wish is not an isolated case, a yearlong investigation by the Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting has found.

Using state and federal records, the Times and CIR identified nearly 6,000 charities that have chosen to pay for-profit companies to raise their donations.

Then reporters took an unprecedented look back to zero in on the 50 worst — based on the money they diverted to boiler room operators and other solicitors over a decade.

These nonprofits adopt popular causes or mimic well-known charity names that fool donors. Then they rake in cash, year after year.

The nation's 50 worst charities have paid their solicitors nearly $1 billion over the past 10 years that could have gone to charitable works.

Until today, no one had tallied the cost of this parasitic segment of the nonprofit industry or traced the long history of its worst offenders.

Among the findings:

• The 50 worst charities in America devote less than 4 percent of donations raised to direct cash aid. Some charities give even less. Over a decade, one diabetes charity raised nearly $14 million and gave about $10,000 to patients. Six spent nothing at all on direct cash aid.

• Even as they plead for financial support, operators at many of the 50 worst charities have lied to donors about where their money goes, taken multiple salaries, secretly paid themselves consulting fees or arranged fundraising contracts with friends. One cancer charity paid a company owned by the president's son nearly $18 million over eight years to solicit funds. A medical charity paid its biggest research grant to its president's own for-profit company.

• Some nonprofits are little more than fronts for fundraising companies, which bankroll their startup costs, lock them into exclusive contracts at exorbitant rates and even drive the charities into debt. Florida-based Project Cure has raised more than $65 million since 1998, but every year has wound up owing its fundraiser more than what was raised. According to its latest financial filing, the nonprofit is $3 million in debt.

• To disguise the meager amount of money that reaches those in need, charities use accounting tricks and inflate the value of donated dollar-store cast-offs — snack cakes and air fresheners — that they give to dying cancer patients and homeless veterans.

Over the past six months, the Times and CIR called or mailed certified letters to the leaders of Kids Wish Network and the 49 other charities that have paid the most to solicitors.

Nearly half declined to answer questions about their programs or would speak only through an attorney.

Approached in person, one charity manager threatened to call the police; another refused to open the door. A third charity's president took off in his truck at the sight of a reporter with a camera.

Kids Wish has hired Melissa Schwartz, a crisis management specialist in New York City who previously worked for the federal government after the 2010 BP oil spill.

Schwartz said Kids Wish hires solicitors so its staff can focus on working with children, not on raising donations. According to its 2011 IRS filing, the charity has 51 employees. Schwartz also said donors who give directly to the charity instead of in response to solicitations ensure that 100 percent of their pledge will be spent granting wishes.

She declined to answer additional questions about Kids Wish's fundraising operations, saying the charity "is focused on the future."

Charity operators who would talk defended their work, saying raising money is expensive especially in tough economic times.

"No parent has ever turned me down for assistance because we got our money from a telemarketer," said David Thelen, who runs the Committee for Missing Children in Lawrenceville, Ga. The charity is No. 13 on the Times/CIR list.

Over the past decade, the charity paid its solicitors nearly 90 percent of the $27 million it raised. It spent about $21,000 each year on its cause, most often buying plane tickets to reunite families.

The charity's efforts primarily consist of giving advice to families whose children have been abducted. Thelen said his group has worked with about 300 parents since 1997.

But he publicly claims credit for reuniting as many as 1,600 children with their families, even if his charity's involvement was as minimal as posting the child's picture on the charity website.

Doug White is one of the nation's foremost experts on the ethics of charity fundraising. A consultant to nonprofits for more than 30 years, White teaches in Columbia University's fundraising management master's degree program.

He said charities with high fundraising expenses often rationalize that such costs are inevitable in the early years. But White said the Times/CIR findings, based on a decade of data, show that the nation's worst charities can't use that excuse.

White also criticized reputable nonprofits that refuse to condemn bottom-tier charities.

"When you start a charity, you have a sacred compact with society," said White, one of 30 charity experts interviewed for this series. "They are ripping off the public under the guise of an organization that's supposed to do good for society."

What happened to Gina Brown's mother-in-law is a classic case.

Brown said the 72-year-old woman was struggling with dementia when the phone calls started.

From 2008 to 2011, telemarketers representing some of the worst charities in the nation persuaded her to write checks and charge donations to her credit card for a total of nearly $15,000.

Among those on the Times/CIR list that got multiple donations, sometimes only months apart, were Cancer Fund of America, Children's Cancer Fund of America and the Committee for Missing Children.

"She was such a vulnerable person, she must have been on the 'A' list," Brown said.

The Minnesota woman discovered the donations, which ranged from $10 to nearly $1,000, only after her mother-in-law was placed in an Alzheimer's facility.

"It's hard to come to grips with the thought of her as a victim because she had been such a bright woman," Brown said. "This can happen to anyone."



How the list was made

To identify America's 50 worst charities, the Times and CIR pieced together tens of thousands of pages of public records collected by the federal government and 36 states. Reporters started in California, Florida and New York, where regulators require charities to report results of individual fundraising campaigns.

The Times and CIR used those records to flag a specific kind of charity: those that pay for-profit corporations to raise the vast majority of their donations year in and year out.

The effort identified hundreds of charities that run donation drives across the country and regularly give their solicitors at least two-thirds of the take. Experts say good charities should spend about half that much — no more than 35 cents to raise a dollar.

For the worst charities, writing big checks to telemarketers isn't an anomaly. It's a way of life.

The Times and CIR charted each charity's performance over the past decade and ranked it based on the total donations diverted to fundraisers, arriving at the 50 worst charities. By this measure, Kids Wish tops the list.

Tracking donations diverted to fundraising is just one way to rate a charity's performance. But experts called the rating fair and said it would provide a unique resource to help donors avoid bad charities.

White, the Columbia University professor, dismisses the argument made by charities that without telemarketers they would have no money.

"When you weigh that in terms of values, of what the charity is supposed to be doing and what the donor is being told in the process, the house comes tumbling down," White said.

Collectively the 50 worst charities raised more than $1.3 billion over the past decade and paid nearly $1 billion of that directly to the companies that raise their donations.

If that money had gone to charity, it would have been enough to build 20,000 Habitat for Humanity homes, buy 7 million wheelchairs or pay for mammograms for nearly 10 million uninsured women.

Instead it funded charities like Youth Development Fund.

The Tennessee charity, which came in at No. 12, has been around for 30 years. Over the past decade it has raised nearly $30 million from donors by promising to educate children about drug abuse, health and fitness.

About 80 percent of what's donated each year goes directly to solicitation companies.

Most of what's left pays for one thing: scuba-diving videos starring the charity's founder and president, Rick Bowen.

Bowen's charity pays his own for-profit production company about $200,000 a year to make the videos. Then the charity pays to air Rick Bowen Deep-Sea Diving on a local Knoxville station. The program makes no mention of Youth Development Fund.

In its IRS tax filings, the charity reports that its programming reaches "an estimated audience of 1.3 million."

But, according to the station manager, the show attracts about 3,600 viewers a week.

Bowen, who runs the charity out of his Knoxville condo, declined to be interviewed. He defended the practice of hiring his own company with the public's donations.

"We just happened to be the low bidder," he said.



Obvious differences

America's worst charities look nothing like Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Clubs or thousands of other charities, large and small, that are dedicated to helping the sick and needy.

Well-run charities rely on their own staff to raise money from a variety of sources. They spend most of their donations on easy-to-verify activities, whether it's running soup kitchens, supporting cancer research, raising awareness about drunken driving or building homes for veterans.

The Times/CIR list of worst charities, meanwhile, is littered with organizations that exhibit red flags for fraud, waste and mismanagement.

Thirty-nine have been disciplined by state regulators, some as many as seven times.

Eight of the charities have been banned in one state.

One was shut down by regulators but reopened under a new name.

A third of the charities' founders and executives have put relatives on the payroll or the board of directors.

For eight years, American Breast Cancer Foundation paid Joseph Wolf's telemarketing company to generate donations.

His mother, Phyllis Wolf, had founded the Baltimore-based charity and was its president until she was forced to resign in 2010.

While she ran the charity, her son's company, Non Profit Promotions, collected $18 million in telemarketing fees.

Phyllis Wolf left the charity after the payments to her son attracted media attention in 2010. The charity has since stopped using telemarketers, including Joseph Wolf's.

Phyllis and Joseph Wolf did not respond to several calls seeking comment.

The nation's worst charities are large and small. Some are one-person outfits operating from run-down apartments. Others claim hundreds of employees and a half-dozen locations around the country. One lists a UPS mail box as its headquarters address.

Several play off the names of well-known organizations, confusing donors.

Among those on the Times/CIR list are Kids Wish Network, Children's Wish Foundation International and Wishing Well Foundation. All of the names sound like the original, Make-A-Wish Foundation, which does not hire professional telemarketers.

Make-a-Wish officials say they've spent years fielding complaints from people who were solicited by sound-alike charities.

"While some of the donations go elsewhere, all the bad public relations that comes with telemarketing seems to come to us," said Make-A-Wish spokesman Paul Allvin.

Donors who answer calls from the 50 worst charities hear professionally honed messages, designed to leverage popular causes and hide one crucial fact: Almost nothing goes to charity.

When telemarketers for Kids Wish call potential donors, they open with a name you think you've heard before.

Then they ask potential donors to "imagine the heartbreak of losing a child to a terminal illness," according to scripts filed with North Carolina regulators in 2010.

Kids Wish, the callers say, wants to fulfill their wishes "while they are still healthy enough to enjoy them."

They leave out the fact that most of the charity's good deeds involve handing out gift cards to hospitalized children and donated coloring books and board games to healthy kids around the country. And they don't mention the millions of dollars spent on salaries and fundraising every year.

The biggest difference between good charities and the nation's worst is the bottom line.

Every charity has salary, overhead and fundraising costs.

But several watchdog organizations say charities should spend no more than 35 percent of the money they raise on fundraising expenses.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and North Florida is one of dozens of Make-A-Wish chapters across the country.

Last year, it reported raising $3.1 million cash and spent about 60 percent of that, $1.8 million, granting wishes.

The same year, Kids Wish raised $18.6 million, its tax filing shows. It spent just $240,000 granting wishes — 1 percent of the cash raised.



The formula

The path chosen by Jacqueline Gray shows exactly how a worthy cause can be turned into one of the nation's worst charities.

In 2007, Gray and her husband, Kevin, started Woman to Woman Breast Cancer Foundation in Lauderdale Lakes.

For a year the couple struggled to raise money by hosting golf tournaments and by making phone calls to potential donors themselves.

Then they met Mark Gelvan, a New Jersey consultant who has spent two decades transforming fledgling charities into money-making machines.

"He said he had the best dialers on the market," Jacqueline Gray recalled.

Gelvan introduced the Grays to what sounded like a winning formula.

He would help the charity expand if it signed a contract with telemarketer Community Support Inc.

The staff at Community Support would handle everything. They would create the marketing materials and run the call centers.

The telemarketer even gave the Grays $30,000 in seed money to cover bills related to the expansion. All the Grays had to do was agree to let Community Support keep the majority of every dollar raised, then sit back and wait.

The transformation was immediate.

From donations of less than $15,000 in fiscal 2008, contributions to Woman to Woman through its professional solicitor increased to $1.5 million in 2009, then leaped to $6.3 million in 2010 and $6.7 million in its most recent filing.

What the charity got to keep was far more modest. It netted about $50,000 its first year with Community Support and $544,000 in 2011.

That was still enough for Gray, her husband and her daughter to start taking salaries. In the latest year, the trio received $84,000 in total compensation. Each member of the family also has a vehicle provided by the charity.

The Grays' decision to sign on with professional fundraisers transformed Woman to Woman into one of the nation's worst. It falls at No. 22 on the Times/CIR list.

Woman to Woman raised $14.5 million in donations from 2009 to 2011, tax filings show.

It paid nearly 95 percent of that to its for-profit fundraiser and spent about $700,000 on overhead and salaries.

That left an average of less than $20,000 a year to provide mammograms and other diagnostic services for women with breast cancer.

Jacqueline Gray, herself a breast cancer survivor, said she is as shocked as anyone by how much money has been raised in her charity's name and how little of it has reached patients. She said she is angry that phone solicitors take more than 90 percent of the revenue.

But she vehemently denies that she's to blame.

"Why would I be to blame for a system that's dysfunctional?" Gray asked. "We are doing what we're supposed to be doing."

She showed a reporter several emails she has sent Gelvan in the past year, trying to renegotiate Woman to Woman's contracts for better returns.

His response, according to Gray: If they didn't like 10 percent, Gelvan would replace Woman to Woman with another charity.

"In the tele-funding business sector, it is common for nonprofit organizations to renew PFR (professional fundraising) contracts under the same terms and provisions of the previous contract," Gelvan wrote in an email that Gray shared with Times/CIR reporters. "This is part of the 'if it's not broken, don't fix it' principle."

Instead of giving the charity a better return, Gelvan introduced the Grays to the next piece of the formula — gifts-in-kind.

Gifts-in-kind are donated items like generic drugs and medical supplies. Getting them to the sick and poor in developing countries can be an important role for a charity.

But for charities that spend most of their money on for-profit solicitors, gifts-in-kind can function as an accounting gimmick.

The value of these shipments is often highly inflated, with pills that sell for pennies priced at $10 each on paper.

Several charities also can pitch in to pay the overseas transportation costs of the same shipment of medical supplies.

Under accounting rules, each charity is then allowed to take credit for the entire value of the shipment as if it alone provided the supplies to those in need.

The result: A charity's revenues and good deeds are boosted and fundraising costs look smaller.

That makes donated items especially useful for charities that fear being criticized for having excessive fundraising costs on their public IRS filings.

Kevin Gray, the charity's chief financial officer, said Gelvan made no pretenses when he suggested the charity start shipping goods overseas.

"Mark said it was a way to make our 990 (IRS filing) look better," Kevin Gray said.

Gelvan told them to hire a company that rounds up donated goods and ships them overseas for charities, according to the Grays.

He handed them a binder laying out options like a Sears catalog.

They could send blood pressure monitors to Ghana. Or maternity ward equipment to the Philippines. Or surgical supplies to Guatemala.

The Grays rejected the idea.

"I can't figure out why I'd pay to ship medicines out of the country while people need the stuff right here," Kevin Gray said. "Why would I want to spend money that way?"

But the Grays say their charity would have no money if not for professional fundraisers, so they have continued paying them.



Reaping the benefits

The fundraising formula that raised millions of dollars for the Grays' charity has been adopted by hundreds of charities.

They use it to deceive donors and turn their causes into profit centers.

Few have been more successful than Mark Breiner, the founder and one-time president of Kids Wish Network.

Breiner relied on professional fundraisers and donated items to build his charity into a nearly $20 million annual operation.

He is among the beneficiaries. The charity he founded has paid him or his companies nearly $4.8 million in the past 10 years — $1.5 million more than what the charity spent on direct cash to children, according to tax filings.

While Breiner was still president of Kids Wish, earning $130,000 a year, he joined a former employee as a partner in a fundraising company called Dream Giveaway.

In 2008 and 2009, Kids Wish paid Dream Giveaway nearly $1.7 million in consulting fees to run automobile give-aways that raised money for the charity. The charity's IRS filings do not specify how much it netted on these early sweepstakes.

Breiner continued making money after he retired from Kids Wish in mid-2010 and left his mother-in-law on the seven-member charity board. In 2010 and 2011, the charity paid two of Breiner's companies $2.1 million for licensing, consulting and brokerage fees.

Kids Wish violated IRS rules by waiting four years to disclose the money it paid Breiner's companies.

The charity first reported the payments in amended tax filings last year after an employee took her concerns about insider dealings to the charity's board.

Meanda Dubay, who had been a wish coordinator for six months, told Kids Wish's directors she was seeking protection under the charity's whistle-blower policy.

She was fired immediately after she raised her concerns.

Kids Wish officials accused Dubay of stealing proprietary information from the company's database and said they had been preparing to dismiss her prior to her appearance before the board.

The charity asked the FBI to investigate Dubay. The FBI found no wrongdoing.

Kids Wish then sued Dubay for breach of contract and defamation. Dubay, who declined to talk to reporters, has denied all allegations in the civil case, which is pending.

Kids Wish officials said in an email that the omissions in the IRS filings resulted from "inadvertent errors made by the former accounting firm."

Officials at the Tampa accounting firm, Guida & Jimenez, did not return calls seeking comment.

Breiner declined to answer questions about his fundraising and consulting businesses, which received an additional $1.26 million from Kids Wish for a car giveaway in 2012.

But he said in an email that the charity recently completed an IRS audit that included a review of its contracts with his companies.

"They found no indication of private inurement or conflict of interest with founders or board members," Breiner said.

An IRS spokesman said federal law prohibits the agency from commenting on a specific individual or organization's tax issues.

Breiner has cashed in on other close relationships in the charity industry as well.

His consulting business was paid nearly $1 million over two years by a charity founded by a former Kids Wish board member. And when Kids Wish's longtime telemarketer started a charity so his son could have a job, he turned to Breiner for fundraising help.

"Mark's a genius," said Robert Preston, who paid Breiner's companies more than $375,000 in 2011 to run a Porsche giveaway for the charity, WorldCause Foundation.

Breiner's consulting arrangements may be perfectly legal, but such relationships are bright red flags to charity experts. They create the appearance of a conflict of interest and make it easy to turn charitable donations into personal profit, experts say.

Putnam Barber at the University of Washington, who has been writing and teaching about nonprofits for more than 20 years, said, "That kind of arrangement makes me fume."

Kendall Taggart is a reporter for The Center for Investigative Reporting. Times researcher Caryn Baird, computer-assisted reporting specialist Connie Humburg, and web developer Bill Higgins contributed to this report, along with CNN senior producer David Fitzpatrick. Times staff writer Kris Hundley can be reached at khundley@tampabay.com.

America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion for corporate fundraisers 06/06/13 [Last modified: Friday, June 7, 2013 12:12pm]

ribshaw
06-19-2013, 07:51 PM
A lack of regulation big shocker there.

Lack of regulation and meager penalties allow worst charities to thrive Lack of regulation and meager penalties allow worst charities to thrive | Tampa Bay Times (http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/worst-charities2.page)

Cancer Fund of America and the Reynold's Family should be in jail, damn it!!

Carol Smith still gets angry when she remembers the box that arrived by mail for her dying husband.

Cancer Fund of America sent it when he was diagnosed with lung cancer six years ago. Smith had called the charity for help.

"It was filled with paper plates, cups, napkins and kids' toys," the 67-year-old Knoxville, Tenn., resident said. "My husband looked like somebody slapped him in the face.

"I just threw it in the trash."

SERIOUSLY, DON'T GIVE THESE PEOPLE MONEY. :NO:

Intricate family connections bind several of America's worst charities Intricate family connections bind several of America's worst charities (http://www.tampabay.com/topics/specials/worst-charities3.page)

America's Worst Charities (http://www.tampabay.com/americas-worst-charities/)

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ribshaw
06-20-2013, 10:39 AM
This is a little old, but there seems to be a lot of hacking going on in the interwebs lately. Pays to be careful.

The last malware attempt I got claimed I had won a Best Buy gift card.


Smartphone Users Should be Aware of Malware Targeting Mobile Devices and Safety Measures to Help Avoid Compromise

10/12/12—The IC3 has been made aware of various malware attacking Android operating systems for mobile devices. Some of the latest known versions of this type of malware are Loozfon and FinFisher. Loozfon is an information-stealing piece of malware. Criminals use different variants to lure the victims. One version is a work-at-home opportunity that promises a profitable payday just for sending out e-mail. A link within these advertisements leads to a website that is designed to push Loozfon on the user’s device. The malicious application steals contact details from the user’s address book and the infected device’s phone number.

FinFisher is a spyware capable of taking over the components of a mobile device. When installed the mobile device can be remotely controlled and monitored no matter where the Target is located. FinFisher can be easily transmitted to a smartphone when the user visits a specific web link or opens a text message masquerading as a system update.

Loozfon and FinFisher are just two examples of malware used by criminals to lure users into compromising their devices.

Safety tips to protect your mobile device:

When purchasing a smartphone, know the features of the device, including the default settings. Turn off features of the device not needed to minimize the attack surface of the device.
Depending on the type of phone, the operating system may have encryption available. This can be used to protect the user’s personal data in the case of loss or theft.
With the growth of the application market for mobile devices, users should look at the reviews of the developer/company who published the application.
Review and understand the permissions you are giving when you download applications.
Passcode protect your mobile device. This is the first layer of physical security to protect the contents of the device. In conjunction with the passcode, enable the screen lock feature after a few minutes of inactivity.
Obtain malware protection for your mobile device. Look for applications that specialize in antivirus or file integrity that helps protect your device from rogue applications and malware.
Be aware of applications that enable geo-location. The application will track the user’s location anywhere. This application can be used for marketing, but can also be used by malicious actors, raising concerns of assisting a possible stalker and/or burglaries.
Jailbreak or rooting is used to remove certain restrictions imposed by the device manufacturer or cell phone carrier. This allows the user nearly unregulated control over what programs can be installed and how the device can be used. However, this procedure often involves exploiting significant security vulnerabilities and increases the attack surface of the device. Anytime an application or service runs in “unrestricted” or “system” level within an operation system, it allows any compromise to take full control of the device.
Do not allow your device to connect to unknown wireless networks. These networks could be rogue access points that capture information passed between your device and a legitimate server.
If you decide to sell your device or trade it in, make sure you wipe the device (reset it to factory default) to avoid leaving personal data on the device.
Smartphones require updates to run applications and firmware. If users neglect this, it increases the risk of having their device hacked or compromised.
Avoid clicking on or otherwise downloading software or links from unknown sources.
Use the same precautions on your mobile phone as you would on your computer when using the Internet.

If you have been a victim of an Internet scam or have received an e-mail that you believe was an attempted scam, please file a complaint at Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Home (http://www.IC3.gov).

ribshaw
06-24-2013, 09:54 AM
Facebook, right on top of things as usual.


Facebook bug exposes 6 million users Facebook bug exposes 6 million users | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/facebook-bug-exposes-6-million-users-jun13)

Facebook revealed on Friday that a bug in its system caused 6 million users phone numbers and email addresses to be exposed [24 June 2013]

Facebook bug exposes 6 million usersFacebook says this bug meant that the site collated information about users to create master records including phone numbers and email addresses that the owners had never intended to share.

Facebook said it has fixed the problem and is in the process of notifying affected users via email. Although describing the bug as "pretty technical”, they wanted to emphasise “the practical impact of this bug is likely to be minimal”.

Facebook explained that anyone attempting to download archive profile information using the Download Your Information (DYI) tool may have been provided with the email or telephone numbers of people who they shared connections with on the site. The email addresses and telephone numbers of an estimated six million people affected were given out to other users “once or twice”.

They added that they had received no information to suggest the bug was malicious or that any complaints had been made from users who had noticed “anomalous behaviour” or “wrongdoing”.

What to do if you receive one of these emails?

If you receive an email from Facebook about your security being compromised it is likely to be legitimate, as some users in the UK will have been affected.

However it is important to remember that fraudsters will use legitimate events like these to scam people via email. If you receive one and are unsure log into Facebook directly to access your account and follow our advice:

Do not click on any links in the scam email.
Do not reply to the email or contact the senders in any way.
If you have clicked on a link in the email, do not supply any information on the website that may open.
Do not open any attachments that arrive with the email.
Report any scam emails to us.

For further information see the Facebook security post.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

ribshaw
06-24-2013, 10:06 AM
1. 419 scams
2. Advance Fee for Loans
3. Lottery
4. Phishing and phony web pages
5. Overpayment of items you are selling
6. Disaster Relief
7. Travel Scams
8. Make fast money
9 Employment search overpayment (mystery shopper, personal assistant)
10. Turn your computer in to a money making machine.

The Top 10 Internet/Email Scams, 2013 (http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/scamsandidentitytheft/ss/top10inetscams.htm)

ribshaw
06-24-2013, 10:12 AM
Few more tips on cyber security. Cyber Crimes and Criminals - How Cyber Criminals Operate - The Carnegie Cyber Academy - An Online Safety site and Games for Kids (http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/facultyPages/cyberCriminals/operate.html)

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ribshaw
06-25-2013, 08:41 PM
Perfect Way to find who all are crawling my photos – Facebook Scam Perfect Way to find who all are crawling my photos – Facebook Scam | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Scam-Watch/Perfect-Way-to-find-who-all-are-crawling-my-photos-Facebook-Scam.html)

June 24, 2013

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ribshaw
06-27-2013, 11:24 AM
This had some useful links about common scams using money transfers. The 11 Most Common Wire Transfer, Money Transfer Frauds | MoneyGram (http://www.moneygram-preventfraud.com/most-common-frauds.asp)

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ribshaw
06-28-2013, 12:45 PM
I get so excited when I get something new, especially one with this many tells before I even break out the pre-paid to call about my good fortune.

SCAMMER jewlzlovus@yahoo.com
SCAMMER PHONE +1-606-259-4052

The phone hits here for a YMCA employment/scholarship scam dating back to 2010. www.scamwarners.com &bull; View topic - YMCA Employment Scam (http://scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=6400)

Ip trace leads back to Ireland. Very odd starting location for a US YMCA.

4781

Jewlzl Jew

12:47 PM (45 minutes ago)

to me
Hi
Statistics has shown that your country are the most workaholic citizens of the world here in the US bureau of information on global man labor under the YMCA Human project,the YMCA will be undertaking a Sub headquarters in the Phoenix,USA a 2 months project,the project will take place in Phoenix,7 official citizens are needed from your country to be part of the project worth 30 millions$ and be paid weekly,the team will also get the chance to visit the headquarters after the project and work with the global YMCA globally in the US.
Like i told you in my previous mail,i am a programmer working with the YMCA and to lead your team from your country.
I once visited your country,your country is one of the best place to be.
If you consider to be among the project organization, you should forward your application and get your membership card of the YMCA and application form and the organization working permit,and your group will be visiting the organization for your convocation before the commencement of the project in AUGUST 10Th 2013, You can log unto our website below and take a look.


the Y (http://www.ymca.net/) If you consider this great opportunity the YMCA are given globally,you have to forward your application to Mrs Danielle Scott

Kimberly_ymca@usa.com
Kimberly_Smith@usa.com
Tel; +13475656823

Scholarship for students will be given for student willing to further their studies in the US through the YMCA,the project has been targeted for 30,000$ weekly for the 7 team members.I will be working with the regional coordinator from USA, Mr Franklin Hunter who is undertaking a project in Africa and he will be coordinating your team for visas approval


as the branch executive director of the YMCA



While you apply for detail information, I will talk to her, and l will be here to stand for you and to monitor the situation in your favor i will be happy to receive you here in my beloved Country (America). If you should apply for it, let them know that I recommend you for they will not waste time with your application .May be through this Program and by the special grace of God we might start affecting each other life positively or at least be able to say that you have made me to know this or that. Surely, no one lives to himself or herself and what ever we can do today for one another may stand for our glory tomorrow.


With great love from your dearest in heart Below is my address and be ready to become our global correspondent.

jewlzlovus@yahoo.com
Downtown Phoenix YMCA
909 4th Avenue
Phoenix,PH 61605USA
Tel/ +1-606-259-4052
Helin Je,

Here is my favorite though none of the products on the shelf are things we would buy in the US. And if she needs shampoo imported she is way out of my affordability index for dating.

4782

ribshaw
06-29-2013, 12:45 PM
This is an older article, but I found one of the scams to be a little more intricate than you normally see.

Monday, July 18th, 2011 | Posted by Editor Internet Scams to Good to Be True -Thailand | Chiang Rai Times English Language Newspaper (http://www.chiangraitimes.com/news/1221.html)
Internet Scams to Good to Be True -Thailand

Be aware of Romance Scammers on Internet and Dating Sites and Social Sites. Nigerian scammers also work from Malaysia



Ghana and Nigeria are becoming synonymous with Internet fraud as a Google search reveals. Last month, in a town hall meeting in New York with the Vice President His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, I raised the serious problem of Internet fraud in Ghana. While his response showed that the government was trying to solve the problem, but also showed that most Ghanaians were not aware of how sophisticated this crime had become.

Yet the idea persists that most foreigners being ripped off on internet fraud scams – also called 419 or Sakawa – greedy people are eager to quick riches. This is no longer the case. Criminals no longer send emails that cheap that someone has died in a plane crash has left millions of dollars or the child of a deceased African dictator with millions hidden is willing to transfer the money in the bank account of a foreigner one party. Con artists know that foreigners are no longer for this type of financial scams. Therefore, more sophisticated varieties.

An Indian company that makes bags of cocoa and has a website receives an “offer” of the Cocoa Marketing Company (Gh) Ltd (CMC) on the official letterhead of the supply of 200,000 bags of Ghana’s cocoa. Its marketing manager calls the number on the letterhead and received by someone impersonating an officer of the CMC. Then comes another looking for fraudulent documents, but official until the Indian company is convinced that the transaction is genuine. This is followed by demands for various positions at various agencies in Ghana, all backed by official looking but fake receipts. Thieves inviting the company to send a representative to Ghana to sign the formal contract. The representative of Ghana arrives only to be picked up by the thieves to his hotel and, finally, fleeced of more money. I know because communication by e-mail I received from one of those victims.

The lady expresses a desire to visit him in the US and starts demanding money for a plane ticket and to secure a US visa.

A retiree in the U.S. alone who just lost his wife goes to a dating site on the Internet as match.com and befriends one Thai nurse who is spending time in children in Ghana to help in an orphanage. The image of the retiree saw was actually a picture of a person cut out of the Internet and is used in the scam. Mrs. hopes to visit in the U.S. and starts demanding money for a plane ticket and to secure a U.S. visa. On the day of departure Ghana Immigration would not let him board the plane because I had to take some money into it. Any questions are answered with an official letter from the Ghana Immigration Service. Anyone who doubts this should go to the website of the Ghana Immigration Service and see a flag to warn people of this crime. The woman said the retiree who was bringing a little gold with her to the U.S. and was arrested for not paying taxes on that amount. Mr. Retirees would send their money to pay police and pay the tax so that she can return when you sell gold in the U.S.? This scam is again supported by forged documents, a false passport, a U.S. visa fraud, a fake letter from the Ghana Immigration Service, a fake letter from the Internal Revenue Service and the Ghana Police. Some of these criminals who steal from their colleagues and have their passports and identification documents of people from other countries like the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, etc. for use in these individuals impersonating the Sakawa 419 or fraud. I know because I’ve seen some of these documents.

The range of official documents, but fraudulent used in these programs ran the gamut and supposedly comes from the ministries, courts, parliament, police and customs.

As part of its quest to become a middle income country in the near future, Ghana has opened its doors to international trade and investment, which is working directly weakened by the number of fraudulent documents to leave the country. There is also the tragic aspect of these scams on the Internet lead to many victims of despair, debt and bankruptcy and others to take their own lives.

Last year, a Briton, Philip Hunt, who suffered from depression and had had two failed marriages, took his own life in front of a moving train after being cheated out of £ 82,000 for a romantic con man named “Rose” Nigeria. Also last year, a father of Al Circelli, of Yonkers, New York was shot in the head after he stole $ 50,000 by a romance scammer Internet Ghana who called Aisha.

These scams do nothing for the image of Ghana as a desirable tourist destination. I think only a minority of these frauds are perpetrated by Ghanaians. Letterhead reading “Federal Republic of Ghana,” the signatories and Chinedu Eke, gives a good idea that these scammers origin. These foreigners have settled in Ghana because most victims do not respond to e-mail scam from their countries of origin. Unless Ghana do something soon, we risk being rejected by the international community.

Scammers offer to give away free money for helping them move large sums to American banks.

Combating Internet Crime in Ghana should not be difficult if the government concentrates on the main facilitators – most of them is Western Union and its lax system of money transfer. And to think that in this day and age of international money laundering and terrorist financing, nobody, not even a fake name and identity can enter a Western Union office or its affiliates and collect several thousand dollars with minimal logging is negligent, to say the least. Government should demand that henceforth no one collecting more than $ 1,000 in money transfer Western Union shall provide a driver’s license or passport and in cases of very large sums should be digitally photographed and save the image of the company and put available at the request of the law.

Some of the victims of cyber crime have lost money through wire transfers. It seems that some banks in Ghana are negligent in opening accounts or some of its officials have colluded with these criminals to deceive foreigners. The government should enforce tougher standards for banks and which shows that Bank staff have assisted in Internet fraud facilitating the opening of fraudulent accounts, they should be prosecuted.

Government should vigorously pursue the existing SIM card registration exercise and eliminate all the numbers registered fraudulently. These scammers use cell phones that are registered or fraudulently registered or registered to others. Once the SIM card exercise is done correctly and all cellular calls can be traced to particular individuals, cyber-criminals can be quickly located and arrested by police.

The range of official but fraudulent documents used in these schemes ran the gamut and purportedly comes from the ministries, the courts, parliament, the police and customs

Institutionally, the Ghana Police Service and must have an Internet unit of effective crime and well trained to carry out covert operations and to pursue and apprehend these criminals. The website of Ghana Police Service should have a banner in bold on the home page with an Internet address and a phone number to anyone who you think you are being ripped off on contact. The cyber crime unit will work with the victim to establish cyber criminals in an undercover operation in Ghana and arrest them. Many victims have told me in touch with the Ghana Police, but received no response or cooperation.

Most cyber criminals use Internet cafes. The government should seriously consider Internet cafes license – if you do not already – and requires them to ensure their computers are not used for 419 scam or Sakawa. There are stories repeated cyber criminals engaged in equipment rental internet cafes for days with the owners aware of, but turns a blind eye to their activities.

Last year when I was at home in Ghana, with my family, I went to an internet cafe with my wife for example. Upon entering, just in front of me and a team facing the Internet cafe owner was a man who had cut the image of an Asian woman over the internet and was using software to pose in front of a photograph of the Plaza de Independence of Ghana. Immediately, intentionally told my wife and sight of the man who was changing the image for use in an Internet scam. At this point, the man became very nervous and in a short time left in the cafeteria.

It is expected that the government acts on these recommendations and, finally, derives the title of this insidious crime is rapidly eroding the image of Ghana.

ribshaw
06-29-2013, 12:57 PM
This is an article by Barbara Nevins Taylor a consumer advocate. Refunds for Grant Scam Victims : CONSUMERMOJO.COM (http://www.consumermojo.com/refunds-for-grant-scam-victims/)

Somewhere, sometime you’ve probably heard about “government grants” and seminars and programs that are supposed to help you get “free government money.” These programs sound great. But in truth they are money-making machines for the people who run them and offer consumers very little. That’s why it’s great to know that one company had to cough up approximately $1.7 million as part of settlement and court judgments won by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As a result, almost 23,000 consumers who signed up with Grant Connect will get refunds. 0

Grant Connect ran an online business and described itself as a “unique consumer-friendly US government grant program that delivers all of the tools for the consumer to search multiple databases, write grant proposals, and deliver polished plans…” The FTC says the websites also used images of the President and the American flag in an attempt to convince consumers that they were affiliated with the U.S. government, which they were not. 0

The checks are on the way and consumers will receive amounts based upon what they lost. The FTC says, “Most consumers will recover nearly 80 percent of their total loss.”

Cash the check right away

Don’t hold on to the check. Cash it right away. You must do it within 60 days after you receive it.

ribshaw
06-29-2013, 01:00 PM
This is a second article by Barbara Nevis Taylor, $6.5 Million in Refunds to Military Borrowers : CONSUMERMOJO.COM (http://www.consumermojo.com/6-5-million-in-refunds-to-military-borrowers/)

Here is the gist, if you or anyone you know in the military borrowed money to buy a car.

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU ORDERS AUTO LENDERS TO REFUND APPROXIMATELY $6.5 MILLION TO SERVICEMEMBERS

ribshaw
07-01-2013, 09:13 AM
This appears to be a new picture making its way around the scam world, if you are seeing this picture and thinking about sending money. DON"T you are being scammed.

It came from a fellow scambuster at https://www.facebook.com/pages/STOP-WOMEN-AND-MEN-BEING-SCAMMED-WORLDWIDE/117457524931671 since I could not find it on google figured better get it out there.

4880

ribshaw
07-01-2013, 08:25 PM
No you didn't win, or find someone with a business proposition, just another scammer. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam/340470669393547

SCAMMER bar.justin@blumail.org
SCAMMER bar.justin@secureroot.com
Monday, July 1, 2013
ATTENTION!!
I have a business proposition for you about a late client of mine that bears the same last name as yours with portfolio investment deposited in CitiBank.

Best regards
Barrister Justin Foster

Name : Bar. Justin Foster
E-mail : bar.justin@blumail.org,bar.justin@secureroot.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAMMER asfc3@inmail.com
SCAMMER asfc1@inmail24.com

Monday, July 1, 2013
YOUR PAYMENT OF $27, 000, 000 DOLLARS.
--
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
FROM THE DESK OF:
DR. SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
Attention: Beneficiary,

YOUR PAYMENT OF $27, 000, 000 DOLLARS.

This is to inform you that the management of this bank has decided to send your fund to you

by converting the $27 million dollars into an ATM card .Therefore, you are to send down your

full information as stated below.

Your full name:
Your Residential or Office Address:
Your direct telephone number:

We will be waiting to receive the above mentioned information as requested.

We are looking forward to hear from

Yours Sincerely
Dr. Sanusi Lamido
Governor Central Bank of Nigeria.

Name : Dr. Sanusi Lamido
E-mail : asfc3@inmail.com,asfc1@inmail24.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAMMER b_berry79@yahoo.com
SCAMMER bb@winners.com

Monday, July 1, 2013
Congratulation You Won
Congratulation! your E-mail has won $950,000 in the 2013 BLACKBERRY YEARLY PROMO.

Ticket number. 0147N. For Claims Call OR Email our IC Number to Black Berry Email address

at: b_berry79@yahoo.com

Your prize will be sent to you in any of your destination.

Regards
Mr Brown Adams
BLACK BERRY INC

Name : Mr Brown Adams,BLACKBERRY WINNERS INC
E-mail : b_berry79@yahoo.com,bb@winners.com

ribshaw
07-02-2013, 09:10 AM
With all the hacking and loss of data going on these days, a credit freeze seems like a good idea to prevent people from opening accounts with your social security number. If you need credit, you can "thaw" the account for a few days to allow creditors access to your file.

Credit Freeze and Thaw Guide Credit Freeze and Thaw Guide | www.clarkhoward.com (http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/nFbL/)

By Clark Howard


Credit freezes are one of the most effective tools against economic ID theft available to consumers.

They allow you to seal your credit reports and use a personal identification number (PIN) that only you know and can use to temporarily "thaw" your credit so that legitimate applications for credit and services can be processed. That added layer of security means that thieves can't establish new credit in your name even if they are able to obtain your ID.

Freezing your credit files has no impact whatsoever on your existing lines of credit, such as credit cards. You can continue to use them as you regularly would even when your credit is frozen.

Freezes have been available for free to victims of ID theft for some years, but recently all three of the major credit bureaus adopted new rules allowing non-victims to have access to credit freezes as well for a small fee. In addition, most states and Puerto Rico have adopted laws establishing credit freezes for residents of their state.

Residents of the state of Maryland may also freeze the credit reports of their minor children.

The cost ranges from $3-$10 per person per bureau to freeze a credit report; a couple of states have higher fees. See specific info for your state with the links below.

The cost to "thaw" your reports for one creditor -- or for a specific period of time -- range from being free to $10.

When shouldn't you freeze your credit?
If your credit reports are accessed often for work or because you create new accounts with various financial institutions on a regular basis, it is not suggested that you freeze your accounts. The costs to continually "thaw" your reports would tend to be excessive.

Below you'll find directions and links to assist you in obtaining your credit freeze or thaw from each bureau:

EQUIFAX CREDIT FREEZE - [Website]

Credit freezes may be done online or by certified mail - return receipt requested.
Check your state's listing for the exact cost of your credit freeze and to see if there is a reduction in cost if you are a senior citizen.
Request your credit freeze by certified mail using this sample letter. Please note the attachments you must include.
If your PIN is late arriving, call 1-888-298-0045. They will ask you for some ID and arrange for your PIN to be sent to you in 4-7 days.
Unfreeze: Do a temporary thaw of your Equifax credit freeze by snail mail, online or by calling 1-888-298-0045.


EXPERIAN CREDIT FREEZE - [Website]

Credit freezes may be done online or by certified mail - return receipt requested.
Check your state's listing for the exact cost of your credit freeze and to see if there is a reduction in cost if you are a senior citizen.
Request your credit freeze by certified mail using this sample letter. Please note the attachments you must include.
You can also freeze a child's credit report. The information contained at this link is applicable for all three credit bureaus. You must first write a letter to each bureau to learn if your minor child has a credit report and if so, then you can proceed to freeze it.
Unfreeze: Do a temporary thaw of your Experian credit freeze online or by calling 1-888-397-3742.


TRANSUNION CREDIT FREEZE - [Website]

Credit freezes may be done online, by phone (1-888-909-8872) or by certified mail - return receipt requested. (Some users have reported difficulty with the online method. Please try one of the other options if you too experience difficulty.)
Check your state's listing for the exact cost of your credit freeze and to see if there is a reduction in cost if you are a senior citizen.
Request your credit freeze by certified mail using this sample letter. Please note the attachments you must include.
Unfreeze: Do a temporary thaw of your TransUnion credit freeze online or by calling 1-888-909-8872.


Special thanks to our listeners Carrie and Ed for their input into this guide.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also the IRS will issue you a six digit code to place on your tax return as a second layer of protection if you may have been a victim of identity theft. I tried to find the direct link, but don't have all day on that one. IRS Combats Identity Theft and Refund Fraud on Many Fronts (http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Combats-Identity-Theft-and-Refund-Fraud-on-Many-Fronts)

ribshaw
07-03-2013, 07:12 PM
Are you a money mule? Found this sort of interesting today.

4939


ZeuS Malware Used to Lure Victims to Money Mule Recruitment Website (http://news.softpedia.com/news/ZeuS-Malware-Used-to-Lure-Victims-to-Money-Mule-Recruitment-Website-360879.shtml)
It’s well known that it’s not enough for cybercriminals to get a hold of personal and financial information to make a profit. They somehow have to monetize their proceeds, and the safest way for them to do that is by recruiting money mules.

Money mules are willing or unwitting individuals who withdraw the money, keep a percentage for themselves and wire the rest to the crooks.

Cybercriminals often use legitimate job websites to advertise so-called “financial manager” positions. However, over the past period, employment websites have deployed mechanisms to allow users to easily report suspicious ads.

That’s why cybercriminals have started relying on the notorious ZeuS malware to lure potential money mules to their own recruitment website.

A new ZeuS variant spotted by researchers from Trusteer is designed not only to steal information, but also to utilize Man-in-the-Browser (MitB) techniques to present the owners of infected computers with an ad for a mule recruitment website every time they try to access CareerBuilder.com.

The site that users are lured to, marketandtarget [dot] com, is currently down. When it was online, it presented visitors with various poorly designed ads for “hot jobs,” including a job as a “mystery shopper,” which is often used as bait to recruit money mules.

“By using CareerBuilder as a platform, the Zeus operators maximize their outreach to potential mule targets. While HTML injection is typically used for adding data fields or to present bogus messages, in this case we witnessed a rare usage that attempts to divert the victim to a fake job offering,” Trusteer’s Etay Maor wrote in a blog post.

“Because this redirection occurs when the victim is actively pursuing a job, in this case with CareerBuilder [dot] com, the victim is more likely to believe the redirection is to a legitimate job opportunity.”

--------------------------------------------------

This is from about the 1/2 way point of this article. Beware of email job offers from Money Mule recruiters | Wiz's Computer and Website Security Blog (http://www.wizcrafts.net/blogs/2013/06/beware_of_email_job_offers_from_money_mule_recru.h tml)

Fake employment offers, on the other hand, are meant to get YOU to participate in stealing other people's money, as the middle-man who receives, then remits stolen funds to cybercriminals pretending to be employers. The people who enter into these schemes are known as Money Mules.

Read on to find out how this scam works and what the consequences could be for those who get involved

What is a Money Mule?

A Money Mule is a person who either knowingly or unknowingly becomes involved in a criminal money laundering scheme. The Money Mules I am going to describe are unknowingly recruited into transferring stolen funds, thinking it is part of a legitimate job with a multinational company. This job came to them via an unsolicited email, offering employment, possibly with a subject similar to this one that is currently making the rounds.

Subject: Environmental organization is expanding and currently recruiting worldwide reps

Think back to my prior paragraph describing malware threats that are meant to steal money from computer users who do online banking. These victims are tricked into opening a hostile attachment, or clicking on what appears to be an important link to view an invoice, read a complaint, get details about a failed transaction, etc. Once they have taken these actions, an exploit kit runs active JavaScript codes to find out if the computer contains vulnerable software for which an exploit can be downloaded. These vulnerabilities are usually found in outdated versions of Java, Adobe Flash and Adobe Reader. Once a single vulnerable entry point is found, the appropriate package is delivered and installed on that computer. In the case of bank account stealing malware, this is usually the ZeuS (Zbot), or Citidal Trojan.

These Trojans will scan the infected computer for links to certain financial institutions, or PayPal, etc. When the user goes to log into their online bank, the malware will either intercept the user name, password and challenge question, or present a fake replacement login page, then send these credentials back home to a server controlled by the criminals running that particular Trojan campaign. Some time later, money will be transferred out of the victim's bank account, usually in amounts that "fly below the Radar" of most bank fraud detection monitors. This is usually just under $5000 or $10,000, depending on how much money is in that account. If a company business account is attacked, hundreds of thousands of dollars might be transferred before alarms go off.

Bank account cybercriminals will do everything in their power to avoid being identified, while still getting a hold of the stolen money. So, they spam out fake job offers to rope in as many Money Mules as they need to launder these stolen funds as quickly as possible. If the average amount that can be transferred to a typical private bank account is $$9,999, this amount will be sent to each recent recruit, by direct deposit. Read that again! The money stolen by a banking Trojan is sent directly to the bank account of a recently hired job seeker, who is acting as a Money Mule.

The Mules are put under contract to report all money received as soon as possible, then to await instructions. They may be told that a direct deposit of say $7500 is going to be made at 8 AM the next morning, their time. They are then told to check their bank account, online, until the money is deposited. They will then receive instructions to issue a wire transfer in that amount to another bank, using routing and account numbers.

Stolen money may be transferred several times, between various Mules, some of whom are in foreign countries. The payout to the criminals behind this job scam is often accomplished by having local Mules take out cash (direct at bank or via ATM card), and converting it into prepaid money cards, or wired by Western Union to recipients who cannot be traced. Many, if not most of these cybercriminals live in the former Soviet Union.

How Money Mules (don't) get paid

Payment for their (money laundering) services is usually promised to be at the completion of each job, or at the end of two weeks, or the calendar month. What most Mules don't know in advance, but soon find out, is that their commission payment is usually never issued. Exceptions might happen when the controller tells the Mule to keep a very small commission before sending out the bulk of the money. Very few Money Mules are retained for a second job. They are "cut loose" and all communication with the so-called company that hired them is terminated. Emails bounce and any phone numbers used to communicate with the Mules are disconnected.

Some time after this, the victim discovers that their bank account has been emptied, or seriously reduced, through fraud. They report it to their bank, who launch a follow the money investigation. Since the pilfered funds went by direct deposit to somebody in the same country, the bank will contact your bank to demand full repayment of illegally transferred funds. Your bank will attempt to comply and take that amount out of your accounts, to satisfy the return order. If your account lacks sufficient funds, the Police will be called, along with your State, or County Attorney General. You will be interviewed and possibly arrested for participating in a money laundering scheme.

Not only will the mules be out the money they transferred, they will also have to pay for a good attorney to defend them in Federal Court. Bank account theft across State lines is a Federal offense. Some of the consequences are listed below (see this document).


Inaccessible bank accounts - During an investigation, law enforcement officials may freeze a money mule‟s bank accounts. Being unable to access funds may create a significant financial burden. These activities may also have a long-term impact on credit scores.

Prosecution - Money mules may be prosecuted for their participation in these schemes. Severe penalties may be meted out to those convicted of money laundering.

Accountability for charges - In some cases, money mules are found personally responsible for repaying the losses suffered by the other victims.

Vulnerability of personal information - As described in the typical process, criminals often collect personal information from the money mules. It is possible that the criminals may use this information for other malicious purposes, including extortion.

ribshaw
07-03-2013, 08:42 PM
SCAMMER :Gomaaelwany.Alwatany.AWB@gmx.com

Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Treat with dispatch
FROM MR.GOMAA ELWANY
ALWATANY BANK
TEL: 002 011 4884 2681
E-MAIL:Gomaaelwany.Alwatany.AWB@gmx.com

Dear Friend;

This message might meet you in utmost surprise. However, it's just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction. I am a banker by profession and currently holding the post of Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Accounting unit of the bank.

I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds ($24million USD) of one of my client who died along with his entire family on 31 July 2000 in a plane crash. why I have to do this, I don't want the Egyptian government to take over the fund Due to the economic problem going in the country and You can confirm the genuineness of the deceased death by clicking on this web site below

SITE REMOVED

However, I am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 60/40%. All I need is for you to set up an online account in your name with Alwatany bank and I will have the money deposited into this account of yours to enable you complete the transfer online to your designated bank account in your home country; Online banking is the safest way of doing business of such value no matter where you are located. It is as simple as it looks and as soon as the fund is transferred to your account, I will put away all documents to cover any trace of the fund. I know you will be very much interested, kindly provide me with the details below.

First Name.............
Surname................
Address...............
City........................
State/Province.......
Country..................
Telephone No........
Occupation ......
Date of Birth (date/m/yr) ......
Copy of International Passport Or ID card.....

Further details will be provided when next I hear from you; remember this transaction is risk free as I would never jeopardize my future and that of my family by getting involved into what is illegal.

Have a great day

Yours sincerely,

MR.GOMAA ELWANY
TEL: 002 011 4884 2681
E-MAIL Gomaaelwany.Alwatany.AWB@gmx.com

Name : Alwatany Bank
E-mail : Gomaaelwany.Alwatany.AWB@gmx.com,gomaaalwany.alwat any@awb.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAMMER fredugo2013@yahoo.com,
SCAMMER spadino.n@alice.it

Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Call Diplomant now with this phone number 305-320-6315
We have finally succeeded in getting your package worthy of $2.5million out of delivery your consignment with the help of MR. John Mark Attorney General of Federal High Court of Justice Benin which act as your foreign Attorney representative here in Benin . We are waiting you to contact (fredugo2013@yahoo.com )so that Diplomatic agent Fred Ugo
proceed to deliver your consignment box today to your home address. Diplomatic phone number (305-320-6315 )

Regards MR. John Mark

Name : MR. John Williams,MR. John Mark
E-mail : fredugo2013@yahoo.com,spadino.n@alice.it

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I pinched both these letters from: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam/340470669393547

ribshaw
07-04-2013, 10:14 PM
A friend on mine put some feelers out about scam stuff that could be found on Facebook. Starting with what looks like Credit Card Fraud for sale or barter.

https://www.facebook.com/TrillionTopUp?fref=ts

4981
4982
4983
4984

ribshaw
07-04-2013, 10:19 PM
SCAMMER kristy@elinkinter.net
SCAMMER nkachejohn011@yahoo.com

Wednesday, July 3, 2013
DEAR FRIEND I REMEMBER YOUR PAST EFFORT SO CONTACT MY SECRETARY.
Hello My Good Friend,

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? I hope this mail finds you in an excellent condition of health. But if you do not remember me, you have received an email from me in the past regarding a multi-million-dollar business proposal which we never concluded.

I am using this opportunity to inform you that this multi-million-dollar business has been concluded with another Greek Merchant who financed it to a logical conclusion. I thank you for you're great effort to our unfinished transfer of fund into your account,due to one reason or the other best to known you at that time.

Due to the effort, sincerity, courage and trust worthiness you showed during the course of the transaction, I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $2,500,000.00. I have left an international certified bank draft for you, worth about $2,500,000.00 cash able anywhere in the world.

My dear friend I will like you to contact my secretary Dr.Nkache John and comply with him so that he will send the draft to you without any delay. At the moment, I 'm very busy here in Paraguay South American, trying to invest my own share of the funds with my new partner.

Please I will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is from the bottom of my heart.

CONTACT: DR.NKACHE JOHN.
ADDRESS: No. 46-biafraland Estate, Lagos, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

EMAIL: (nkachejohn011@yahoo.com)

Therefore, you should send to him. Your full Name, telephone number and contact address for his reference and make further arrangement with him on how you want to receive your check.

Thanks you in anticipation for your past efforts and God bless you.

Truly,
Mr Gummi Ahmed.

Name : Mr Gummi Ahmed,DR.NKACHE JOHN
E-mail : kristy@elinkinter.net,nkachejohn011@yahoo.com

--------------------------------------------------------------

SCAMMER missgladysdia@gmail.com
SCAMMER missgladysdia2013@yahoo.es

Wednesday, July 3, 2013
From Miss Gladys Dia
From: Miss Gladys Dia
Abidjan,ivory coast.

Hello

My name is Gladys Dia from Abidjan Ivory Coast and I will be 18 years old on the 22nd of November.My father Engineer Wilson Dia died in July 17 2012 after being involved in a motor accident. Before my father died, my mother had earlier died as a result of Diabetes.Before my father died in the hospital while taking treatment, he told me that there is Five million one hundred thousand united states dollars(US5,100,000.00) he has in a bank here in Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire.Please i will like to know if you can stand as my guardian by sending to me your name and address which will be what i will be presenting to the bank when i hear from you.Please if you wish to speak with me,i can be reach on this telephone number +225 55109313.

Miss Gladys

Name : Miss Gladys Dia
E-mail : missgladysdia@gmail.com,missgladysdia2013@yahoo.es

ribshaw
07-06-2013, 01:33 PM
I know noting about cars, except they someone seems to move the side my gas cap is on every time I go to fill up. Probably the same person that changes the size of the air filters in my house when I am at the store getting replacements.



Auto mechanic scams are one of the most common types of consumer rip-offs. For most of us, cars are a vital part of our lives but we may not have the knowledge or skill to keep them maintained and fix problems. When our cars need a repair, we have to trust our mechanic to diagnose the problem and give it to us straight.

Unfortunately, this makes it easy for an auto mechanic to order repairs that aren’t really necessary, over-charge for a quick fix, or find other ways to rip us off right under our noses.

The good news is you can protect yourself with a little information. Here’s 4 car repair scams that you can definitely avoid, every single time.


Scam #1: The Engine Flush

Ever have a mechanic suggest that you should get an engine flush? They’re probably full-on lying to your face. Mechanics (the unethical ones, at least) love to tell unsuspecting customers that their engines are dirty, which can only be remedied by an engine flush.

Turns out you don’t really need this until you’ve been driving your car for a significant number of years. What’s that? You were just recommended an engine flush for your 2010 Sentra? Yeah, you can go ahead and skip that one.


Scam #2: Fuel Injector Cleaning

This is another scam that mechanics sometimes get away with because people don’t know enough about their cars to understand when they should say no.

Most cars don’t need to have their fuel injectors cleaned until they pass the 100,000-mile mark.
A color photo of two cars in a garage together.

When getting your car fixed, it can be easy to get tricked into paying for unnecessary repairs.

If you do think you might have a fuel injector problem, but haven’t driven your car very long, you can always get a fuel injector cleaning solution and add it to your gas tank the next time you top yourself off.


Scam #3: Fuel-Saving Gadgets

Wait. A fuel-saving gadget? That works? How is there not one in every car that’s ever been made, ever? It’s because they don’t actually work, at all. If they did, everybody would be using them.

If your auto mechanic recommends that you pay extra money for a device that somehow grants you a ton of extra fuel economy, back away.

To lower your monthly fuel costs without getting ripped off, there are a few practical things you can do, like learning how to coast, accelerating and braking more gently, and getting rid of all that junk in your trunk.


Scam #4: The Auto-Transmission Flush
A color photo of a mechanic of some sort working on a car.

Make sure that you trust your mechanic before agreeing to any additional repairs.

This is another repair service that your car most likely won’t need until you’ve passed that 60,000 mile mark.

Problem is, most drivers don’t really realize this, so shady, scam-prone mechanics are able to talk people into the procedure, bilking them out of a good chunk of money in the process.

Your car, as it turns out, has a system in place that makes it unnecessary for you to do an auto-transmission flush before you hit the 60k mark.


Share Your Tips To Avoid Automotive Scams

Have you ever come across a common enough automotive scam? Unfortunately, not everybody knows enough about cars to know when they’re being taken for a ride (pun intended).
- See more at: 4 Car Repair Scams to Avoid (http://www.scambook.com/blog/2013/07/4-car-repair-scams-to-avoid/#sthash.fSgrTUnP.rJZqjQbY.dpuf)

ribshaw
07-06-2013, 01:38 PM
I cut this from someone on my timeline at Facebook, clearly a scam.

SCAMMER skype.claimsmanager@live.com

Any Number like +44 followed by (70) you are being scammed. 70 is a forwarding code to Scamvillage, Parts Unknown.

have got request on skype.i think is scammer. scammer are trying different things.[18:22:00] SKYPE AWARD TEAM 2013!: SKYPE LOTTERY PROMO 2013!
This is to officially inform you that your user name on
(SKYPE CYPRUS) has currently won you the sum of
£1,000.000.00 Great British Pounds (One Million GBP)
on our out going lottery promo and as part of your member patronage to our site

For more enquiries:
Contact: Mr. Ahmad Hassan,
Email :{skype.claimsmanager@live.com}
phone: +44-703-592-0191
Congratulations once again from
all members and staff of SKYPE.
Powered by Skype Inc.
© 2013 Skype.™

ribshaw
07-06-2013, 01:49 PM
SCAMMER appleclaim@outlook.com
This again from my Facebook timeline.

5040

ribshaw
07-06-2013, 02:31 PM
SCAMMER maigaamhed@yahoo.com

This dummy is back. If anyone wants to bait a scammer, using a fake email address of course. This is the guy.

Dear Friend
(confidential)
I am Mr Ahmed Maiga working with INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA (IBA/BOA)Mali Bamako. I want to inquire from you if you can handle this transaction for mutual benefits/life opportunity for you and me. The transaction is about seeking your consent to present you as the Next of kin/ beneficiary To our late customer over his fund US$10.7Million dollars.
He died with his family during their vacation journey. I am waiting for your response for more details. The fund is going to be share at the ratio of 60/40.40% for you and 60% for i and my family, which we are going to use for investment.and 10% for outstanding expenses.if you are ready contact me back Via my private email address maigaamhed@yahoo.com
Mr Ahmed Maiga,

ahmedmaiga ike watching firm, listening to music, profile, free online dating, d (http://www.fishmeetfish.com/profile/ahmedmaiga)

5043

Which is actually a picture of Gbenga Daniel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gbenga_Daniel)

ribshaw
07-07-2013, 11:56 AM
I have always loved looking at this stuff, but have also found the seminars can be had for pennies on the dollar if you buy them used on Ebay, Amazon, in thrift shops etc. On a rare occasion I have bought seminar packages that have never been opened.

Meet Armando Montelongo: The Home-Flipping Huckster Who'll Make $50M This Year
This story appears in the July 15, 2013 issue of Forbes. Meet Armando Montelongo: The Home-Flipping Huckster Who'll Make $50M This Year - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2013/06/26/meet-armando-montelongo-the-home-flipping-huckster-wholl-make-50m-this-year/)

It’s nearly midnight, and the energy is slipping from the 400 people inside an auditorium done up like a Spanish mission in Riverside, Calif. Despite hours of yelling, dancing, massaging and hugging his way through the first of a three-day wealthfest, Armando Montelongo, the 42-year-old minister of get-rich-quickdom, real estate edition, senses the lull. He bounds up the stage to lead a rendition of “YMCA,” but not before remarking to me, “It’s a little more f—ed up than you thought, right?”

Yes, it is. Armando Montelongo Seminars offers long weekends of questionable advice, raucous showmanship and tours of foreclosed homes in some of America’s poorest sections. His secret formula: Go deeply into debt to buy distressed properties, fix them up minimally and sell them quickly. “People throw money at me to become multimillionaires,” Montelongo, a large, stocky guy with shoulder-length black hair, tells the crowd. “This is the means to your end.”

"The most sought-after real estate expert in the world!": Armando Montelongo has created a cult of self.

No guarantee that end will terminate in six zeroes. Montelongo, the onetime star of A&E’s Flip This House, offers scant proof the formula has turned his “students” into plutocrats. Asked to provide successful seminar alums, Montelongo serves up two–neither has made millions. Billy Godsey declines to detail his finances. Jake Leicht claims he’s made about $180,000 in 16 months buying 18 homes.

The one certain multimillionaire to emerge from Montelongo’s seminars? Montelongo himself. His formula is simple: First, expose people to his system through a 90-minute free seminar. Then funnel them into a second (cost: $1,497 per couple) and, finally, a third: a three-day extravaganza like the one I attended that runs $40,000 for two. Montelongo claims his San Antonio, Tex. company will rake in an estimated $100 million in revenue this year from 350,000 people attending one of 3,580 events. That’s up from 57,000 folks at 120 seminars, generating $12 million in sales in 2009, its first year of business. If Montelongo’s numbers are accurate, and his margins are typical for this kind of thing, then he will personally pocket $50 million this year (he owns 100% of the enterprise). By that same yardstick his business is ostensibly worth $80 million. Add that to cash and traceable real estate (discounted 65% for debt) and Montelongo has somehow built a fortune of $200 million or so from telling others to borrow and speculate.

Who is this guy? You get the official picture watching old episodes of Flip This House and Montelongo’s 28-minute infomercial (“The most sought-out real estate expert in the world!”) or reading parts of his book, Flip and Grow Rich (a play on Napoleon Hill’s motivational classic, Think and Grow Rich). The self-created narrative is that he grew up in San Antonio and that at the age of 16 his father’s construction business went poof in the real estate bust.

The biopic always cuts to 15 years later, when Armando is married with a young son but suffering hard times–foreclosed on, relying on food stamps and living in the garage of his in-laws. That year a mold scare in Texas depressed home values…and helped give Montelongo an idea: start buying (and selling) distressed properties. He borrowed $1,000 from his dad and never glanced back. Three years later–presto!–he was a multimillionaire.

You get another view by following a long trail of complaints. Two years ago the Texas attorney general’s office launched an investigation into the seminar’s practices. Settling the case without admitting any wrongdoing, Montelongo agreed, among other things, to refrain from any “false” claims, to give “conspicuous notice” that the free seminar is a vehicle to sell goods and services (CDs, books and DVDs), and to provide prompt refunds. Montelongo shrugs it off: “If you don’t want to be criticized, then don’t do anything great with your life.”

The seminar company rates an F from the Better Business Bureau. “You don’t get anything substantive,” complains Lori Jakubowski, a Realtor from near Pebble Beach, Calif., who paid $1,500 for two sessions. “There were a lot of people who were unemployed just looking for some easy way to make money. And I felt like an idiot because I was right in there with them.” Of the 150-plus complaints received in the last three years, most grumble about the product, misleading advertising and slow-to-nonexistent refunds. “In 2010 and 2011 they just ignored the complaints,” says Carrie Hurt, CEO of the BBB’s branch in Austin, Tex. “Now they’ve started responding.” Sometimes with a smirk. Says Andy Moon, Montelongo’s corporate attorney: “You know the BBB is based in Austin, which is very liberal and in the consumer protection capital of the world.”

No alum is currently suing. Perhaps that’s because of the exacting terms of the contract, which each seminar attendee must sign. It absolves Montelongo and his staff of liability for any “financial, investment, legal, accounting or other professional services or advice” they offer. “It is your sole responsibility to seek independent advice from professionals of your choosing.” No financial advisor could get away with that. “They can’t attempt to disclaim liability for their advice,” says Mark Astarita, a securities and corporate attorney in Verona, N.J. “They need to stand by their advice. That’s what they’re paid for.”

So what are customers paying for? Exposure to Montelongo (though he seldom attends seminars) and his formula for success: how to find foreclosed properties, finance and rehab them, how and when to sell them. Or so it’s billed. Over three grueling days you get some practical advice–much of which can be found in Flip and Grow Rich (used copies recently sold for as little as 25 cents on Amazon.com) or Flipping Houses for Dummies ($8). (“Books are a starting point,” says his spokeswoman.) The key is Montelongo’s 65% rule, which determines what to pay for a wreck and still expect a profit. In his example a house worth $100,000, after repairs of $20,000, should cost you no more than $45,000. Take good notes at the speed of a stenographer, because there are no handouts–and no scheduled breaks. You may lose out on a tip if you go to the bathroom.

“Do you know what numbers they’re talking about?” Mary, an Air Force widow, asks me. Frances and her husband, an elderly Las Vegas couple, have trouble hearing over the noise during a quiz on housing prices and move closer to a staffer in a strained effort to read his lips.

There is plenty of noise over the three days–loud music, along with fist bumps from staffers and so-called millionaire hugs. “There’s a direct correlation between how much you respond to Armando when he tells you to get crazy and how much money you’ll make from the program,” says Jordan Odiorne, the company’s COO–and Montelongo’s nephew. The exact connection remains a mystery.
In fact, over the three days the crowd gets Montelongo for, maybe, 60% of the time on this tour. Volunteers–Armando groupies–lead the house tours. Most are seminar alums who now fancy themselves real estate investors. They take 50 or so people into depressing fixer-uppers, four a day.

Places like the four-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch house with a broken picket fence in Highland, Calif. Brown grass crunches underfoot; eerie gray splotches stain the blue clapboard. Step inside to see fist-size holes pocking the walls. Across the kitchen and living room, the former owner spray-painted profane messages to his ex-wife. The home is listed at $141,000.

Entourage members Raul Mateos and Mark Perez work through the rooms, hustling everyone forward. They suggest making quick guesstimates of repairs and pass over details. What’s covering that window? “I have no idea, man,” says Mateos. “Just patch it up.” How to make the floors more attractive? “Ask your Realtor what’s common with your area,” Perez advises.

Among the most practical tips: Rehab roofs and walls as needed; fix any distressed wiring or heating and water problems; focus your limited budget on the bathrooms, kitchen and bedrooms; replace broken toilets and appliances but not the fridge; use beige paint for walls. “If you’re in a highly Hispanic neighborhood and there are plastic flamingos in the yard, leave them,” says Montelongo. “You can buy a house in a war zone if you know the house across the street moved fast”–within 90 days.

Some advice is treacherous. Kurt “The Shirt” Weinrich, who once ran food operations for a casino company and is now a money manager, advises opening self-directed IRAs and filling them with real estate for an easy 28% annual return. “Have we seen 50%? Yes. 100%? Yes. We had one student roll over a $100,000 account into a self-directed IRA last year, and now that account is at $1.2 million.”

Complex and risky, self-directed IRAs often involve alternative investments like commodities or tax liens. They’re managed by the account holders; custodians hold the account and execute investment decisions but offer no investment advice. The SEC issued a warning on them in 2011, noting they frequently expose investors to scams. Tax rules force lockups for decades–allowing unscrupulous operators long stretches of unsupervised mischief.

More questionable advice from Montelongo: Go into debt as deeply as possible to maximize returns, directly contradicting the counsel he offers in his infomercial and common sense. Ask the several million overleveraged real estate dabblers who went bankrupt after the real estate bubble last began bursting five years ago. (“Our method minimizes any risk during all cycles,” insists his flack, adding that FORBES is oversimplifying the approach by not fully explaining the rehab and financing processes.)

Worse, Montelongo suggests using hard money lenders, private financiers who typically charge 10% to 16% interest rates. (Banks rarely lend on foreclosed properties.) “It’s very dangerous for an amateur,” says Mike Orr, director of Arizona State’s Center for Real Estate Theory & Practice. “You need to know exactly what you’re doing and repay quickly” to make a profit. But fixer-uppers can’t always be flipped in 90 days. Still, seminar attendees are intrigued. When one asks how to find a financing source, Montelongo shoots back, “There’s this little company called Google–you type in ‘hard money lenders, California.’?”

What do attendees make of all this? Some, like Jeanette, a mother from Houston, are sanguine. “I know that when I make my first bid, it will go through,” she says. Several people complain. “Brainwashing,” sums up Tony, who patrolled the Cambodian jungle while in the Army and the streets of Newark, N.J. as a cop before retiring to Tampa, Fla. “Really brought me back to my military days.”

Montelongo has a polished answer for his critics: “We have 300,000 people a year coming through our events and less than a couple hundred complaints. Walt Disney in his greatest day would not have dreamt of customer service like that.” Spoken like someone well versed in the history of selling fantasies.

Reach Abram Brown at abrown@forbes.com.

ribshaw
07-08-2013, 10:07 AM
SCAMMER barristerjefferyappaihh@gmail.com

Not very convincing - FW: Attn: Sir/Madam

Typical phishing scam but not even a very good one.........


Attn: Sir/Madam

I am Barrister Jeffery Appiah the personal resident Attorney here in Ghana Accra to Late Hero Muammar Gaddafi from Libya. Late African Hero Muammar Gaddafi died along with his son who supposes to be his next of kin during Libya political war. My client was having the sum of thirty million four Hundred thousand united state dollars and fifty seven kilogram of Gold ($30.4m USD) with a security Company In Ghana. I want you stand as a foreign beneficiary to assist moving this cash and Gold out of Ghana to your country whereby you will be able to invest it in any lucrative investments of your choice that you think it will be more profitable for our benefits as a deal if you are interested I advice you reply as soon as possible. (barristerjefferyappaih@gmail.com) and call me on my direct line for confirmation (+233545446996) thanks in anticipation of your responds.

Your Sincerely,
Barrister.Jeffery Appiah (Esq,
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAMMER beninmoneygramoffice@kimo.com
FW: Barrister Mrs.Lizzy Benson
Another scam.........

Hello dear how are doing today am here to inform you that we have deposited
your $ 2.5M USD to the Money Gram Office for them to transfer you $5,000.00
USD
to
you daily until you receive your $2.5M USD of the fund.

Please contact the Money Gram agent for your payment.
Contact person: Dr Douglas Walker
Email:(beninmoneygramoffice@kimo.com)
Telephone: +229-68037099

Give them all your information such as:
Beneficiary name=================== Address========================== Telephone=================

Noted That Only Fee Request from You Is for Reactivation Transfer Files Sum
Of
$68 Only, No More Fee again after that.

Regards
Barrstar Mrs.Lizzy Benson

Both from: latestscamemails.blogspot.com

ribshaw
07-08-2013, 10:11 AM
Beware Clickjacking Scams Posing as Adobe Flash Player Beware Clickjacking Scams Posing as Adobe Flash Player | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Scam-Watch/Beware-Clickjacking-Scams-Posing-as-Adobe-Flash-Player.html)

July 6, 2013

in Scam Watch

magglassSecurity researchers at Avast, an antivirus company, have found a link that has been spreading rapidly on Facebook and Twitter that prompts users to download malware that looks like Adobe Flash Player technology. Once users download the fake Adobe software, the scammers can take control of a user’s profile, posting to their feed, liking pages or becoming a fan.

The hack works by installing a fake extension to a user’s Google Chrome or Firefox browsers, making the download appear legit. While the attacks have only been tracked in Turkey so far, but experts at Avast warned that other cybercriminals could soon copy the techniques of the clickjacking attack.

Clickjacking scams like this one are all too common on social media, where users are more likely to trust links posted by their friends. However, avoiding these scams ultimately comes down to common sense. Before clicking on any link, and especially before downloading any software, examine the content of what you’re about to download carefully. If it doesn’t look or feel right, or if it doesn’t seem like something that your friends would post, then don’t click. While hackers exploit users’ inherent trust of their friends, looking at shared content with a more discerning eye can easily prevent you from falling prey to cons like this one.

If you have been hit by this or similar scams, then use this guide to remove the rogue browser extension:

How to protect your Facebook account from Rogue Browser Extensions

ribshaw
07-08-2013, 10:16 AM
Boone Police Department Alerts Citizens To ‘Nigerian Check Scam’ on Craigslist After Local Reports Fraud Boone Police Department Alerts Citizens To ‘Nigerian Check Scam’ on Craigslist After Local Reports Fraud | High Country Press (http://www.hcpress.com/crime-reports/boone-police-alerts-citizens-to-nigerian-check-scam-on-craigslist-after-local-reports-fraud.html)

June 18, 2013. On Friday, the Boone Police Department received a report of fraud from a Boone resident. The man was the victim of a check scam in which he was contacted online in response to his Craigslist advertisement. The suspect purchased the item listed for sale but did so with a check, which was in an amount greater than the purchase price of the item. The check was received by the victim with instructions for distributing the remaining amount to 3 different locations via Western Union. Two of the locations were in the United States and one was in Nigeria. The victim in this case was subsequently contacted by his bank and was informed that the checks were worthless. Often financial institutions will hold you responsible for money lost as a result of a scam

This type of fraud is commonly referred to as a “Nigerian check scam”. The Boone Police Department would like to make the public aware of some indicators to look for to prevent being a victim. These individuals use email, postal mail, and telephones to contact potential victims.

Avoid responding if any of the following are present:

Any correspondence which offers you money but requests that you pay a fee first.
Any correspondence that offers you a check and requests that you take a percentage and then use Western Union to send the remaining money somewhere else. The use of Western Union is common in these scams and should be a red flag.
Any prize winnings from contests that you did not participate in and that request you pay postage and handling, other charges, or request banking information such as an account number in advance.
If the person contacting you advises you against speaking with your bank, attorney, or contacting the company they say they represent before fulfilling their request.
If the contact is requesting that you assist them in getting money out of their country.
If the contact is telling you that you are receiving an inheritance from someone you don’t know.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Any promises of large sums of money in any context by unknown people online, through mail, by phone, or otherwise should be carefully scrutinized.

ribshaw
07-08-2013, 04:20 PM
Found a cool page on scams going on in Malaysia https://www.facebook.com/pages/Malaysian-Scam-Busters/355435061219434

1) The Cafe Scams - Island Red Cafe & Stevens Corner(strange, both in Pandan Indah) - Island Red Cafe collects members RM6,000 each and promised 5% return every month and even give you a name in the ROC as a shareholder but what's the point when they run away ? Stevens Corner, the famous indian coffee shop follows due to drop of business since their renovation. They collect RM3,000 per member and promise return of RM150 monthly and plans to open nice fanchisee cafe called StevensTeaGarden. Someone mentioned they will make you sign an agreement that give them the rights NOT to pay you anything in future. If you really wish to join, ask for a copy of their agreement and consult your lawyer BEFORE paying them. Bet you will NOT get a copy. Both collect monies from new members with MLM recruitment schemes and pay the old members like Sunshine Empire. You never know when they will run away.

2) Sunshine Empire - This licensed and legal Company has an impressive office at the ground level of KUB building along Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, near Menara Public Bank and AmBank Building. They also have a showroom office at the ground level in the next building. 2 or 3 months ago, Singapore's Straits Times and The Paper published big news reminding their people to be careful and NOT to believe in them. Hope someone can put up the link or google for it.(As expected, they STOPPED paying back members now and all investors LOST their money).

Someone below has put a link to the Singapore news. In fact there are more to it. Although Singapore is investigating them, they did not stop their business as the business is legal and so far, no Singaporean have failed to receive their commissions as promised. Thus, the government cannot stop them yet.

The news published that the founder, director and group president is someone named James Phang but he is NOT the owner. Isn't this quite strange ? At the end of the game, James Phang can just disappear from the Company easily and claimed that he was just "employed". Such trick always happened in scam businesses.

Now, the Company has STOPPED paying commissions and interests to members with the excuse that the Singapore government has freezed their bank account while under investigation. Do you think their boss will be so stupid to keep much monies in the bank to be freezed ? They are all transfered away. It's just an excuses not to pay back to members and members are only paid "e-bonus-points" which is cashless. If they wish to convert to cash, they have to recruit new members to pay them cash and the recruiter less out trom the amount. So victims act like Vampires and "forced" to victimise other victims if they wish to get their monies back. And their victims will later transform to vampires and the scam carries on.....

3) MOBILWALLET - This Company owned by 2 young men, Stanley & Rey Gan, office in Queens Avenue Park has collect multi-millions the last 2 years. Claimed that they tied up with Telekoms, Utility Board payment like Water & Electricity bills, even Maybank got fooled by them. Advertisement Billboards everywhere. They STOPPED paying back their members few months ago and the members cannot do anything because they are made to sign an agreement unaware that they have to claims if the company stopped paying them by CHANGING terms and policies.

4) Water businesses - Oxygenated and alkaline water products - Some of these are bottled water and some are filters or equipment that claimed the trick. One of the better known Company that sold "oxygen" water is SITO(supposed to stand for Selangor International Trading Organiszation and claimed Selangor State Government owned some share in it). The key person and founder is a Dato Robert Ong from Rawang but his name is no longer in the business now. Their products are sold for RM2 to RM3 for a 350ml bottle and now concentrating mostly in the Indian market. Their Chinese and Malays market are long gone since a year or 2 ago. Their customers are made to believe that their water has more oxygen and able to give miraculous effects for the body. Water is H2O, how to put more O into it ? Anyone knows how much oxygen do we breathe into our body everyday at FOC ? Latest news is that this SITO Company is going to create new label to market under a new Company since the SITO name has already gone bad. Someone informed that this Company is owing alot of money(due to refunds) to ex-stockists but just refuse to pay them.
(Latest news, SITO shifted to another place and their MLM business has closed but planning to start again with a different name, beware !!)
Alkaline Products - Can anyone explain how it can work for the body ? The stomach's gastric liquid is so acidic that water of any pH that goes through it will not make any difference.

5) Car Fuel Booster - K-Link, the famous scam MLM Company that sold the footpatch TAKARA, later the "cock-ring" and energy-card launched the patrol-saving pills last year. Got so hot that even grocery shops are selling for them. Recently many of these cars that used the pills are rushing to the workshops to clean the residual. Few months ago, another MLM Company launched a fuel booster gadget, claimed that saves up to 20% fuel, that is attached to the cigarette lighter. Started off well using binary plan but businese begin to fade now and most users find it NOT effective.

6) Perfumery Products(eg. Lampe Berger & Bel Air)(more details later). Lampe Berger is not so hot now in the neighbouring countries but there are still new victims every month in Malaysia. Must thanks to those who have contributed and kept the thread alive here in Kopitiam. Bel-Air have closed in Malaysia. LB is almost zero in Singapore. This perfumery product from France with over 100 years history are just bottles and fragrances(check the factory's website) but the Company marketing them in Asia claimed "aromatheraphy" products. Hong Kong TVB aired a program that exposed their scam but their members claimed that HK's TVB already apologised to them(no evidence, of course). Note that the biggest strenght in a MLM Scam is their members will go all the way to lie in order to defend for their Company. The reason is simple; these members fear that they will not be able to make their money back if the Company collapsed. Knowing that the Lampe Berger products are moving slow, they add a line of skincare products named Estebel, also claime to have over 100 years history in France.(Hardly anymore Chinese newcomers, they are now tapping the Malays in Malaysia). Mostly only Bumis active members now but their top earner Steven Yeam have already left and started a new MLM Company(see No. 21 below).

LINK REMOVED.

7) Energy Products(eg. stone pendants, bracelets, mattress and pillows). They use all sorts of gimmicks and demonstration to make you into believing them. They will do some tricks and demo to prove that these products really produce energy BUT is there any tricks in their demo ? So what if there really produce energy; is it good or strong enough to help the body ? Are those simple products made of some simple materials worth RM300 to up to RM3000 each ? The effect is actually PLACEBO which I will elaborate in a new thread soon.(more details later)
Hi-Tech products(names like bio-tech, nano-tech that claimed millions of dollars of research involved, eg Bio-Young and XKL few years ago). Most of these will claimed a professor behind them(even with name and picture of a person) or used words like "U.S.A. formula", "German Technology" or "Nanotechnology" but with no further details. If you ask for more details like the professor or factory's address, the answer will be "trade secrets".

9) Investment Schemes - SWISSCASH is the King of all. Swisscash is nearly over now but there are many similar and smaller ones that are still on.(Now, it's closed or stopped paying back members)

10) GoldQuest - This Company that claimed to be HK-based started with some non-value gold-plated coins that are sold for over RM2,000 have several names and changed products several times. QuestVacation, QuestNet, etc. They have several offices in Amcorp Mall, PJ and their key person(in fact, the owner), a Malaysian Indian was arrested last year in Indonesia for having involved in a very big Phillipines scam. Most of their overseas offices are closed or inactive but their Malaysia business is still hot, with some "energy" products.(Can someone please provide a link which showed the news that their boss was involved in a big scam in Philippines and was arrested last year ?)

11) Numerology & Fortune telling - A Company named Visiber is using MLM to sell fortune telling classes using your birthday based on Numerology fortune telling. Prpspects will be told that they need to buy a certain "number" between 1 to 9 in the form of pendants or bracelets made of silver with stainless steel or platinum plated, and sold from RM600 to RM20,000. Customers, or rather victims are mostly females from rural areas. Very hot in Penang now and a number of spin-off Companies have started.

12) MJ-Life - This Company boost of a very big background with many many years of history which is NOT true. Their people or associates may be long in business but nothing to do with their MLM launched recently. Why do I consider it a scam or bad ? New members are told to pay a sum of money(up to RM1000) and you get NOTHING for it. You only get a membership can entitle you to enjoy all sorts of special price and discounts when you have medical check-ups in their centres. They will claim all those check-ups cost more if done elsewhere. It's not true. Only the naive and those new to medical check-ups will fall victims to them. Most members who paid the money ended up with nothing.

13) Seaweed Venture Scams - 1 such Company is located in Taman Maluri, Cheras. They will ask you to invest a few thousands ringgits for their venture of growing seaweeds in East Malaysia and you are guaranteed returns. To gain your confidence further, they will tell you your investment money is secured by "insurance" or "unit trusts" & "trustees". When you ask for further documents to prove, they will give all sorts of excuses or just ignore you because they know they cannot get you. These Seaweed scam is one of the hottest now, warn all your friends about it before they are victimised.

14) MXM(previously MGM) - This is a master scam owned by a Dato Kam(Pathlab) tapping the younger group, very successful 2 or 3 years ago but since they moved to their big 10-storey office at Phileo Damansara and changed name to MXM, their business dropped. They collect members RM3,000 to RM4,000 with credit card monthly easy payment and in return you get a hospital benefits insurance from Pacific Insurance worth only a few hundred RMs together with some you-don't-need medical check-ups from their associate Company Pathlab. Also talk about fitness, lifestyles bullshit that is all worthless.

15) Gano Excel/I-Touch Life/GEW2u - This company from the north, a copycat of DXN selling Lingzhi capsules created a new Company called Gano iTouch to cash-in on the internet like e-Cosway after their Company went down the drain since the last 2 years, selling Linzhi and some no-value energy pendants and alkaline water gadgets. They provide free transport every weekend from KL to visit their Alor Star office. It did not work well and recently in mid-2009 changed name to GEW.

16) NuLife(HK) - This Company started by some HK people has been in Malaysia for more than 10 years but they have flopped in HK and Malaysia due to bad management and a product scam making use of a prosecuted American named Dr Jeffrey Bland, found guilty of false products claim. Since this case in the US leaked out and many Malaysians found out that the real boss in HK is a Steven Tang(he cheated many Malaysians in another scheme about 20 years ago) their business went down all the way. Now they claim Malaysian partners cheated them and start a new Company in Malaysia. Watch out, this new Company will come out with some investment scheme idea that will get many to lose their money.

17) Arowana Fish Breeding, Oora from Germany, Biofuel(Kompleks Maluri) etc - These are some newer scams. Arowana fish venture ask you to invest some money and give you fixed return. Biofuel will tell you their Indonesia connections(just like Sunshine Empire before using Taiwan) & Oora from Germany(I never trust those cruel Germans) that market some bio-chips and a gadget that claims to give energy and therapeutic effects of accupunture, tai-chi, yoga, etc depending how you set the toy-like gadget, wear it on your body and you get the effect later. They could not explain or provide any demonstration to prove their effectiveness. Only doctors and papers claim that I will never trust. The health effect is actually PLACEBO, which I will elaborate in a different thread.

18) Easy-Pharmax !! - How could I missed this out earlier. I thought I mentioned this until I got e-mails asking me about it. This is easily in the TOP 3 during the last 2 years. Owned by a Dato Yeap(another Dato !!) Members are tricked to invest up to RM40,000 with the false promise that the Company will use e-commerce and online selling to dispose their goods and recover their monies. It won't happen, of course.

19) Gold Investment Scheme - This is an old trick but back again by several Companies promising a GURANTEE FIXED RETURN income like many other schemes. Try to ask for a copy of their fixed return agreement and consult your lawyer. Common sense tell you any business that promises a fixed return to UNLIMITED numbers of investors, higher than bank interests must be a scam.

20) Score-A or Skor-A: This Company sells you an online program of past Malaysian examinations papers for primary and secondary school students for self-testing for up to a few hundred RMs per membership. It actually cost them nothing. Members are told to invest in a few units, again using MLM with the promise of getting rich. The same program can be purchased from Utusan for just a fraction of their price and you can get better programs.

21) NEW SCAMS :

a) GRI(Global Royal International) - The boss behind this scheme is multi-billionaire James Pang(the big scammer waiting for trial in Singapore because of Sunshine Empire). Before Sunshine Empire, he operated NOP and SwissCash. This time, he is using a lot of representatives and MLM leaders since his passport is held by Singapore government and he cannot come to Malaysia. I am told that anyone who is bold enough to call himself a MLM leader in Malaysia can visit his rep in Malaysia or Singapre and they will be given at least RM5,000 as some expenses subdsidy if you are willing to market for them.

b) One Community Worldwide - Tapping a mostly Bumi market and owned by Steven Yeam(SYN) and Willie Lim of Lampe Berger previously(the Chinese no longer trust them). They are selling a negative ion mattress for RM25,000 !! The same modal, I have seen before for RM2000 from Korea. If you cannot afford RM25K ??? You can buy therapy package for RM300. Don't believe in such product ? You can go for some chlorostrum(virgin cow's milk from nowhere)

c) English-Learning Program Online - ESL(an online English learning program) You are asked to pay RM100 for one or 2 years usage of online learning. Started by a Malaysian Indian man by the name of Dr. Edward, this program has changed names at least 2 or 3 times since the last one year due to poor response and a lot of "technical problems". I consider it a scam because you are paying money for nothing tangible to direct-selling company through MLM and their program has been very "unstable" as my source put it.

ribshaw
07-08-2013, 07:15 PM
Tragedies, always exploited by scumbags either setting up fake charities or trying to steal from real ones. :NO:

Boston conman arrested Boston conman arrested - World News | IOL News | IOL.co.za (http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/boston-conman-arrested-1.1541210#.UdtVbW14nK5)

July 3 2013 at 10:29am


Boston Marathon Fake Claim

Associated Press

Branden Mattier is seen in this undated image provided by the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Boston - Police arrested a man on Tuesday amid allegations that he used the name of an aunt who had been dead for more than a decade to try to claim about $2.2-million from the Boston Marathon bomb victims fund, prosecutors said.

The Massachusetts Attorney General's office said Boston man Branden Mattier, 22, told the fund's administrators that his aunt lost both of her legs in the attack on April 15 when two improvised pressure cooker bombs exploded at the finish line, killing three people and injuring 264 others.

But the aunt had been dead for more than a decade and Mattier was arrested at his home in Boston when an undercover police officer presented him with a fake cheque for $2.195-million, prosecutors said.

“He sought to take these funds away from real victims of the Marathon attack and from the thousands of people who had so generously given to help those who truly need it,” Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a statement.

Mattier is being charged with attempted larceny, the prosecutor said. Mattier was not immediately available to comment.

The marathon bombing victims fund, called The One Fund, was established by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. It has so far brought in more than $60-million in donations, according to its website.

The fund is being managed by Kenneth Feinberg, an arbitration attorney who also oversaw compensation for victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the theatre shootings in Aurora, Colorado.

Two ethnic Chechen brothers were identified by the FBI as suspects in the marathon bombing.

The younger of the two, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is being held after being indicted by a grand jury on charges that would carry the death penalty if he were convicted. His older brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died in a shootout with police days after the bombing. - Reuters

ribshaw
07-10-2013, 09:03 AM
There are some good videos on this link about protecting yourself. Mortgage Modification Scam Crackdown : CONSUMERMOJO.COM (http://www.consumermojo.com/mortgage-modification-scam-crackdown/)

These scammers prey on people in trouble. We run into them over and over and it’s always the same. They promise to help homeowners who are behind on their mortgages get out from under and modify their mortgages. Instead, they take money, offer little or nothing, and homeowners are left deep in debt and in serious jeopardy of losing their properties. 0

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) went after a group of individuals and companies operating out of Nevada and California. It asked a Federal District Court in Santa Ana, California to stop them from allegedly deceiving homeowners. The FTC says the group advertised on the Internet, TV and radio and falsely claimed it would provide legal help to “save consumers’ homes from foreclosure and lower their mortgage payments.” It charged illegal upfront fees of $2,000 to $4,000. 0

A temporary restraining order shuts the operation and freezes the defendants’ assetss. The FTC says, “Three individuals – Ratan Baid, Madhulika Baid, and William D. Goodrich – and seven companies falsely promised lower monthly payments and interest rates, and conversion of adjustable-rate mortgages to fixed ones. Apparently, many consumers who called toll-free numbers were falsely guaranteed a loan modification that supposedly would make their payments more affordable, that they would get results within 60 to 90 days, or that Goodrich, an attorney, would use his impressive legal experience on their behalf.” 0

While the case works its way through the courts, the people named in the complaint are barred from collecting advance fees for mortgage modifications.

WATCH CONSUMERMOJO.COM’S VIDEO: What Do I Do About Foreclosure and download the free guide.

WATCH CONSUMERMOJO.COM’S VIDEO: 4 Tips to Avoid Mortgage Modification Scams and download the free guide.

ribshaw
07-10-2013, 09:11 AM
SCAMMER facebookclaimsdeptt118@live.com

NOT from facebook - FW: CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACEBOOK TEAM
NOT From Facebook........ Don't click the link or open the attached page....

FACEBOOK ONLINE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD.
BATCH NUMBER: FB-0281/544
SERIAL NUMBER: 99352748-2013
TICKET NUMBER: FB-172-60
CATEGORY: 2ND

The Entire Facebook Team are very happy to inform you that your name appear
on the FACEBOOK ONLINE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY and we are giving out the total
sum of US$950,000.00 (Nine HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS)
which is what you have just won.

Your name was selected in a raffle that was made for the FACEBOOK ONLINE
INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY for the year 2013 with the lucky number (FB-225-7736)
so we need your fast response so that we can proceed with the claim process
of your winnings.

Your name was selected by Mr Mark Zuckerberg the CEO of Facebook (Founder &
amp Chief Executive Officer ). The promotion was made to make all facebook
users to benefit from the profit the company made while they use facebook.

Facebook is the first and ever largest means of meeting both old and new
friends.

The promo was done to serve as a means of appreciation to visitors on our
site and also to help people to fight off poverty and to maintain a good
standard of living.

Kindly contact Mr. Thomas Charlse the General secretary of the FACEBOOK TEAM
and appointed as your claims officer via this email
(facebookclaimsdeptt118@live.com) immediately with the following information
about you below:

Full Name:
Residential Address:
Private Mobile Number:
Age:
Occupation:
Marital Status:
Sex:
City:
State:
Country:
Zip/Postal Code:

As soon as he gets your email with all the information stated above he will
tell you on what next to do as regards the claiming and receiving of your
winnings of US$950,000.00.

Thank you and More Congratulations.

Agent Name: Thomas Charlse for CDAA

Get some Zero paid Gear FBI SCAM PROTECTED

Note: For security reasons and due to the mix-up of some numbers and names,
we ask that you keep this notification strictly from public notice until
your claim has been processed and your money remitted. This is part of our
security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
non-participants of this program. BE WARNED"

========================================

SCAMMER uk_lottery@zing.vn

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Response Needed
Mr. Emerson Alexander
Regent's Park NW1 4SA South Africa
Tel: +27787840719
Email: uk_lottery@zing.vn
Good Day

I am Mr. Emerson Alexander; i work with European Planet Lottery UK as African payment representative for 6years. I am originally from Sierra Leone but resident right now in South Africa. i am writing this mail to you based on the information that i find in the internet on how property business is moving well in your country. As an Africa payment representative for European Planet Lottery Inc, i am in charge of some payment to some Africa people that won lottery but where not able to claim their payment because their email addresses where change or not valid any more. After several attempt to contact them for their payment all effort failed. For the past 2 years i have been sitting with 6 unclaimed payment files amount to the tone of GBP7 Million Pounds. Now i have concluded a smooth arrangement to move this money out of this company to you by wire transfer or through diplomatic means. i am ready to share this money with you 60/40 that is 40% for you and 60% for me because I will arrange all the necessary documents for the smooth release of this to you, please note that there is no risk involved in your side because this money is clean and clear fund without any criminal record . Please get back to me as soon as possible with the below personal details so that i can conclude the arrangement, we can get this money out to you within 4 days because i have finish the important paper work already before sending this email to you. I will be coming to your country as soon as you are in position of this fund for investment, please try your best to keep this transaction confidential.

Full Name:
Full Address:
Telephone Number:
Mobile Number:
Age:
Occupation:
You’re Email:
Country of Origin:
Sex:

Kindly reply with above details.
Thanks and God bless you
Mr. Emerson Alexander

Name : Mr. Emerson Alexander
E-mail : lottery_uk@zing.vn,EeAa74@poppy.ocn.ne.jp

========================================

SCAMMER: MRSNARIILOPEZ4CHARITY@aol.com

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
MRS NARII LOPEZ USE THIS FUNDS FOR CHARITY WORKS
Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am Mrs. Narii Lopez, I am a nationality of Argentina, I grew up in Hong Kong and I am also presently hospitalized due to my illness. Presently, I'm with my laptop in this Hospital, where I have been undergoing treatment of cancer for over one year. My husband was once the Managing Director of Shell Oil Company in Hong Kong, where I and my husband spent most of our lives I am a widow to Late Mr. Mark Thomson Lopez.

I have served the Lord all through my life, from long time cancer of the breast to a very critical stroke. From all indications, my condition is serious and is quite obvious that I may not live more than six weeks, because the cancer stage has gotten to a very severe state and my doctor has told me this. The one that disturbs me most is the stroke that paralyzed half of my body. My late husband was killed during his reign as the Managing Director of Shell Oil Company in Hong Kong, and during the period of our marriage we had a son who was also killed along with his father through food poison in Shell Oil Company convention of 2009 in Hong Kong.

My late husband was very wealthy and after his death, I inherited all His business and wealth. Presently my doctor told me that I may not live for more than six months, though I am not scared about this, I am not afraid of death, hence I will be in the bosom of the Lord forever any time my God calls me home. I now decided to look for an organization or an individual who is God fearing, that will use the funds for charity organization, by contributing to the development of evangelism in the world, assisting motherless babes homes and cancer patients.

I selected you after browsing the Internet for this purpose and prayed over it, for the fact that I always go to God in prayers in situation like this, because He is the Alfa and Omega. I am willing to donate all the money I have in the bank, which is US$15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million United States Dollars) to you for the development of evangelism and also as aids for the less privileged around you.
Please note that this funds is lying with a Bank in Spain.
Please reply to: MRSNARIILOPEZ4CHARITY@aol.com
God bless you.
Mrs. Narii Lopez
Reply to MRSNARIILOPEZ4CHARITY@aol.com

Name : MRS NARII LOPEZ
E-mail : MRSNARIILOPEZ4CHARITY@aol.com,test@rafnet.gr

========================================

SCAMMER western.union214@dgoh.org,
SCAMMER fausto.morgantini0@alice.it

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Good Day My Dear
We wish to inform you that your Compensation fund worth sum Of £750,000 GBP has be scheduled to pay to you via WESTERN UNION OFFICE INDIA, You Advice to contact (Dr. Philip Charles) Director, with all your full information's via (western.union214@dgoh.org) or call +919958673290. Best Regards, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Name : WESTERN UNION, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
E-mail : western.union214@dgoh.org,fausto.morgantini0@alice .it
========================================

SCAMMER mremiljacobss@yahoo.co.jp
SCAMMER test@tanuki.ru

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
E.U.A.U.D Director.
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE
AND UNITED NATION AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (U.N.A.D.P)
ATTENTION OF: THE ENTITILED BENEFICIARY OF FUNDS,

RE: E.U. AND U.N.A.D.P FINANCIAL SUMMIT ; Confirm Receipt

The Council of European Union Parliament (E.U) In conjunction with The United Nations Agricultural Development Program (U.N.A.D.P) have just concluded the General Meeting of today in which good discursion and progress was made to reward Agricultural Farm Development, Investors, Industrialists and Traders In Africa, Europe , And Asia Countries. The meeting lasted for three (3) hours because all the officials from various Regional Committees of the E.U and United Nations Agricultural Development Program (U.N.A.D.P) were present, The delegates from London, United Kingdom were in the meeting, the officials of IMF World Auditors (including Mrs. Margaret Powell and Alvin T Clyde) arrived in good time before commencement of the meeting. Also present in the crucial meeting of today were Mr. Gabriel Alanson and Kenneth Irwin Dickson from Commonwealth Financial Office. The meeting started in a good time and all the invited officials plus the top executives of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) joined at the Conference Room and the meeting commenced in earnest. This resolution was reached based on so many complaints tabled at the Head Quarters of the United Nation Office in Washington D.C in regards on how to help Farmers, Investors, Industrialist and Traders to come back on tract after the World Economic Crisis to foster Financial Development across the globe. This reward is to help you restructure, boost and improve you financially in your activities. The Approved FILE bearing your full name was presented for deliberation and The Executive Financial Auditors have unanimously resolved to include your full-name amongst the favored beneficiaries who will benefit from the amount earmarked for the Agricultural Development Program (A.D.P) The remittance officials must as a matter or necessity proceed to effect the transfer of the authenticated/approved amount of US$8m (Eighth Million United State Dollars) Only, to you. During the meeting of today, the Council of E.U and U.N.A.D.P Parliament resolved that all favored beneficiaries must quickly send application to the Director of AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAME: (A.D.P) Mr. Emil Jacobs on this email: emiljacobss@yahoo.co.jp and Telephone number: +44 741 847 8203 requesting for Accelerated Remittance of your approved benefit of US$8m (Eighth Million United State Dollars).

You are advised to send us the following information.

(1) YOUR FULL NAME:
(2) RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:
(3) PHONE, FAX AND CELL PHONE:

You are further required to call his Office Telephone number: +44 741 847 8203 for further clarifications.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Emil Jacobs
E.U.A.U.D Director.
email: mremiljacobss@yahoo.co.jp

Name : Mr. Emil Jacobs
Email : mremiljacobss@yahoo.co.jp,test@tanuki.ru
========================================
SCAMMER tcham18@dishmail.net
SCAMMER rhubbell@sbceo.org

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Hello-PROJECT
Greetings,

I have a project for you in the tune of One Hundred & Five Million EUR, Please reply for specifics.

Cham Tao Soon
Audit chairman UOB Bank Singapore,

Name : Cham Tao Soon
E-mail : tcham18@dishmail.net,rhubbell@sbceo.org

========================================
SCAMMER nancyl2011@outlook.com,info@aol.com
SCAMMER ,kcp@streamyx.com

If you need a loan, never try and get one from someone that sends you an email or fax. It is either advance fee fraud or ID theft. In advance fee fraud they will promise you a loan, charge you an "application fee" and you will never hear from them again.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
No subject
Do you need a 2% financial Assistance to consolidate your debt ? if yes, email us today for more details. Thanks.

Name : Nancy
Email : nancyl2011@outlook.com,info@aol.com,kcp@streamyx.c om

========================================

SCAMMER amedshallad01@gmail.com
SCAMMER test@ascania.ua

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Thank You/Assalam-O-Alaikum
Dear Friend,

I got your email address through search in the internet. I hope and pray that I have the right person who will help me. I have interest of investing in your country as such I am making contact with you for assistance. Before the war in my country (Syria) I deposited some funds with a security company for safe keeping. You will help me collect the funds from the Security Company as I cannot travel out at the moment because of my present predicaments /conditions which I will explain to you if we work together. My name Engr. Ahmad M,shakour Allabad, our president Bashar Al-Assad has brought destruction / Hell to our great country and everything is practically difficult now. Please if you accept this offer of assistance you are required to give me your Name, age, occupation, country and address. I will send to you detailed information of this business if you indicate your seriousness to do the business, and also enclosing your telephone fax numbers. I promise you that this deal is valid, real and risk free. What I now need from you are as follows:

1. You should make contact with the Security Company to secure the funds in cash on my behalf.
2. You will be entitled to 30% of the total sum involved for your assistance.
3. As soon as you have the funds in your custody, we will enter a new arrangement on which sector you will invest my share of the funds in on my behalf to generate enough money for the up keep of my family in your country.
4. This project is 100% risk free, but you must keep it very secret and confidential. With strong assurance that you will never let me down at all.

Please note that my aim to transfer the funds to you for investment is because I want my wife and 4 kids to join you and stay under your care, hope my family will find comfort, peace and happiness in your country. I want to clear you about this, the funds is not from drug deal, its not from arms deals, its not government money and its not for any terrorist or illegal activity, why I am emphasizing on this confidentiality is because I don't want you to be bordered over above issues. Can you help me? Are you trustworthy? Are you capable of handling this money? If you can, please contact me. All you need to do is to claim this money on my behalf for the investment purposes. For your assistance, you will be entitled to 30% of the total sum. You are also obliged to help/advise on the proper and most convenient way of investing this money in your country, hopefully, you will consider this request and respond positively. I expect your prompt reply and let our communication be by email as it is the safest means of communication for now because I suspect telephone lines in our country Syria is been connected to the US Telecommunication Network for monitoring.

Regards,

Engr. Ahmad M,shakour Allabad, .

Name : Engr. Ahmad M,shakour Allabad
E-mail : amedshallad01@gmail.com,test@ascania.ua

I think all of these are from: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam/340470669393547

ribshaw
07-10-2013, 09:16 AM
Some sort of clownish phishing attempt. If you get something like this, even from an institution you do business with it is always best to call a number from a paper statment, your bank card, or go to a local branch. No legitimate firm communicates through text or email. Text was from my friend at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Soldiers-Against-Scammers/468763936535266?hc_location=stream

SCAMMER 1 (813) 720-6088 Railroad Credit Union Scam.

5064

ribshaw
07-10-2013, 09:24 AM
A few Pozni arrests, and remember Pozni are like Ninja, by the time they "stop paying" it is too late. The fact that people are being paid is always a very poor reason to invest, all scams like this pay, until the money runs out.

5065

Michael Turnock of Denver gets 6½ years in prison for Ponzi scheme
Posted: 07/09/2013 03:49:01 PM MDT
Updated: 07/09/2013 10:53:54 PM MDT
By Steve Raabe
The Denver Post

A Denver man was sentenced Tuesday to 6½ years in federal prison for perpetrating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 50 investors.

Michael Turnock, 69, also was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Christine Arguello to pay $4.2 million in restitution and spend three years on supervised release after his prison term.

Federal investigators said that from 2002 through 2012, Turnock operated an enterprise that lent money to small-business owners for them to pay insurance premiums.

Turnock's business operated first under the name Berjac of Colorado, then Bridge Premium Finance. According to investigators, Turnock recruited investors by telling them they would earn returns from loan repayments made by his clients, who were charged interest rates ranging from 12 percent to 18 percent.

But the business never generated enough money to repay investors. Investigators said, Turnock used money from new investors to pay off old investors and that he used investor funds to pay fees to himself, for business and personal expenses and to invest in other endeavors.

He pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering as part of a Ponzi scheme

Read more: Michael Turnock of Denver gets 6½ years in prison for Ponzi scheme - The Denver Post Michael Turnock of Denver gets 6½ years in prison for Ponzi scheme - The Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23627953/michael-turnock-denver-gets-6-frac12-years-prison#ixzz2YeVnAK82)
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: Terms of Use - The Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse)
Follow us: @Denverpost on Twitter | Denverpost on Facebook

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$100M scheme targeted LDS Church members Father, son convicted of Ponzi scheme operation

PHOENIX — Guy Andrew Williams, 42, and Brent F. Williams, 66, both of Mesa, were convicted by a federal jury in Phoenix on June 28 of 38 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. The two-week trial was conducted by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, a visiting judge from the Northern District of Ohio.

U.S. Attorney John Leonardo stated, “Affinity fraud is a particularly reprehensible crime because it depends upon a betrayal of trust to defraud victims of their money. The defendants preyed upon those with whom they made connections through church or in the community. This verdict holds the defendants accountable for their crimes and sends a message to others who would engage in such misconduct.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas G. Price, Phoenix Division, stated, “The guilty verdict rendered in this matter holds Guy and Brent Williams accountable for their actions. The FBI and the IRS are committed to investigating and pursuing those who conspire and prey on trusting individuals for their own personal gain. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to combat fraud as it relates to money laundering, wire and mail fraud.”

“The defendants lived lavish lifestyles and enriched themselves at the expense of their unsuspecting investors,” Dawn Mertz, special agent in charge of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation, said. “This classic Ponzi scheme serves as an unfortunate reminder that everyone should exercise extreme caution before committing their hard-earned money to investment opportunities that promise returns that sound too good to be true.”

“This verdict should serve as a strong deterrent to others who would misuse our nation’s mail system to commit mail fraud,” said Acting Phoenix Division Postal Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez. “The United States Postal Inspection Service remains dedicated to our mission to enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal use and ensure public trust in the mail. Postal inspectors will continue to partner with fellow law enforcement agencies to bring those perpetuating fraud to justice.”

According to the evidence at trial, Guy Andrew Williams and his father, Brent F. Williams, served as the managing director and chief financial officer, respectively, of a group of Mesa-based investment funds known as the Mathon entities. The evidence at trial showed that the Mathon entities collected more than $100 million in funds from investors from February 2002 until April 2005.

The evidence at trial further showed that Mathon’s investors, the majority of whom were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and hailed from Arizona, Utah and Nevada, were generally told that their money would be used to make short-term loans to third-party borrowers at a high interest rate and that Mathon had an extensive track record of making such loans. In fact, the evidence at trial showed that the defendants, and their business partners, ran Mathon as a Ponzi scheme — that is, using the overwhelming majority of incoming money from new investors to pay back initial investors. Finally, the evidence at trial showed that the defendants and their business partners paid themselves extravagant salaries and bonuses exceeding $10 million and also used their investors’ money to make millions of dollars of “loans” to companies they secretly controlled.

The sentencing of Guy Andrew Williams and Brent F. Williams is currently scheduled for Sept. 30 before Zouhary. Also scheduled to be sentenced on that date are Duane Hamblin Slade and Russell Laurence Sewell, two other members of Mathon’s management team who pled guilty to related charges before trial.

The defendants face a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on each count of conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud, and a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on each count of money laundering. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Securities Division of the Arizona Corporation Commission. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter S. Sexton, Kevin M. Rapp and Dominic Lanza.
Father, son convicted of Ponzi scheme operation - White Mountain Independent: Latest News (http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_news/father-son-convicted-of-ponzi-scheme-operation/article_fe74b426-e83f-11e2-a187-001a4bcf887a.html#.Ud1UCkRNfOk.facebook)


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N.J. man pleads guilty in $41.2 million Ponzi scheme Travel Deals $179 & up -- NYC: 4-Star Times Square Hotel, 50% Off See all travel deals » Jane M. Von Bergen, Inquirer Staff Writer Last updated: Wednesday, July 10, 2013, 1:08 AM Posted: Tuesday, July 9, 2013, 4:55 PM Everett C. Miller, 43, a high school dropout turned financial adviser who pleaded guilty Tuesday to securities fraud in connection with a $41.2 million Ponzi scheme, made some interesting investments on behalf of his clients. Miller's company, Carr Miller Capital L.L.C. in Marlton, invested in real estate, paying $525,000 for a house on a leafy cul-de-sac in Cherry Hill. No one lived in it, but the four-bedroom house had plenty of use as Miller's party hangout, "replete with empty tequila bottles lining the book shelves and a Twister game board spray-painted on the wall-to-wall carpeting," according to a court document in a related case. The bottles of Patron, a premium brand, were carefully arranged on the shelves. "My wife would have put a vase or a picture of the children in the same spot," said Michael Pompeo, a court-appointed attorney assigned to locate and distribute Carr Miller Capital's assets to its creditors. Miller, married with four children, ages 7 to 13, invested in education. Carr Miller Capital loaned his girlfriend, Jennifer, $221,000 to fund tuition and expenses at St. Matthew's University in the Cayman Islands. As of March 2012, she was in default. In federal court Tuesday in Camden, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of tax evasion for failure to pay $47,342 in taxes. U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb set sentencing for Oct. 18. Miller faces up to 25 years in prison and more than $5 million in fines. He agreed to forfeit nearly $5 million in gains from the scheme. At a time when financial markets were collapsing, Miller, of Marlton, persuaded investors to part with their cash in return for unsecured and unregistered promissory notes, promising 7 percent to 20 percent returns, payable, along with the original investments, in nine months. The investors were generally elderly people in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Texas, and North Carolina. The fraud took place between June 2006 and December 2010. Some clients got their money back, but much of it went to failed investments. Of the $41.2 million, $22.9 million was invested and of that, $15.7 million was lost, according to court documents. For example, Carr Miller lent $8.3 million at 10 percent interest to Indigo Energy Inc. a publicly traded natural-gas driller based in Henderson, Nev. That loan is in default. Carr Miller also owns 285.2 million shares of Indigo stock. In September 2009, the stock was trading for 3 cents a share. By February 2011, it was trading for less than a penny. Indigo is now bankrupt. "For the most part, nearly all the investments wound up losing money," Miller's court-appointed lawyer, John A. Azzarello, said Tuesday. "The investments were not the most prudent, or wisest, in hindsight." Miller used some of the money - at least $576,000, according to court documents - to pay for a luxury box for New Jersey Devils hockey games, Phillies baseball games, and the Heisman Trophy Dinner. His company also owned a BMW M5, a Hummer, a Chevrolet Traverse, a Lincoln limousine, and a Kia Sportage. There is ongoing related civil litigation in New Jersey courts. In December 2010, the New Jersey attorney general and the state's Bureau of Securities filed a lawsuit in Essex County naming Miller and two others. No one else has been criminally indicted in the case. "The investigation is continuing," said Matthew Reilly, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey. The investigation is complicated, according to court documents, by the fact that the company funneled its investments through 30 related business entities and 75 related bank accounts. The company "did not maintain books or records," said one court document, and an accountant Miller hired in 2010 to sort through the accounts and entities finally gave up, but not before questioning whether the company was a Ponzi scheme and criticizing "excessive overhead expenses." These days, Miller is unemployed, minding the children while his wife, Barbara, puts in 40- to 45-hour weeks waiting tables at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Mount Laurel, according to testimony. Because Miller has his GED, he enrolled at Burlington County College for the fall semester, having applied for and received financial aid, Miller told the judge. In court Tuesday, the judge asked Barbara Miller whether she would be willing to act as Miller's custodian, knowing that she would be responsible for a $250,000 unsecured bond if he skipped town. "Absolutely," she said. The judge forbade Miller to drink alcohol, set a 9 p.m. curfew, required him to wear an electronic bracelet, and ordered him to remain in New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Mendelsohn is prosecuting the case. Pompeo is a partner at the New York office of Drinker, Biddle & Reath. Azzarello is a partner at Arseneault, Whipple, Fassett & Azzarello in Chatham, N.J., where Carr Miller had an office.
Read more at N.J. man pleads guilty in $41.2 million Ponzi scheme (http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130710_N_J__man_pleads_guilty_in__41_2_million_P onzi_scheme.html#V0CQyA4EvPqFblJB.99)

ribshaw
07-10-2013, 09:42 AM
I thought I had posted something like this, but could not find it. Of course I did not look very hard. Top tips on avoiding identity theft this summer | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/top-tips-on-avoiding-identity-theft-this-summer-jul13)

Equifax’s top tips to keep your identity safe whilst on holiday

Don’t clearly display your home address on your luggage. Instead use a work address or mobile phone number.
Don’t write down PINs – use a more memorable number.
Keep your personal documents, such as your passport, in the hotel safe.
In crowds, keep your bag either strapped across your body or held firmly.
A concealed money belt is an ideal way to carry your cards and valuables.
Leave your passport number with someone in the UK in case it is stolen or lost. Don’t carry these details around with you.
Have the phone numbers for your bank with you so you can quickly cancel any lost or stolen cards
Make sure your mobile/smartphone is password protected.
On the return home, check statements and your credit file to make sure there hasn’t been any fraudulent activity.

ribshaw
07-10-2013, 07:01 PM
Reverse mortgage fraud and other new scams target seniors Scams Targeting Seniors | Financial Fraud - Consumer Reports (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/08/reverse-mortgage-fraud-and-other-new-scams-target-seniors/index.htm)
Seniors lose several billion dollars a year to financial chicanery
Consumer Reports magazine: August 2013
Illustration: David Senior

Scammers are out there, and unfortunately retirees are often their targets. According to the Government Accountability Office, seniors lose several billion dollars a year to financial fraud. Government and law enforcement efforts to stop them have tended to be scattershot, with little coordinated effort. And banks, which are supposed to be on the lookout for suspicious transactions, have not been sufficiently vigilant.

Below are some of the more recent scams aimed at seniors, although anyone is a potential target. In many cases, the frauds masquerade as perfectly legal, though unconventional, financial transactions.
Reverse mortgage fraud

A reverse mortgage is a legitimate financial tool available to people 62 and older. Also known as a home equity conversion mortgage, it allows you to convert the equity in your home into cash—useful to seniors who may be house-rich but cash poor, living on a fixed income but facing decidedly unfixed expenses like health care. Sadly, some of the most vulnerable retirees—those having trouble making mortgage payments or looking for a less expensive home—are those most susceptible to reverse mortgage fraud.

Mortgage guarantor Fannie Mae has noted a striking increase in reverse mortgage fraud since the 2008 financial crisis. The most common types include “Turn Around Mortgages,” where reverse mortgage programs falsely promise to stop foreclosure, and “Equity Theft Schemes,” where seniors are sold a new residence and given a property deed, and then are later requested by the criminals to obtain a reverse mortgage. The scammers abscond with the proceeds.

What to do: Always be suspicious of the free lunch, such as being able to own a home without a down payment, and don’t sign documents for a property you didn’t purchase. Seniors considering a reverse mortgage can check the Housing and Urban Development website at for a list of lenders approved by the Federal Housing Administration.
Self-directed-IRA scams

Investment Retirement Accounts can legally hold a wide variety of assets, which may be appealing to those who’ve soured on stocks. But placing unconventional assets, like real estate and physical gold, in self-directed IRAs requires extra paperwork, and a custodian that specializes in these IRAs is usually needed.

But the custodians aren’t required to evaluate the quality of an investment, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association. A fraudster, targeting an elderly person, will probably say otherwise, paving the way for an investment in an unaudited, illiquid asset, or in worst cases, a Ponzi scheme. Last year the NASAA named self-directed-IRA fraud one of the top four new investor threats.

What to do: Victims of self-directed-IRA scams are pressured to send money immediately, because the opportunity is fleeting. What they should do is precisely the opposite: talk to a trusted financial adviser or relative, check the references of the seller and the investment offer, both of which should be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. To find an adviser, use FINRA’s Broker Check.
The 876 scam

You won! No, you didn’t. Last year many seniors in New England were victimized over the phone by what is known as the Lottery or 876 scam, named after the Jamaican area code from which many of the calls originate. The criminal tells the victim he just won a huge sum in a lottery, then tries to gain his trust through repeat phone calls and by using Google Earth to feign familiarity with his community. When trust is established, the victim is encouraged to wire a “process fee” to the criminal. The Federal Trade Commission received 30,000 complaints about the scam last year.

What to do: Scams and frauds may have new wrinkles over time, but they share one common denominator: They’re unsolicited. Just hanging up is the best move.

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 08:29 AM
23-year-old Ashley Kirilow allegedly faked having cancer to raise $20,000 for her fraud charity. She turned herself in yesterday and has been charged with three counts of fraud, for which she faces up to two years in prison.

The arrest happened "without incident," police told The Star.

The Star also offers some insight into Kirilow's twisted thinking as she let the residents of Burlington, Ontario organize benefit concerts for her charity, Change for a Cure, and arrange free trips to Disney World for her. "I took it as an opportunity to make my family feel bad for how I was treated," she said. (Her childhood was marked by an extended custody battle between her parents.) And she is apparently biploar—she showed the Star her prescription drugs for the condition.

Kirilow wants everyone to know that, even as she took advantage of people's best intentions, she felt bad about it: "It was nice to have people care about me," she told the Star. "At the same time, I felt really horrible." She spent the money raised (anywhere from $4,000, according to Kirilow, to $20,000 according to those scammed by her) but says she'll work to donate that much to a real charity.

Soon, Kirilow will be Working at McDonald's for a Cure. (Also, Being Imprisoned for a Cure.)

5076

Canadian Cancer Scammer Arrested (http://gawker.com/5607080/canadian-cancer-scammer-arrested)

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 08:35 AM
I would rather work 9 to 5 than scam this way.

Shenzhen insurance scammer arrested for 334 car crashes, say police
Friday, 05 July, 2013, 12:41pm

The man who was arrested in the fraud case is held, as shown in this screenshot from Shenzhen TV.

A man in Shenzhen has been making a living by crashing cars for nearly three years, averaging to one crash every three days, police said after his arrest.

The man, surnamed Li, filed 334 insurance claims between the end of 2010 and May 2013, costing insurers millions of yuan and pocketing some 357,000 yuan (HK$450,000), Shenzhen TV reported, citing police in the Guangdong city.

A screenshot from a Shenzhen TV report showing the man who was arrested in the fraud case.

In his scheme, Li took advantage of slow traffic during the morning and evening rush hours, when he needed to accelerate only a little to bump the car ahead, thereby avoiding major injury.

He then bribed mechanics to increase the damage estimate on the invoice, pocketing the difference. The mechanics are also being investigated, police said.

Li is one of two cases that have recently come to light of what many suspect has become a phenomenon in Shenzhen, with some netizens speaking of a "car crashing gang".

The other case involved a man surnamed Peng from Jiangxi province, Southern Metropolis Daily reported. The former bus driver deliberately crashed into buses, extorting the drivers who feared repercussions from their jobs if they had to report the accident, the article said.
Share

Shenzhen insurance scammer arrested for 334 car crashes, say police | South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1275886/shenzhen-insurance-scammer-arrested-334-car-crashes-say-police)

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 09:06 AM
Three jailed for cash machine scam Three jailed for cash machine scam | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/three-jailed-for-cash-machine-scam-jul13)

Three men in Gloucestershire have been jailed for stealing money using devices attached to cash machines [11 July 2013]

Three jailed for cash machine scamThe men fitted a device to trap cards and then recorded victims’ PIN numbers using a mobile phone camera which was hidden in a box above the keypad.

They were arrested after plain clothes police officers saw them attach the devices to two separate cash machines.

The men appeared in Gloucester Crown Court and were jailed for a total of 49 months. Gloucestershire Police said it was investigating at least a dozen similar cases and advised users to be vigilant and cover the keypad while entering their PIN code.

PC Annabel Brittain said: “I hope this case and these images make people think harder about their security at cash machines or Chip and PIN devices. The most important thing is to always cover your hand when typing your PIN. If you do that, you’re protecting yourself even if the criminals get your card or clone it because they won't be able to use it at other machines.

“These devices aren’t complicated but they are effective and blend in well with the machine. If you can, take a moment to look around the cash machine you use, have a feel and see if anything sticks out or seems suspicious".

For further information please visit the Gloucestershire Police website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 09:09 AM
This links to a video, where a student demonstrates a "Man in the Middle Attack" from public Wifi. DFPTaboolaImmersivePlayer (http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1743999090001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAACEcotwk~,gYcGnPA bE5BIS3YIuD8yjBb6g688slup&bctid=2494964971001)

In the video he sets up a computer and can see EVERYTHING the person beside him is typing. His suggestion is NEVER do any financial transactions on public WiFi. Never log in to accounts when using public WiFi.

scratchycat
07-11-2013, 09:14 AM
SCAMMER maigaamhed@yahoo.com

This dummy is back. If anyone wants to bait a scammer, using a fake email address of course. This is the guy.

Dear Friend
(confidential)
I am Mr Ahmed Maiga working with INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA (IBA/BOA)Mali Bamako. I want to inquire from you if you can handle this transaction for mutual benefits/life opportunity for you and me. The transaction is about seeking your consent to present you as the Next of kin/ beneficiary To our late customer over his fund US$10.7Million dollars.
He died with his family during their vacation journey. I am waiting for your response for more details. The fund is going to be share at the ratio of 60/40.40% for you and 60% for i and my family, which we are going to use for investment.and 10% for outstanding expenses.if you are ready contact me back Via my private email address maigaamhed@yahoo.com
Mr Ahmed Maiga,

ahmedmaiga ike watching firm, listening to music, profile, free online dating, d (http://www.fishmeetfish.com/profile/ahmedmaiga)

5043

Which is actually a picture of Gbenga Daniel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gbenga_Daniel)

Could this be the real one behind that profile??!!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=611783662179279&set=a.575994599091519.1073741828.574727469218232&type=1&theater

Forgot to say - Warning!! Nudity :pao:

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 09:16 AM
Could this be the real one behind that profile??!!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=611783662179279&set=a.575994599091519.1073741828.574727469218232&type=1&theater

LOL Scratchy.

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 04:28 PM
The ole fake beef jerky scam.

Kickstarter has finally been discovered by fraudsters. The popular crowd-funding platform for artists and inventors allows anyone with an idea to seek funding from the public, which means scammers are sneaking in to exploit donors with fake products.

Recently, a California-based company called Magnus Fun began a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a fake Kobe beef jerky product. With almost 3300 backers and $120,000 in donations, the scammers were poised to walk away with a ton of money until Kickstarter officials shut them down.

How did this fake beef jerky scam even get off the ground to begin with? Let’s take a look at this bizarre case of online fraud.


Kickstarter Pulls the Plug on Scam Just in the Nick of Time

After racking up around 3,300 backers in just a month, the Kickstarter campaign that advertised “Kobe Red 100% Japanese Beer Fed Kobe Beer Jerky” was doing exceptionally well.

In addition to its solid number of backers, the campaign page featured testimonials from real-life people who supposedly just couldn’t get enough of that delicious Kobe Red beef jerky.

Except the delicious Kobe Red beef jerky never existed. The company didn’t have photos of their product, public samples or any other evidence to prove their product was real.
A color photo of a kobe beef steak

Kobe beef is imported from Japan and is quite a delicacy when it comes to fine beef.

Due to their huge site membership, the people who run Kickstarter rely on the community to police campaigns and report abuse. It’s good, then, that this got noticed when it did, as it was literally just a few days away from ending.

Once a successful campaign closes, the campaigners receive all the money no questions asked. That means the scammers almost got away with it.

The Los Angeles-based Magnus Fun company had its campaign up for a month… but hadn’t posted any information about the company or the people that work for it. (Kickstarter recommends that users do this so that the community feels relatively safe sending money.)


The “Kickstarted” Documentary Crew Saves the Day

Had it not been for the work of some dedicated Kickstarter users and the crew behind a documentary called Kickstarted, it’s likely that Magnus Fun would have gotten away with their diabolically beefy scheme.

The team working on the documentary noticed that something didn’t smell right about the Kobe beef jerky Kickstarter campaign and decided to take a closer look.

Oddly enough, all the reviews of Magnus Fun’s product were screenshots of text messages. Another strange detail was the fact that the only positive comments on the campaign came from users with brand new accounts that had only backed projects which had failed in the past.

CNN Money highlighted some even stranger details, courtesy of the Kickstarted crew:

“In a long post on their own site about their role in exposing the Kobe Red scam, the ‘Kickstarted’ team says they reached out to Magnus Fun with an interview request for the film, and Magnus Fun went back and forth a bit before promising instead to send footage from a recent taste test in California.”

It definitely seems odd, and Kickstarter thought so too. When the website was made aware of the suspicious details surround the Kobe Red beef jerky campaign, they promptly pulled the plug.

Magnus Fun has since deleted their Kickstarter account.


Kickstarter Has Its Risks
A color photo of some raw kobe beef.

Authentic Kobe beef is actually very tough to find in the United States.

What does all this mean for you? Well, first and foremost that it’s important to keep in mind the inherent risks associated with a site like Kickstarter.

A recent study actually showed that 84% of projects funded by Kickstarter don’t get sent out on time. This means that backers don’t get their promised perks when they expect.

Additionally, avoiding fraud on a crowd-funding site like Kickstarter is a bit more difficult than traditional sites. Users have to trust that the creators behind a project are honest about their campaign.

It’s important to use your best discretion and make sure you trust your gut. If something seems suspicious, it probably is.
- See more at: Scambook Blog (http://www.scambook.com/blog/2013/07/kickstarter-scam-narrowly-avoided-fraudsters-try-to-crowdfund-fake-kobe-beef-jerky/#sthash.pTHiG18q.M3Itp5aB.dpuf)

ribshaw
07-11-2013, 04:31 PM
Stealing from fellow soldiers, disgusting.
5098

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class James Robert Jones, an assistant inspector general at Fort Campbell, Ky., is accused of stealing the identities of Army officers, some of whom were in Afghanistan and one of whom was killed there, to get fraudulent bank loans.

Meet James Robert Jones, sergeant no class.

The U.S. Army base inspector who investigated misconduct stole the identities of other officers — including a soldier killed in combat — in a scheme to obtain phony bank loans, his indictment says.
Fort Campbell, Ky., is where U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class James Robert Jones allegedly stole the identities of soldiers in order to apply for loans, authorities contend.


Jones, whose rank is sergeant first class, was charged Wednesday with using his position as an assistant inspector general at Fort Campbell, Ky., to acquire the personal information of active-duty Army officers, including some soldiers deployed in Afghanistan.

The 42-year-old from Tennessee applied for loans under the officers’ names, the federal indictment said.
Federal prosecutor David Rivera says Sgt. 1st Class James Robert Jones stole the identities of Army officers, some of whom were in Afghanistan and one of whom was killed there, to fraudulently obtain bank loans.
wsmv.com
Federal prosecutor David Rivera says Sgt. 1st Class James Robert Jones stole the identities of Army officers, some of whom were in Afghanistan and one of whom was killed there, to fraudulently obtain bank loans.

Jones said he’d plead not guilty.

“There’s a lot more to the story than what meets the eye,” the accused bottom feeder told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday night.
Soldiers wait to board a plane to Afghanistan during a deployment at the Fort Campbell, Ky. While they put themselves in harm's way, Sgt. 1st Class James Robert Jones allegedly stole some of their identities to get phony bank loans, according to prosecutors.
Josh Anderson/AP
Soldiers wait to board a plane to Afghanistan during a deployment at the Fort Campbell, Ky. While they put themselves in harm's way, Sgt. 1st Class James Robert Jones allegedly stole some of their identities to get phony bank loans, according to prosecutors.

The alleged scam took place from February to May.

“This defendant abused a position of trust and used his position to specifically target those who serve our country,” federal prosecutor David Rivera said.
A U.S. Army soldier killed in combat was allegedly victimized by a base inspector who, ironically, was supposed to probe misconduct. James Robert Jones purportedly swiped the identities of the dead soldier and others in order to fraudulently acquire bank loans, according to prosecutors.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
A U.S. Army soldier killed in combat was allegedly victimized by a base inspector who, ironically, was supposed to probe misconduct. James Robert Jones purportedly swiped the identities of the dead soldier and others in order to fraudulently acquire bank loans, according to prosecutors.

With News Wire Services

Read more: US Army sergeant used dead GI (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/sergeant-gi-identities-loan-scam-feds-article-1.1395686#ixzz2Ym6hW1X5)

ribshaw
07-12-2013, 04:22 PM
SCAMMER rebecca.violet@yahoo.com

Meet the Fake Lottery Commission.

5120
5121

Who also lend themselves out as stock photos when their images are not being used by scammers.

5122

ribshaw
07-13-2013, 10:46 AM
By Clark Howard Protect yourself if you use a debit card | www.clarkhoward.com (http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/protect-yourself-if-you-use-debit-card/nC3Nz/)

ClarkHoward.com


Debit card account fraud is on the rise. I want to tell you the best way I know to protect yourself.

Years ago, the bulk of financial fraud involved credit cards alone. But now some 40% of the fraud involves debit cards, while the remaining 60% is with credit cards.

If your credit card is compromised, the harm to you is relatively small. You contact the issuer to report false charges and you may have to do some paperwork, but no money leaves your hands.

With debit card fraud, however, there is money that leaves your hands. And you have to fight to get your own money back. Unfortunately, it's now taking longer and longer to get that money back.

Under the law, banks have 10 business days to give you your money back in the event of debit card fraud. Visa and MasterCard, however, have set their own standard of 5 business days if a compromised debit card has either logo on it, as most do. Yet I'm hearing from callers that the true wait time to get your money back is substantially longer than either 5 or 10 business days.

Now, I know debit cards are popular because people got in over their heads spending money they didn't have on credit cards. Debit cards, in theory, allow you to spend only what you have.

But the problem comes if a crook cracks your debit card. Then you have no money to pay your mortgage, your car loan or to buy gas or food, among other things. Your checks start bouncing and, depending on your bank or credit union, the institution may not cover the bounced check charges that result from debit card fraud.

You now have a 1 in 65 chance of having your debit card compromised. A new study from Symantec says retail is the No. 1 place where you account can be compromised, when crooks hack into databases that contain the numbers from debit card transactions.

If you are someone who would be financially devastated if your bank account were emptied, I suggest you open a second account and tie your debit card to it. Then fund the second account only with money that's used for debit card activity, so your principal account won't be at risk in the event of a breach.

That's the best way I know to protect yourself.

ribshaw
07-13-2013, 10:50 AM
The FBI does not send warnings VIA email. Latest Scam eMails: Another FBI based scam! - FW: F.B.I- FINAL REMINDER NOTICE,, (http://latestscamemails.blogspot.com/2013/07/another-fbi-based-scam-fw-fbi-final.html)



5128

ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION
FBI HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS J.EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
Ref: FBI/DC/25/113/13/2013
FBI &mdash; Director (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/executives/director)

Your attention is needed immediately

We have been informed through our global intelligence monitoring network that the sum of $10.500, 000.00, has been released from a bank in Africa bearing your name as the beneficiary without dist certificate to clear your name and fund from every terrorist or drug or money laundering activities

We sincerely apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail instead of a certified mail, phone call or a face-to-face conversation,We will also send you a certified email later it is due to the urgency and importance of the security information needed. To checkmate financial recklessness, illegal gambling, racketeering and considering the effect of the global financial crisis rocking the United States, our government with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I) Washington, DC and the internet crime complaint center (ic3),alongside the CIA signed an agreement with U.K police for an immediate release of all overdue funds presently logged in their treasury and to ensure it is disbursed to the rightful beneficiaries in all parts of the world. If you the beneficiary would adhere to our instruction it will help you receive your payment immediately

The bank knowing fully well that they do not have enough facilities to make this payment from any part of the world to your account directly, used what we know as a secret diplomatic transit payment (s.d.t.p) method to make the payment. direct transfers are difficult and secret diplomatic transit payment (s.d.t.p) are not usually made unless the funds are related to terrorist activities and we ask why must your payment be made in a secret transfer if your transaction is legitimate.

We do not want you to get into trouble as soon as these funds reflect in your personal account, so it is our duty as an international agency to correct these little problems before this fund reflects into your personal account.

we advise you to contact us immediately, as your funds have been stopped and are being held in our custody, until you are able to provide us with the dist certificate within 3 days from the country that authorized the transfer to certify that the funds that you are about to receive are terrorist/drug free or we shall have cause to impound the payment and subsequently prosecute you for cross border terrorist financial activites.

based on our findings, our investigative department wish to warn you against some miscreants, hoodlums and touts who go about scamming innocent people by claiming to be who they are not and thereby tarnishing the image of this wonderful country. By sending out fraudulent emails without our official logo and emblem we shall release your funds immediately we receive this legal document and we will ensure that you receive your payment without any further delay.

Note

We decided to contact you directly by email to acquire the proper verifications and proof from you to show that you are the rightful person to receive this fund, because of the huge amount involved. Be informed that the funds are now with a top bank in the united state in your name and under the monitoring/custody of the FBI. At the moment, we have asked the bank not to release the fund to anybody that comes to them, unless we instruct them to do so, and only if we receive the dist certificate this is to enable us carry out a comprehensive investigation first before releasing the fund to you.

hence, you are to forward your dist certificate to us immediately if you have it in your possession, if you do not have it, then let us know so that we will direct you to the appropriate authority to obtain the certificate then you are to send it to our office. And thereafter, we will instruct the bank holding the funds, to go ahead and credit your account immediately. If you fail to provide the documents to this office, we will prosecute you and take appropriate action against you for not proving the legality of the funds.

Finally if you truly want to receive this funds without F.B.I troubles then reconfirm the following below

Name………………………………………………….
Address………………………………………………..
Sex………………………………………………………
Age............................................... ......................
Contact number………………………………………..
Country of origin of funds……………………………..

Yours Faithfully

SPECIAL AGENT (admin division)
Colleen M. Conyngham
(BADGE NUMBER JTT047101111)
FOR FBI DIRECTOR
ROBERT S MUELLER

test


cc: general intelligence department (GID)
cc federal bureau of investigation (fFBIi)
cc .internet crime complaint center (ic3)
cc: Asia pacific group on money laundering (APG)
cc: international monetary fund (IMF)
cc: international organization of securities commissions (IOSCO)
cc: international banking security association (IBSA)
cc: world customs organization (WCO)
cc: inter-American development bank (IADB)
cc: national white collar crime center (NW3C)
cc: bureau of justice assistance (BJA)
cc: supreme court of South Africa(SCA)

vvy

LEGAL NOTICE:
Unless expressly stated otherwise, this message is confidential and may be privileged. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not an addressee, any disclosure or copying of the contents or any action taken (or not taken) in reliance on it is unauthorized and may be unlawful. If you are not an addressee, please inform the sender immediately.

AVISO LEGAL:
Salvo que se indique lo contrario, este mensaje es confidencial y puede ser privilegiada. Se pretende a su destinatario (s)solamente. El acceso a este e-mail por cualquier otra persona no estб autorizado. Si usted no es un destinatario, cualquier divulgaciуn o copia de lacontenidos ni de cualquier acciуn realizada (o no) en la dependencia en que no estб autorizado y puede ser ilegal. Si no son unadestinatario, por favor notifique al remitente de inmediato


DO NOT PRINT /FORWARD THIS MAIL ITS AGAINST THE LAW
This e-mail, including any attachments, is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 10 U.S.C. 2510-2521
__________________________________________________ _____
----Original Message-----
From: F.B.I WASHINGTON D.C [mailto:fbiwashdc@fbi.gov]
Sent: 13 July 2013 11:03
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: F.B.I- FINAL REMINDER NOTICE,,

ribshaw
07-13-2013, 10:56 AM
Top 10 online scams in video format.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7QnkfGhOFs

ribshaw
07-13-2013, 11:42 AM
SCAMMER fnbmphokagisohenry@hotmail.co.za

SHHHHHHHH!!!

It is Highly Confidential
It is my pleasure to inform you that i have finally succeeded in transferring of the huge funds under the cooperation of a new partner from London, United Kingdom. and I decided to write a Cashier Bank Draft$1.500,000.USD.for your compensation. Have you received it? Contact my Account Officer, F.N.B. (First National Bank South Africa)
Contact: Mr. Mpho K Henry,
His email address: (fnbmphokagisohenry@hotmail.co.za)
Cell No:+27846667737
Ask him to send you the Bank Draft of $1.500, 000. USD, which I kept under his supervision for your compensation.
Regards,
Barr. Adams Winter.
IF FOUND IN SPAM/JUNK PLEASE MARK AS INBOX.

Name : Barr Adams Winter.
E-mail : fnbmphokagisohenry@hotmail.co.za,petterpath@hotmai l.my,anonymous@ns365883.ovh.net

============================================
SCAMMER engranthony_nnpc@rediffmail.com
SCAMMER becky@eurogarment.com.cn
SCAMMER olive@dgljp.sinanet.com


Friday, July 12, 2013
From Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
Nigerian Petroleum Exchange
NNPC Towers, Central Business District,
Herbert Macaulay Way,
P.M.B. 190, Garki, Abuja
Ref: NNPC/NPE/R&P/TAM-00894/13
Contract No.: NNPC/TAM/RWPK-089/06/13

Dear Sir,

NNPC REFINERIES TURN-AROUND MAINTENANCE OVER-INVOICE

Following the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigerian Petroleum price that caused an increase in fuel price from US$0.40 to US$0.87 per litre in January 2012, the Federal Government decided to use the subsidy money for the purpose of Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM) for their three refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna and the sum of US$2.6 billion were set out for this purpose.

However, the contract was awarded to JGC Engineering, Japan and the entire contract bidding process, terms and agreements was reached with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Government and two refineries has started production already, while the remaining refinery is expected to start production on October this year.

Meanwhile, the contract for Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM) for the three refineries awarded to the JGC Engineering had an over-invoice sum of US$150,000,000.00, and I told the NNPC Board that, this amount belongs to one of our suppliers of Pipelines, who are yet to be paid, and they requested that the supplier/contractor should come for his money, if not they shall return it to the Government coffer Account as un-used fund, that is why I am contacting you to act as the supplier that executed this contract, and I shall provide you with all the necessary information you need to know.

Based on that, I want to use this medium to inform you that the over-invoiced sum of US$150,000,000.00 have been approved by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for release to you for the supplies of the Turn-Around Maintenance Pipelines to the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries, and I want your maximum cooperation and trust.

Lastly, this transaction is highly confidential, because I will not entertain any form of illegal approach from unintended individual or person. Upon the receipt of your response I shall further detail you the procedures for receiving this fund from the NNPC. Meanwhile, the sharing ratio of this fund will be on 50:50 bases. Your expedite response will be appreciated. Thanks for your understanding.

Yours truly.

Engr. Anthony U. Ogbuigwe,
Group Executive Director, Refineries & Petrochemicals
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

Name : Engr. Anthony U. Ogbuigwe
E-mail : engranthony_nnpc@rediffmail.com,becky@eurogarment. com.cn,olive@dgljp.sinanet.com
============================================
SCAMMER h112@globomail.com
SCAMMER diplomatthomasluck56@yahoo.fr


Friday, July 12, 2013
YOUR PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED SUCCESSFULLY.CALL ME BACK URGENT WITH THIS (601-385-1279.
YOUR PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED SUCCESSFULLY.CALL ME BACK URGENT WITH THIS (601-385-1279.

Attention: I'm Diplomatic Agent MR.Thomas Lucky; I have been trying to reach you on your Email about four hours now, just to inform you about my successful arrival in Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Sterling, VA 20166, USA, with your box of consignment worth $3.6 Million Dollars which I have been instructed by I.C EXPRESS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY to be delivered to you. The Airport Authority demanded for all the legal back up papers to prove to them that the fund is no way related with drug nor fraud money, I have presented the papers I handed to them and they are very much pleased with the papers I presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here is the airport Antidrug/terrorist clearance certificate and International Clearance Delivery Permit which is not placed on the package, one of the Airport Authority has advise that we get the delivery tag so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my delivery successful .I try to reason with them and they stated the delivery tag will cost us just $170 Dollars only to get the two documents placed on the packages as that documents will enable me. Please try as much as you can to reach me on Phone below as I can not afford to spend much time here . You can direct the tag fee to our Head Office as they will get it here for you and they are entitled to receive and make any payment to foreign countries authority. Email me with below information to enable me know your arrangement for the $170. EMAIL :(diplomatthomasluck56@yahoo.fr) Meanwhile you are advice to reconfirm the below information upon contacting us to avoid delivery to wrong person.

1- Your Full Name
2- Your Delivery Address
3- Your Contact Telephone Number
4- Your Occupation
5- Your Identification (Passport number or ID Card number)

Below is the information where the payment of $170 will be transfer to Federal Ministry of Finance Benin Republic where the Tag Deliver will be issue in your name.Here is the receiver information's

1.RECEIVER NAME:.........Emma Ochie
2.COUNTRY:............. Benin Republic.
3.CITY :...............Porto Novo.
4..TEST QUESTION:...How Long
5.TEST ANSWER:......Today
MTCN:...............
SENDER NAME:...............
Amount.................$170

Email me the payment information as soon as you made the payment available to the name of Ms Catherine Douglass in Federal Ministry of Finance.
Email :(diplomatthomasluck56@yahoo.fr)
Regard
DIPLOMATIC MR.Thomas Lucky.
Call me with this below number (601)-385-1279

Name : MR.Thomas Lucky.
E-mail : h112@globomail.com,diplomatthomasluck56@yahoo.fr

Friday, July 12, 2013
INSTRUCTION TO RELEASE YOUR INHERITANCE FUND
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)
P.O.Box 3100, Akintola Complex Ekoyi Lagos
Phone: +2347065631569
Email: imf.feedback1@helixnet.cn
REF:-XVGNN8809
============================================
SCAMMER imf.feedback1@helixnet.cn
SCAMMER imf.feedback@hotmail.com

INSTRUCTION TO RELEASE YOUR INHERITANCE FUND

Attention Beneficiary,

This is to intimate you of a very important information which will be of a great help to redeem you from all the difficulties you have been experiencing in getting your long overdue payment due to excessive demand for money from you by both corrupt Bank officials and Courier Companies after which your fund remain unpaid to you. I am Mr. Wayne Mitchell Mr. Michael Dede a highly placed official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It may interest you to know that reports have reached our office by so many correspondences on the uneasy way which people like you are treated by Various Banks and Courier Companies/ Diplomat across Europe to Africa, America, Asia /London Uk and we have decided to put a stop to that and that is why I was appointed to handle your transaction here in Ghana.

All Governmental and Non-Governmental prostates, NGOs, Finance Companies, Banks, Security Companies and Courier companies which have been in contact with you of late have been instructed to back up from your transaction and you have been advised NOT to respond to them anymore since the IMF is now directly in charge of your payment. You are hereby advised NOT to remit further payment to any institutions with respect to your transaction as your fund will be transferred to you directly from our source here and your present will be required here .

I hope this is clear. Any action contrary to this instruction is at your own risk.Reconfirm the information bellow and forward it this e-mail (imf.feedback1@helixnet.cn) with immediate effect and we shall give you further details on how your fund will be released.

1.Full Name:............................................. ........
2.Address:........................................ ...............
3Nationality:..................................... ..............
4.Age:........Date of Birth:.....................................
5.Occupation:..................................... ...............
6.Phone:...............Mobile:.............:...... .............Fax:...............
7.State of Origin:......................Country:............. ....
8. Amount:........................................... .............................................
9. Copy of your identity Card

Regards,
Mr. Wayne Mitchell.

Name : Mr. Wayne Mitchell
E-mail : imf.feedback1@helixnet.cn,imf.feedback@hotmail.com

All linked from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam/340470669393547

ribshaw
07-15-2013, 01:57 PM
Everything You Need to Know About Obamacare Scams

Sean Boulger
July 12, 2013

Later this year, the Affordable Care Act (often known as Obamacare) is going to take effect. This is a significant change in American healthcare policy, and scammers have been taking advantage of the confusion to commit all kinds of fraud and identity theft.

In fact, the FTC has found that healthcare fraud has been on the rise lately, and will likely continue to increase until October. Let’s talk about how to spot the scams and avoid any problems when you’re ready to make the switch over to Obamacare.


The Obamacare Card Scam

One of the most popular healthcare scams that’s been circulating as the October 1st Affordable Care Act deadline approaches is known as the “Obamacare card.” It’s a technique used by fraudsters to steal consumers’ credit card information and Social Security numbers.

How does the Obamacare card scam work? Basically, victims get a phone call from someone claiming to represent the government. The caller informs them that they need this insurance card to be eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, or they may say the Obamacare card provides extra discounts. They ask for private personal information so they can send you the card.

But there’s no such thing as an Obamacare card — you’re just giving your info to scammers and identity thieves.
A color photo of the White House.

Obama care goes into effect in October, and the FTC expects the number of related scams to rise in the meantime.
The Information Update Scam

Another popular scam involves fraudsters posing as Medicare officials. These fake Medicare representatives call consumers and say they’re updating or verifying personal information. The consumers are told that they might face some sort of consequence if they don’t comply.

The Sacramento Bee has more:

“…impostors claiming to be from Medicare told consumers they needed to hand over their personal or financial information in order to continue eligibility because ‘change is on the horizon.’

But nothing in the Affordable Care Act threatens existing benefits or medicare Enrollees…”

In other words, you shouldn’t be getting any Medicare calls because of the Affordable Care Act. If you have concerns about your Medicare benefits, don’t respond to a cold-caller. Instead, contact your Medicare representatives directly.


Fake Coverage and Mandatory Payments Scams
A color photo of someone holding a stethoscope up to a piggy bank.

If someone calls you out of the blue to sell “Obamacare insurance,” they may be a scammer.

Some of the most audacious scammers are even selling fake coverage. That’s right — if you’re not careful, you might accidentally buy healthcare coverage that doesn’t actually exist.

Other fraudsters are simply calling people and telling them they need to pay fees to have their Affordable Care Act healthcare benefits take effect. They may ask the victim to wire them money via Western Union or a prepaid card.

Some scammers will even tell their victims may go to jail if they don’t pay the fees. This is obviously completely bogus, and it’s a sad example of how scammers advantage of the widespread confusion and misinformation surrounding Obamacare.


Fake Navigators Scam

As part of the Affordable Healthcare Act, the government is sponsoring the training and certification of so-called “navigators” who will help consumers get their new healthcare set up. However, this program hasn’t started yet.

Some scammers are calling consumers, pretending to be navigators, and asking for service fees up front. Remember, the real navigators program hasn’t started yet operating yet — and when it does, it will be free to the public.


Know How to Protect Yourself

One reason these scammers are getting away with their dirty healthcare tricks is because many people don’t know much about the Affordable Care Act or what it really means.

By going online and educating yourself about the Affordable Care Act, you can spot the scams and protect yourself and your family. Check out HHS.gov/healthcare to learn about the Affordable Care Act, how it will affect your current health insurance or what it will mean if you don’t currently have insurance.

Meanwhile, click here watch our Scambook TV video for more information about Obamacare Health Scams.

Do you have any tips for dodging Obamacare scams? What do you think about the Affordable Healthcare Act? Let us know in the comments.
- See more at: Everything You Need to Know About Obamacare Scams (http://www.scambook.com/blog/2013/07/everything-you-need-to-know-about-obamacare-scams/#sthash.3s2wEUyh.dpuf)

ribshaw
07-16-2013, 09:07 PM
Someone PM'd me this on FB.

SCAMMER general_david15@live.com


Subject: I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2013 00:54:58 -0700

Hello My Dearest.

Thanks for your reply, my dear I told you about my plane for an investment in your country and that i want the fund to be secured. Presently i am here in the military camp Mali for peacekeeping mission due to the crisis in Mali. Secondly i want to relocate with you to start up a good business venture that will be profit oriented.

My lovely darling i need more prove and trust, don't be angry, because i want to handle my future to you. I appreciate your concern and your willingness so far for assisting me, the most important thing i need from you right now is your honesty and trustworthiness, I choose you in this transaction, based on my present status here as an air Force General who lead the troop. I want you to understand more about my situation here in the military camp, I can only email you from the office, as we are not allow to use mobile phone here, we make use of radio message and it is only USA soldiers and people from the USA white house, that can communicate with us through radio message.

Now my dear due to my political situation as an army General staying in the war zone for peacekeeping mission, i need a foreigner who will stand on my behalf and receive the Trunk Box and also help me invest it in her country, that is why i decided to make this contact with you, for you to stand on my behalf and receive the Treasure Box. Everything concerning the delivery of the consignment is clear. Moreover i went into serious discussion with the United Nation Diplomat here who will deliver the consignment to you, the legal United Nation Diplomat told me that in a situations like mine, that the best solution is by soliciting for assistance of a reliable foreigner who can help me receive the consignment box in his place.

I then decided to contact you, hoping that with your advanced knowledge we can be able to work together so that if all things works out for us, we can go into life partnership if you wish because that is one of the reason i registered the site. Though it took me time to make up my mind to contact you and offered you this proposal of mine. It is due to the trust i have in you that made me to disclosed this matter with you, believing that i am save in your hand, no body knows what i have, PLEASE i am asking you for my safety and security KEEP IT VERY PRIVATE OKAY, i know that God will see us through.

Finally, I am suggesting that if we can go into life partnership as time goes on which means that the proceedings from the investment in your country shall be shared equally between the both of us because i do not know much about international business and i am putting my entire Fund to your care because i want you to be in total control of my fund as soon as the fund arrives in your country. Again, do attach as you reply to me your full name and full contact information's to enable me give it to the United Nation diplomat who will be delivery the consignment to you. Please i will like you to send me your full data such as.

1: Your Full Name
2: Home Address
3: Direct Phone Number
4: Your Profession
5: Scan copy of your international passport or Identity Card.

On reply of your mail with your above mentioned details, I will contact the diplomat who will bring the consignment to you and give him your details, so that he will start the journey to deliver the fund in your place, hand to hand (Face to Face). Looking forward to read from you. Take good care of your self and remain bless.

Forever Yours.
Gen. David Rodriguez.

And here is some fun stuff, cause why not.

5174

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 11:58 AM
Brass claimed to have a "can't lose investment formula" and O'Keefe trusted her-no questions asked. "On paper we certainly made money. We received continual statements. She would come to our house, sit down at our dining room table and go over our statements with us."

About a year and half later, everything changed. "There were checks that had bounced… We accepted what seemed like plausible reasons for that," said O'Keefe. "In retrospect should have been enormous flags to us."

Con Artists Targeting Victims in Unlikely Places (http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Con-Artists-Targeting-Victims-in-Unlikely-Places-212353451.html#.UeVHGawlxEk.facebook)

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:01 PM
The latest 419 scam targets paranoia about crime. A victim receives an SMS, ostensibly from a "hit man" who has been hired by the recipient's enemies.

The hit man claims to know where the person lives, works and shops. He vows to kill the recipient of the message unless he or she buys him off.

On Friday, a frantic 79-year-old Durban woman made her way to the bank to deposit R15000 into the account of a hit man hired by "someone close" to her.

Her son stopped her but could not convince her that she was safe.

"The man has my phone number and knows where I live. He will kill me. I rather just pay him so I can sleep at night," she said.

Her son said though his mother could not think of anyone who wanted to kill her she refused to believe it was a scam.

"I really feel for my mother. There are so many people out there that don't recognise these scams. These con artists know that people in South Africa are always afraid, even in their own homes, so they are now using that against us."

A senior lecturer in criminology and forensics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Nirmala Gopal, said South Africans are paranoid about crime and the possibility of being murdered. Gopal added that people are more susceptible to 419 scams that are new.

"Another argument is that many of them may be ignorant of this modus operandi."

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker confirmed cases in which 419 con artists posed as hit men to extort money from victims.

"In many of those cases, sting operations were set up and the perpetrators were arrested," he said.

Naicker said there were no separate statistics on 419 scams as they fell under police records of extortion, intimidation or fraud.

According to the South African Police Service website, the many 419 scams that flood e-mail boxes are generally ignored by most internet users.

"But the fact is that many people fall victim to these scams and lose thousands of rands.

"The Nigerian 419 scam is currently the world's largest scam in terms of monetary losses; 419 fraudsters are arrested continually throughout South Africa as well as around the world."

One of the most predominant 419 scams claims that the e-mailrecipient has been left an inheritance or won the lottery - but the funds can only be released upon receipt of a "small" amount of cash and banking details.

The 419 "pay up or die" hit man scam first emerged in the US, Australia and Canada in 2008.

Computer forensic expert Danny Myburgh said the scammers may have set their sights on South Africa because they had exhausted their opportunities elsewhere in the world.

"The hit man scam is becoming very common. We get queries every day and it is very difficult to convince people that there is no hit man after them," he said.

Myburgh said the con artists behind such scams are able to buy cellphone numbers legitimately.

"Databases are sold to marketing companies so they can get numbers that way. Or they could pick random numbers."

'Pay up or die' scam hits SA - Times LIVE (http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/07/16/pay-up-or-die-scam-hits-sa)

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:04 PM
Darien grandfather scammed out of $4,500 Darien grandfather scammed out of $4,500 | Darien Times (http://www.darientimes.com/21825/darien-grandfather-scammed-out-of-4500/)

By David DesRoches on July 15, 2013 in Lead News, Police & Fire · 0 Comments

A person posing as a Danbury police officer extorted $4,500 from an 81-year-old Darien man after the victim was told that the police had his grandchild in custody and needed money for his grandchild’s release.

Police said the conman called the grandfather at 11:22 a.m. on Thursday, July 11, and told him his grandson had been arrested, and provided the name of one of the man’s grandchildren. The conman then asked the grandfather to wire him $2,250 from Walmart via a money gram, to which the grandfather complied.

About three hours later, the conman, still claiming to be a police officer, called back, saying he needed an additional $2,250 for release of the man’s grandchild. The grandfather again complied, police said.

Police traced the call and it came back to cell phone registered in Canada. Determining the location the money was received was difficult, police said, although it appears it was picked up somewhere in Georgia.

In April last year, police responded to two similar cases in two weeks. In one instance, a victim sent $12,500 to Lima, Peru, through Western Union. The caller claimed to be Officer David Rogers of the Buffalo, N.Y., police department, advising the victim that his grandson Joey needed bail money.

In another instance, a woman was scammed out of $2,500, also by someone reportedly in Peru. In last year’s incidents, the grifters pretended to be the people’s grandchildren.

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:09 PM
Color me skeptical, but believing people are genius investors based on internet rhetoric never ends well.

Is This the Worst Ponzi Scheme Ever? Is This the Worst Ponzi Scheme Ever? -- Daily Intelligencer (http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/07/this-the-worst-ponzi-scheme-ever.html)

By Kevin Roose

It's possible that this story by the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation's Roddy Boyd, about an Akron, Ohio–based hedge-fund manager named Anthony Davian, describes the worst Ponzi scheme in history.

I don't mean "worst" in the sense of involving the most money, or hurting the most investors. Those superlatives still belong to Bernie Madoff. And since no charges have (yet) been filed against Davian Capital Advisors, there's no ironclad proof that his hedge fund is actually a Ponzi scheme, or even fraudulent. Still, Boyd assembles a pretty compelling case that Davian is up there with the all-time greats when it comes to the sheer obviousness of his scheme, and the transparency of his cover-up.

Data points counting against Davian include:

– He uses "used social media — Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other services — to share ideas and market his two funds," and publishes a newsletter for day traders.

– On one of said social media accounts, he had a habit of posting "Ching!" every time he made money on a trade.

– He made YouTube videos under the heading "Financial Rockstar." They look like this.

– His firm's chief financial officer wasn't permitted to see the fund's bank accounts.

– Davian claimed at one point that his fund had a Sharpe ratio (a measurement of variability of reward) of 6. When it was pointed out to him that given the size of his fund and the returns he claimed to have, that Sharpe ratio was mathematically impossible, he removed it from his marketing materials.

– Davian insisted he had four employees, but wouldn't make any of them available for interviews.

– Davian has, at times, claimed his fund had $200 million under management, $5 million under management, and between $150 million and $200 million in "assets owned or managed by" his newsletter clients.

– After missing two scheduled interviews, Davian told Boyd that he had been the victim of a "near=death experience" that had landed him on life support until July 10. When Boyd asked how, then, Davian had been able to send him an e-mail from his iPad on July 9, Davian had no answer.

– Davian does appear to have spent some time in a hospital. Shortly after investigators latched onto his fund and seized hard drives from his office, Boyd reports that his wife "found him passed out in their car suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning."

Certain of my colleagues might classify Davian's Akron-based investing capers as par for the course in Ohio. As both a native Ohioan and a guy who gets a lot of SEC press releases, I can assure you that financial frauds happen everywhere.

Usually, though, they're not quite this dumb.

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:13 PM
Mortage Fraud Scam West Jordan Attorney Charged With Massive Mortgage Fraud | KUTV.com (http://www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_5705.shtml)

Investigators say for nearly six years Jeremy Eveland allegedly convinced people who were late on their mortgages to unwittingly sign their homes over to him, his family members or employees, and then the families were kicked out of their homes.

Tax Fraud Scam -the below link is to the FTC which provides reference on several variations of Debt/Tax scams.

Tax Relief Companies | Consumer Information (http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0137-tax-relief-companies#.UeaXL2vXBLk.facebook)

Tax relief companies use the radio, television and the internet to advertise help for taxpayers in distress. If you pay them an upfront fee, which can be thousands of dollars, these companies claim they can reduce or even eliminate your tax debts and stop back-tax collection by applying for legitimate IRS hardship programs. The truth is that most taxpayers don't qualify for the programs these fraudsters hawk, their companies don't settle the tax debt, and in many cases don't even send the necessary paperwork to the IRS requesting participation in the programs that were mentioned. Adding insult to injury, some of these companies don't provide refunds, and leave people even further in debt.

Some taxpayers who filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that, after signing up with some of these companies and paying thousands of dollars in upfront fees, the companies took even more of their money by making unauthorized charges to their credit cards or withdrawals from their bank accounts.

If you owe back taxes and don't know how you're going to pay the debt, the FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, says don't panic, take a deep breath, and consider your options. If you are having trouble paying bills, it's often better to try to work out a payment plan with the creditor yourself than to pay someone else to negotiate a plan for you. The same is true when you owe money to the IRS or your state comptroller.
IRS Help for Taxpayers

If you owe taxes, but can’t pay the IRS in full, consider submitting an Installment Agreement Request (Form 9465) with your return. In certain situations, the IRS can’t deny a request for an installment agreement if you owe less than $10,000. That said, you should still pay as much as you can with the return. You will be charged interest and possibly a late payment penalty on any tax not paid by its due date, even if your request for an installment agreement is approved. You can avoid IRS collection notices and actions, like a Notice of Federal Tax Lien or an IRS levy, by establishing an installment agreement upfront and making your installment payments.

If you owe back taxes, there are several IRS tax relief programs to help, including the agency’s Fresh Start initiative:

An Installment Agreement is generally available to people who can't pay their tax debt in full at one time. The program allows people to make smaller monthly payments until the entire debt is satisfied.
Under its Fresh Start initiative, the IRS raised the threshold for streamlined installment agreements from $25,000 to $50,000 in tax debt, and the maximum repayment term from five to six years. Taxpayers who owe less than $50,000 may apply online with the IRS and don’t have to complete an IRS Collection Information Statement (Form 433-A, 433-B or Form 433-F).
An Offer in Compromise (OIC) lets taxpayers permanently settle their tax debt for less than the amount they owe. The OIC is an important tool to help people in limited circumstances; taxpayers are eligible only after other payment options have been exhausted.
Under its Fresh Start initiative, the IRS expanded the OIC program to cover a larger group of struggling taxpayers. However, the IRS will not accept an offer if it believes the liability can be paid in full as a lump sum or through an installment agreement. The IRS offers guidance on choosing a tax professional for an OIC on its website.

In very limited circumstances, the IRS may offer penalty abatement to people who haven't paid their taxes because of a special hardship. If the taxpayer meets very narrow criteria, the IRS may agree to forgive the penalties. Interest abatement is even more limited and rarely provided. While these programs may eliminate penalties or interest, you still owe the taxes. If a tax relief company promises it can eliminate interest and/or penalties for you, be wary: there is limited relief available, no matter who represents you before IRS Collections. Their services should include a face-to-face meeting with you where they explain your options and their fee structure.

According to the IRS, you can apply for an Installment Agreement, OIC, or penalty or interest abatement without the help of a third party. If you prefer third-party assistance in negotiating with the IRS, only certain tax professionals — Enrolled Agents (federally-authorized tax practitioners who can represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS), Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), and attorneys — have the authority to represent you . Their services should involve a face to face meeting where they explain your options and their fee structure.

If you are asked to make an upfront payment for representation in a tax collection matter, carefully review the refund policy before signing any agreement. Also check to see if a default billing rate — a flat rate applied to the work of all employees at a firm, not only the tax professionals — will apply if you cancel the company’s services. A high default billing rate may quickly use up a large portion of your upfront payment, even early in the representation.

Contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS, for free help if you are having tax problems that you haven’t been able to resolve yourself, if your problems are causing financial difficulties for you or your business, or you face an immediate threat of adverse collection action by the IRS. Call 1-877-777-4778 or visit irs.gov/advocate.
State Tax Relief Programs

The process for tax settlements with the states is very similar to the process with the IRS, although it varies from state to state. In some states, for instance, a taxpayer's penalties can be waived, but interest can't. In other states, interest can be waived, but penalties can't. And in some states, legitimate tax debt can't be reduced at all. For more information, contact your state comptroller. For a state-by-state listing, visit the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT) at nasact.org.
Problems with Tax Relief Companies and Representatives

The IRS Office of Professional Responsibility targets questionable practices in the tax debt resolution industry. Report problems to the IRS on Form 14157, Complaint: Tax Return Preparer. The IRS Return Preparer Office will process the complaint and, if appropriate, submit it to the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility for investigation.

Behavior warranting a complaint to the IRS includes companies or individuals that:

promise that you will get relief from tax liabilities;
misrepresent how long it will take to process a debt relief request application; or
omit relevant asset information on financial statements submitted to the IRS.

You also may file a complaint with the FTC online or by phone: call 1-877-FTC-HELP. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Taxpayer Tips

If you owe back taxes and are having trouble meeting your tax obligation:

read your notices from the IRS or your state comptroller. Ask those agencies about collection alternatives.
save yourself some aggravation by ignoring promises from businesses that say you "qualify" for a tax relief program to resolve your tax debt. Only the IRS or your state comptroller can make that determination. Read the IRS Offer in Compromise Booklet, Form 656-B, and use this IRS online tool to see if you may be eligible for an offer in compromise.
think twice if the entire fee for services is requested upfront with no explanation of how services will be billed or whether a refund of unearned fees will be made.

For More Information

The IRS has additional information on the collection process and payment options at irs.gov.

Publication 594, The IRS Collection Process, has information on options available to taxpayers, and the IRS YouTube channel has a video with helpful information, as well.

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:15 PM
Security Expert Warns of Criminals Using Facebook to Plan Home Burglaries
Security Expert Warns of Criminals Using Facebook to Plan Home Burglaries | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/Security-Expert-Warns-of-Criminals-Using-Facebook-to-Plan-Home-Burglaries.html)
July 16, 2013

in Internet Safety & Privacy

alertWhile the first impulse for many vacationers is to share every detail about their trip on social media sites like Facebook, security expert David Walsh warns that tech-savvy criminals could see your posts and use it as a reason to break into your home. Walsh, chief executive of security monitoring service Net Watch, said vacationers need to be particularly careful in the summer months, when home break-in numbers rise due to vacations and holidays.

“You may think that checking in at the airport is a nice way to let your friends and family know that you’re going on holiday, but in reality you are also letting people know that your home is empty and an easy target,” he said. “If you want to share your holiday plans, don’t do it in real time, wait until you are safely home.”

According to police, some burglars search Facebook using keywords that help to reveal whether someone is traveling or not, or even look at who has checked in at airports using Foursquare. In this time of online oversharing, it’s only natural that criminals would catch on and take advantage. In fact, according to an infographic put together by door company Distinctive Doors, around 75 percent of convicted burglars believe other robbers are using social media to find and scope out their targets. While it’s nice to tell everyone back home about your tropical trip, it might be best to wait until you’re actually home to post those photo albums

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:17 PM
The 9 Bad Email Habits That Expose You to Scams and Identity Theft

Sean O'Connor
July 11, 2013


What do your email habits say about you? We often take it for granted that our emails stay private and secure, but the truth is that bad email habits can expose you to a variety of threats. Careless emailing can result in phishing scams, computer viruses or even identity theft and financial fraud.

Is your email placing you at risk? Yahoo! Finance compiled a list of the worst consumer email activities you should never do. Check out our list of the 9 bad email habits that expose you to scams and identity theft, and out if you’re doing any of them!


1. Checking Your Email on a Unsafe WiFi Network
Cafe

The local café isn’t the safest place to check your email

Any public cafes, libraries, or airports with public WiFi networks are vulnerable to hackers, even if it’s password protected. You never know how many cyber scammers might be connecting to the same network.

Only check your email on safe, secure networks you can trust.

If you really need to check your email and you can’t wait until you get back to your home or the office, make sure you’ve got up-to-date antivirus software and a firewall installed on your computer.


2. Staying Signed into Your Email Account

It’s a drag to log in every time you need to check your email, especially if you often use email on an iPhone or other mobile device, but staying automatically signed in leaves your personal information vulnerable to hackers. Sign out whenever possible to better protect yourself.


3. Repeat Your Email Login and Password on Other Sites

Fact: Sites from Facebook to LivingSocial have been hacked before, exposing user data to identity theft and other privacy problems. That’s why it’s very important that you don’t repeat your email username and email password on other sites. If you do, a hacker could use the information stolen from these sites to compromise your email account.

Always stay away from repeating the same username and password across your accounts. Want to know how to create a super-secure, but easy to remember password? Check out our Scambook TV video for a quick tip!


4. Keeping Old Emails Instead of Trashing Them

With providers like Gmail offering up gigabits of free space, most of us don’t delete old emails. But it’s a smart idea to change this habit. According to Yahoo! Finance, here’s why:

“Those messages may contain addresses, account usernames and passwords, contact information for all your friends, financial data and a host of other sensitive information.”

Send them to the trash or delete folder, then empty it on a regular basis.


5. Falling for Spam Credit Card Offers or Guaranteed Loans

To start, no trustworthy creditor will offer you a credit deal without checking your credit scores first, and you should always be suspicious about unsolicited emails.

Those low interest rate credit card offer emails and “guaranteed loans” are just scammers trying to steal your information. Send these emails to the trash or mark them as spam.
Man and Binary Code

Our email addresses are important. Keep it safe and protect yourself from dealing with the headache of a hacked email.


6. Replying When Old Friends Suddenly Email You for Help

That email from a long lost friend who’s stuck in China and desperate for cash? Trash it. This is a common email scam. Hackers take control of someone’s email account, then use it to email everyone on the victim’s contact list with a fake story about needing money abroad.

If you think your friend might really be stuck in a bad financial situation overseas, ask them a question only they could know the answer to, reach out to them via Facebook or a different email, or contact a mutual friend to verify the story.

If they want you to wire money via Western Union — especially if they want you to wire the money to a different name — it’s definitely a scam.


7. Verifying Private Personal Info Through Email

An email from a bank, a service like FedEx, or the IRS asking for your personal information is most likely a phishing scam. These institutions don’t ask for personal information via unsolicited email. Delete the email and alert the company’s fraud department about the suspicious email.


8. Getting Tricked into Believing Your Credit Card Was Stolen

If you receive an email that says “Thank you for your recent order!”, but you never ordered anything, DO NOT try to cancel the order within the email. This is a common identity theft scheme.

If you’re really worried that you may be a victim of fraud, remember to check your credit report for free at www.AnnualCreditReport.com.


9. Falling For Amazing Travel Deal Emails

Travel is expensive for a reason and no company can book you a weekend in Waikiki for less than a hundred bucks. Is the deal too good to be true? Send it to the trash. The deal is a scam and the email may steal your personal information or download a virus onto your computer. If you’re really curious, search for the deal or the company on sites like Scambook to find out if it’s legitimate.


What Do You Think?

Do you have any email horror stories? Have long lost friends contacted you by email about their penniless situation in China? What are your tips to increase your email security? Let us know in the comments.
- See more at: The 9 Bad Email Habits That Expose You to Scams and Identity Theft (http://www.scambook.com/blog/2013/07/the-9-bad-email-habits-that-expose-you-to-scams-and-identity-theft/?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email#sthash.JiXo1sVt.K4KPLvTi.dpuf)

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:18 PM
Beware of fraudsters operating a loan fee scam Beware of fraudsters operating a loan fee scam | Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/beware-of-fraudsters-operating-a-loan-fee-scam-jul13)

Online cash provider Ukash is urging people to be on the lookout for fraudsters claiming to be from The Start-ups Loan Company and other loan providers [17 July 2013]

Beware of fraudsters operating a loan fee scamThe official Start-Up Loans Company is a government backed organisation and is not associated with providing loans to individuals, but is one of the names fraudsters are using to operate this scam.

The scammers have access to personal information provided to loan broker websites and claim to have approved a loan, but need a fee to be paid in advance before it can be processed.

The fraudsters then ask for the fee to be paid by UKash vouchers. Ukash codes are purchased with cash in retail outlets such as shops, petrol stations and kiosks, and issued online from their website. You must not hand over your Ukash codes to these scammers, as you will lose your money.

Miranda McLean, Marketing Director of Ukash said “People should only spend their Ukash with official merchants listed on website. No genuine loan company will ask for a fee to be paid in advance. Our advice is always that Ukash should never be used for payments to suspicious or unknown individuals. The simple message is to treat Ukash with the same security as you would physical cash.”

Top tips on using Ukash safely

Keep your Ukash codes secure, just like you do with cash.
Only use Ukash at genuine partner websites, if you are not sure check their list.
Never reveal the voucher code or any part of it to anyone else including over the phone, via email or letter, no matter how convincing they appear to be.
Never give Ukash to individuals asking for payment up front.
Only purchase Ukash from official Ukash issuing partners or the Ukash website, never from ‘exchange’ sites.

For further information please visit the Ukash website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

ribshaw
07-17-2013, 12:29 PM
Last for now, you did not win the lottery. If someone tells you that you have to pay to collect your prize, you are about to be scammed.

5201

5202

ribshaw
07-18-2013, 05:23 PM
SCAMMER hyiprecover@gmail.com

This is another fine example of Facebook letting people operate criminal enterprises in the open. I thank fellow scambuster Harrison for showing me this. This is a classic reload scam. When a Ponzi Scheme blows up, this piece of work (or one just like him) will swoop in and tell you that he can get your money back. I found him on Oil of Asia, Profitable Sunrise, and Banners Broker boards. No money to be had in any of those programs. NONE!!!

These people will be ask for a fee, account information, and other personal details. Maybe they send you a check and ask you to send back their commission Western Union, the check will bounce. Maybe they hack your account and steal from you. Or most likely they will come up with some ruse where you send them money. They may claim to be law enforcement, attorneys, private detectives, all BS. You will lose twice it is just one more scam.

https://www.facebook.com/hyip.recover?fref=ts
5219

ribshaw
07-18-2013, 07:33 PM
FBI &mdash; Common Fraud Schemes (http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud)

Top warnings from FBI on scams.

These guys

5226

Not these guys, who have repeatedly lost ribshaw's application.

5229

Home • Scams & Safety • Common Fraud Schemes

The following are some of the most common scams that the FBI investigates and tips to help prevent you from being victimized. Visit our White-Collar Crime and Cyber webpages for more fraud schemes.

To report cases of fraud, use our online tips form or contact your nearest FBI office or overseas office.

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.

Here are some warning signs of telemarketing fraud—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.”

If you hear these or similar “lines” from a telephone salesperson, just say “no thank you” and hang up the telephone.

Tips for Avoiding Telemarketing Fraud:

It’s very difficult to get your money back if you’ve been cheated over the telephone. 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?”
Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.
Be wary of companies that want to 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.
Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor. It’s never rude to wait and think about an offer.
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.
Be aware that your personal information is often brokered to telemarketers through third parties.
If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.
If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.

For More information:
- Telemarketing Fraud Targeting Seniors

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Nigerian Letter or “419” Fraud

Nigerian letter frauds combine the threat of impersonation fraud with a variation of an advance fee scheme in which a letter mailed from Nigeria offers the recipient the “opportunity” to share in a percentage of millions of dollars that the author—a self-proclaimed government official—is trying to transfer illegally out of Nigeria. The recipient is encouraged to send information to the author, such as blank letterhead stationery, bank name and account numbers, and other identifying information using a fax number provided in the letter. Some of these letters have also been received via e-mail through the Internet. The scheme relies on convincing a willing victim, who has demonstrated a “propensity for larceny” by responding to the invitation, to send money to the author of the letter in Nigeria in several installments of increasing amounts for a variety of reasons.

Payment of taxes, bribes to government officials, and legal fees are often described in great detail with the promise that all expenses will be reimbursed as soon as the funds are spirited out of Nigeria. In actuality, the millions of dollars do not exist, and the victim eventually ends up with nothing but loss. Once the victim stops sending money, the perpetrators have been known to use the personal information and checks that they received to impersonate the victim, draining bank accounts and credit card balances. While such an invitation impresses most law-abiding citizens as a laughable hoax, millions of dollars in losses are caused by these schemes annually. Some victims have been lured to Nigeria, where they have been imprisoned against their will along with losing large sums of money. The Nigerian government is not sympathetic to victims of these schemes, since the victim actually conspires to remove funds from Nigeria in a manner that is contrary to Nigerian law. The schemes themselves violate section 419 of the Nigerian criminal code, hence the label “419 fraud.”

Tips for Avoiding Nigerian Letter or “419” Fraud:

If you receive a letter from Nigeria asking you to send personal or banking information, do not reply in any manner. Send the letter to the U.S. Secret Service, your local FBI office, or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. You can also register a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission’s Complaint Assistant.
If you know someone who is corresponding in one of these schemes, encourage that person to contact the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service as soon as possible.
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
Guard your account information carefully.

For More information:
- Related Online Rental Ads Scheme
- Related Spanish Lottery Scam

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Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone assumes your identity to perform a fraud or other criminal act. Criminals can get the information they need to assume your identity from a variety of sources, including by stealing your wallet, rifling through your trash, or by compromising your credit or bank information. They may approach you in person, by telephone, or on the Internet and ask you for the information.

The sources of information about you are so numerous that you cannot prevent the theft of your identity. But you can minimize your risk of loss by following a few simple hints.

Tips for Avoiding Identity Theft:

Never throw away ATM receipts, credit statements, credit cards, or bank statements in a usable form.
Never give your credit card number over the telephone unless you make the call.
Reconcile your bank account monthly, and notify your bank of discrepancies immediately.
Keep a list of telephone numbers to call to report the loss or theft of your wallet, credit cards, etc.
Report unauthorized financial transactions to your bank, credit card company, and the police as soon as you detect them.
Review a copy of your credit report at least once each year. Notify the credit bureau in writing of any questionable entries and follow through until they are explained or removed.
If your identity has been assumed, ask the credit bureau to print a statement to that effect in your credit report.
If you know of anyone who receives mail from credit card companies or banks in the names of others, report it to local or federal law enforcement authorities.

For more information:
- Identity Theft webpage

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Advance Fee Schemes

An advance fee scheme occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value—such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift—and then receives little or nothing in return.

The variety of advance fee schemes is limited only by the imagination of the con artists who offer them. They may involve the sale of products or services, the offering of investments, lottery winnings, “found money,” or many other “opportunities.” Clever con artists will offer to find financing arrangements for their clients who pay a “finder’s fee” in advance. They require their clients to sign contracts in which they agree to pay the fee when they are introduced to the financing source. Victims often learn that they are ineligible for financing only after they have paid the “finder” according to the contract. Such agreements may be legal unless it can be shown that the “finder” never had the intention or the ability to provide financing for the victims.

Tips for Avoiding Advanced Fee Schemes:

If the offer of an “opportunity” appears too good to be true, it probably is. Follow common business practice. For example, legitimate business is rarely conducted in cash on a street corner.

Know who you are dealing with. If you have not heard of a person or company that you intend to do business with, learn more about them. Depending on the amount of money that you plan on spending, you may want to visit the business location, check with the Better Business Bureau, or consult with your bank, an attorney, or the police.
Make sure you fully understand any business agreement that you enter into. If the terms are complex, have them reviewed by a competent attorney.
Be wary of businesses that operate out of post office boxes or mail drops and do not have a street address. Also be suspicious when dealing with persons who do not have a direct telephone line and who are never in when you call, but always return your call later.
Be wary of business deals that require you to sign nondisclosure or non-circumvention agreements that are designed to prevent you from independently verifying the bona fides of the people with whom you intend to do business. Con artists often use non-circumvention agreements to threaten their victims with civil suit if they report their losses to law enforcement.

For more information:
- Work-at-Home Advance Fee Scheme
- Cancer Research Advance Fee Scheme

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Health Care Fraud or Health Insurance Fraud

Medical Equipment Fraud:

Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered.

“Rolling Lab” Schemes:

Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals at health clubs, retirement homes, or shopping malls and billed to insurance companies or Medicare.

Services Not Performed:

Customers or providers bill insurers for services never rendered by changing bills or submitting fake ones.

Medicare Fraud:

Medicare fraud can take the form of any of the health insurance frauds described above. Senior citizens are frequent targets of Medicare schemes, especially by medical equipment manufacturers who offer seniors free medical products in exchange for their Medicare numbers. Because a physician has to sign a form certifying that equipment or testing is needed before Medicare pays for it, con artists fake signatures or bribe corrupt doctors to sign the forms. Once a signature is in place, the manufacturers bill Medicare for merchandise or service that was not needed or was not ordered.

Tips for Avoiding Health Care Fraud or Health Insurance Fraud:

Never sign blank insurance claim forms.
Never give blanket authorization to a medical provider to bill for services rendered.
Ask your medical providers what they will charge and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket.
Carefully review your insurer’s explanation of the benefits statement. Call your insurer and provider if you have questions.
Do not do business with door-to-door or telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.
Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided you with medical services.
Keep accurate records of all health care appointments.
Know if your physician ordered equipment for you.

For more information:
- Heath Care Fraud webpage

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Redemption / Strawman / Bond Fraud

Proponents of this scheme claim that the U.S. government or the Treasury Department control bank accounts—often referred to as “U.S. Treasury Direct Accounts”—for all U.S. citizens that can be accessed by submitting paperwork with state and federal authorities. Individuals promoting this scam frequently cite various discredited legal theories and may refer to the scheme as “Redemption,” “Strawman,” or “Acceptance for Value.” Trainers and websites will often charge large fees for “kits” that teach individuals how to perpetrate this scheme. They will often imply that others have had great success in discharging debt and purchasing merchandise such as cars and homes. Failures to implement the scheme successfully are attributed to individuals not following instructions in a specific order or not filing paperwork at correct times.

This scheme predominately uses fraudulent financial documents that appear to be legitimate. These documents are frequently referred to as “bills of exchange,” “promissory bonds,” “indemnity bonds,” “offset bonds,” “sight drafts,” or “comptrollers warrants.” In addition, other official documents are used outside of their intended purpose, like IRS forms 1099, 1099-OID, and 8300. This scheme frequently intermingles legal and pseudo legal terminology in order to appear lawful. Notaries may be used in an attempt to make the fraud appear legitimate. Often, victims of the scheme are instructed to address their paperwork to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

Tips for Avoiding Redemption/Strawman/Bond Fraud:

Be wary of individuals or groups selling kits that they claim will inform you on to access secret bank accounts.
Be wary of individuals or groups proclaiming that paying federal and/or state income tax is not necessary.
Do not believe that the U.S. Treasury controls bank accounts for all citizens.
Be skeptical of individuals advocating that speeding tickets, summons, bills, tax notifications, or similar documents can be resolved by writing “acceptance for value” on them.
If you know of anyone advocating the use of property liens to coerce acceptance of this scheme, contact your local FBI office.

For more information:
- Sovereign Citizen Movement
- Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: Fact Sheet on Sovereign Citizen Movement

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Investment-Related Scams

Letter of Credit Fraud

Legitimate letters of credit are never sold or offered as investments. They are issued by banks to ensure payment for goods shipped in connection with international trade. Payment on a letter of credit generally requires that the paying bank receive documentation certifying that the goods ordered have been shipped and are en route to their intended destination. Letters of credit frauds are often attempted against banks by providing false documentation to show that goods were shipped when, in fact, no goods or inferior goods were shipped.

Other letter of credit frauds occur when con artists offer a “letter of credit” or “bank guarantee” as an investment wherein the investor is promised huge interest rates on the order of 100 to 300 percent annually. Such investment “opportunities” simply do not exist. (See Prime Bank Notes for additional information.)

Tips for Avoiding Letter of Credit Fraud:

If an “opportunity” appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Do not invest in anything unless you understand the deal. Con artists rely on complex transactions and faulty logic to “explain” fraudulent investment schemes.
Do not invest or attempt to “purchase” a “letter of credit.” Such investments simply do not exist.
Be wary of any investment that offers the promise of extremely high yields.
Independently verify the terms of any investment that you intend to make, including the parties involved and the nature of the investment.

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Prime Bank Note Fraud

International fraud artists have invented an investment scheme that supposedly offers extremely high yields in a relatively short period of time. In this scheme, they claim to have access to “bank guarantees” that they can buy at a discount and sell at a premium. By reselling the “bank guarantees” several times, they claim to be able to produce exceptional returns on investment. For example, if $10 million worth of “bank guarantees” can be sold at a two percent profit on 10 separate occasions—or “traunches”—the seller would receive a 20 percent profit. Such a scheme is often referred to as a “roll program.”

To make their schemes more enticing, con artists often refer to the “guarantees” as being issued by the world’s “prime banks,” hence the term “prime bank guarantees.” Other official sounding terms are also used, such as “prime bank notes” and “prime bank debentures.” Legal documents associated with such schemes often require the victim to enter into non-disclosure and non-circumvention agreements, offer returns on investment in “a year and a day”, and claim to use forms required by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In fact, the ICC has issued a warning to all potential investors that no such investments exist.

The purpose of these frauds is generally to encourage the victim to send money to a foreign bank, where it is eventually transferred to an off-shore account in the control of the con artist. From there, the victim’s money is used for the perpetrator’s personal expenses or is laundered in an effort to make it disappear.

While foreign banks use instruments called “bank guarantees” in the same manner that U.S. banks use letters of credit to insure payment for goods in international trade, such bank guarantees are never traded or sold on any kind of market.

Tips for Avoiding Prime Bank Note Fraud:

Think before you invest in anything. Be wary of an investment in any scheme, referred to as a “roll program,” that offers unusually high yields by buying and selling anything issued by “prime banks.”
As with any investment, perform due diligence. Independently verify the identity of the people involved, the veracity of the deal, and the existence of the security in which you plan to invest.
Be wary of business deals that require non-disclosure or non-circumvention agreements that are designed to prevent you from independently verifying information about the investment.

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“Ponzi’ Schemes

“Ponzi” schemes promise high financial returns or dividends not available through traditional investments. Instead of investing the funds of victims, however, the con artist pays “dividends” to initial investors using the funds of subsequent investors. The scheme generally falls apart when the operator flees with all of the proceeds or when a sufficient number of new investors cannot be found to allow the continued payment of “dividends.”

This type of fraud is named after its creator—Charles Ponzi of Boston, Massachusetts. In the early 1900s, Ponzi launched a scheme that guaranteed investors a 50 percent return on their investment in postal coupons. Although he was able to pay his initial backers, the scheme dissolved when he was unable to pay later investors.

Tips for Avoiding Ponzi Schemes:

Be careful of any investment opportunity that makes exaggerated earnings claims.
Exercise due diligence in selecting investments and the people with whom you invest—in other words, do your homework.
Consult an unbiased third party—like an unconnected broker or licensed financial advisor—before investing.

For more information:
- Bernie Madoff Case
- Stanford Case
- Wholesale Grocery Distribution Ponzi Scheme
- ATM Ponzi Scheme
- Victims Turn Tables with Ponzi Scheme

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Pyramid Schemes

As in Ponzi schemes, the money collected from newer victims of the fraud is paid to earlier victims to provide a veneer of legitimacy. In pyramid schemes, however, the victims themselves are induced to recruit further victims through the payment of recruitment commissions.

More specifically, pyramid schemes—also referred to as franchise fraud or chain referral schemes—are marketing and investment frauds in which an individual is offered a distributorship or franchise to market a particular product. The real profit is earned, not by the sale of the product, but by the sale of new distributorships. Emphasis on selling franchises rather than the product eventually leads to a point where the supply of potential investors is exhausted and the pyramid collapses. At the heart of each pyramid scheme is typically a representation that new participants can recoup their original investments by inducing two or more prospects to make the same investment. Promoters fail to tell prospective participants that this is mathematically impossible for everyone to do, since some participants drop out, while others recoup their original investments and then drop out.

Tips for Avoiding Pyramid Schemes:

Be wary of “opportunities” to invest your money in franchises or investments that require you to bring in subsequent investors to increase your profit or recoup your initial investment.
Independently verify the legitimacy of any franchise or investment before you invest.

Market Manipulation or “Pump and Dump” Fraud

This scheme—commonly referred to as a “pump and dump”—creates artificial buying pressure for a targeted security, generally a low-trading volume issuer in the over-the-counter securities market largely controlled by the fraud perpetrators. This artificially increased trading volume has the effect of artificially increasing the price of the targeted security (i.e., the “pump”), which is rapidly sold off into the inflated market for the security by the fraud perpetrators (i.e., the “dump”); resulting in illicit gains to the perpetrators and losses to innocent third party investors. Typically, the increased trading volume is generated by inducing unwitting investors to purchase shares of the targeted security through false or deceptive sales practices and/or public information releases.

A modern variation on this scheme involves largely foreign-based computer criminals gaining unauthorized access to the online brokerage accounts of unsuspecting victims in the United States. These victim accounts are then utilized to engage in coordinated online purchases of the targeted security to affect the pump portion of a manipulation, while the fraud perpetrators sell their pre-existing holdings in the targeted security into the inflated market to complete the dump.

Tips for Avoiding Market Manipulation Fraud:

Don’t believe the hype.
Find out where the stock trades.
Independently verify claims.
Research the opportunity.
Beware of high-pressure pitches.
Always be skeptical.

For more information:
- Operation Shore Shells investigation

ribshaw
07-18-2013, 07:44 PM
A few random items:

Instagram Prepaid Card scam. Buy a prepaid card being told someone can turn $200 in to $2000. They turn your $200 to ZERO.

News 4 investigates Instagram scam ripping off locals for hundreds | KMOV.com St. Louis (http://www.kmov.com/news/local/News-4-investigates-an-Instagram-scam-ripping-off-locals-for-hundreds--215772481.html)

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To induce victims to invest, Weinstein and others made various types of materially false and misleading statements and omissions. Weinstein and others told victims that Weinstein’s inside access to certain real estate opportunities allowed him to buy a particular piece of property at a below-market price. Weinstein and others also told victims that their money would be used to purchase a specific property, and the property would be quickly resold – or “flipped” – to a third-party purchaser that Weinstein had lined up. Victims were also told that the victims’ money would be held in escrow until the closing of a purported real estate transaction
Court Blotter: Lakewood Man Admits to $200 Million Investment Fraud Scheme; Money Laundering | the Ocean Signal (http://www.oceancountysignal.com/2013/01/03/court-blotter-lakewood-man-admits-to-200-million-investment-fraud-scheme-money-laundering/)

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TIPS ON REAL DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE INVESTING.

Request the audited financial statements of the company you have or are being asked to invest in. If they have no audited financial statements, walk away;
Check with the auditor directly to verify the legitimacy of the statements (in at least one recent case, audited statements were forged);
Conduct online searches on the company and all of its main principals to learn all you can about their background, training and experience;
If you are being told your money is being

invested in the particular project, ask to see the relevant documentation;
Ask the market dealer who is or has solicited you if he/she is licensed, and ask to see a copy of the license;
Is the person or company offering you the investment registered to sell investments? Confirm by checking the ASC Home (http://www.albertasecurities.com) website and select the tab "For Investors", then "Check First";
Also check on ASC Home (http://www.albertasecurities.com) to see if the company, or its market dealers, have any enforcement record or history with the ASC;
Check out the company with the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) at Real Estate Council of Alberta - Building Consumer Trust and Confidence (http://www.reca.ca) to determine if a person or company is authorized by RECA to trade in real estate or deal in mortgages;
If you have suspicions, ask your lawyer or accountant to investigate on your behalf;
Beware of promised high returns. Most fraudulent schemes entice their investor/ victims with the promise of significantly above-average returns or dividends (e.g. 10-18%). Initially, these returns may in fact be paid out, but usually out of the proceeds of investments made by subsequent investors (i.e. a "Ponzi" scheme);
Be wary if you are asked to invest your RRSP money, as this is an area where many fraudulent schemes have been found to operate.
Protection Against Real Estate Investment Fraud In Alberta - Real Estate and Construction - Canada (http://www.mondaq.com/canada/x/251588/real+estate/Protection+Against+Real+Estate+Investment+Fraud+In +Alberta)

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ribshaw
07-18-2013, 07:50 PM
State warns of driver's license phone scam, this is in a bunch of states. Government agencies do not call you on the phone or email you for personal information. The elderly are particular targets for this series of scams.

State warns of driver's license phone scam » Knoxville News Sentinel (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/jul/18/state-warns-of-drivers-license-phone-scam/)

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This scam is going on around the country targeting the elderly. A ruse to get them to give up a credit card number and other details.

3 On Your Side: Senior Medical Alert Scam « CBS Philly (http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/17/3-on-your-side-senior-medical-alert-scam/#.UeflzHkF0II.facebook)

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A Sandy Springs man says he paid $20,000 to a person he thought was a lottery representative. In exchange, he was supposed to receive a $200,000 prize.

But when the 87-year-old man tried to claim his winnings, the alleged scam artist was nowhere to be found, according to police. The victim’s money was gone.
Man duped out of $20K in lottery scam | www.ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/news/news/man-loses-20k-in-lottery-scam/nYsKR/)

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ribshaw
07-18-2013, 08:05 PM
Ribshaw was particularly upset to find out this was a scam.

The websites at the centre of the fraud offered work as “non-sexual” escorts, accompanying clients to business functions and the like.

Typical of the sites was Candy Escorts, which tempted victims to join with the claim that “we will always have clients in your area”, plus the temptation of work “in more exotic places”.

There was only one qualification: “All you need to be is great company.” THAT'S ME I THOUGHT. :RpS_thumbsup:

After paying the admin fee of between £250 and £450, victims *discovered that there wasn’t any work.

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk Bogus dating agency gang finally escorted to jail over £5.7million scam: Andrew Penman investigates - Andrew Penman - Mirror Online (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bogus-dating-agency-gang-finally-2060931#ixzz2ZP05dBFn)
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

5231

littleroundman
07-18-2013, 08:06 PM
SCAMwatch radar: Don’t let your heart be blackmailed

July 2013: SCAMwatch is again warning those looking for love online to stay on the lookout for scammers.

SCAMwatch continues to receive complaints about scammers targeting the lonely hearted online, using fake profiles on genuine internet dating sites and online forums to form a relationship with an unsuspecting victim. Once trust is gained, the scammer quickly attempts to move the victim away from the site and its security to communicate and manipulate them into handing over money.

In a new twist, scammers are blackmailing victims by threatening to send potentially compromising photos or videos to their family and friends if money is not transferred immediately. Scammers will capture photos or videos from webcam chats with the victim and then threaten to post them on public sites. If the scammer has access to their victim’s social network profile, they will also threaten to send the link to the victim’s family and friends. If the victim pays, the scammer may demand further payment before removing the image or video.

Scammers have a cold heart and will not hesitate to blackmail those seeking love online. Avoid a broken heart, financial losses and embarrassment – don’t share intimate photos or videos with someone that you don’t know and trust.
How these scams work



You meet someone online, such as through a dating or social networking website, whom you seem to ‘connect’ with. The person may claim to have similar likes and dislikes or have gone through similar experiences.
Once they have built up trust and a rapport with you – which can take just a few weeks or several months – they profess to have strong feelings for you.
They invite you to communicate with them via a webcam. If you agree to chat, they may ask you to share or do something intimate.
After the video chat, the scammer informs you that they recorded the chat sessions without your knowledge. They then demand payment, threatening to share the footage with your family and friends via your social networking profile.
The scammer may have already posted the video live on public sites and will demand payment in order to remove the footage. The scammer may demand several payments before the footage is taken down.
If you don’t send money, the scammer may become more persistent or direct.

Protect yourself



Keep your personal details personal: Never share personal information or photos with someone you don’t know and trust. Be particularly wary if someone invites you to communicate via webcam – these days, it’s easy to record live footage.
Watch out: if an online admirer asks to communicate with you outside the dating website, such as through a private email address or over the phone, be wary – they could be a scammer.
Think twice: Never send money to a stranger via money order, wire transfer or international funds transfer – it’s rare to recover money sent this way.
Report: If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 09:35 PM
Message purporting to be from Apple claims that the recipient needs to click a link to log into his or her Apple account and confirm ownership.

'Confirm Your Apple Account' Phishing Scam (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/confirm-apple-account-phishing-scam.shtml)

5255

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 09:37 PM
If you saw a $2 donation to a well-known charity on your credit card, but didn't remember making the gift, what would you do? Contest the charge as fraud to your credit card company? Or assume that perhaps your spouse was being generous and let it go?

Fraudsters are banking on the latter. Small transactions, or "microcharges," such as these are actually tests that indicate bigger fraud is still to come, says John Breyault, vice president of the National Consumers League and head of its fraud-fighting efforts, including Fraud.org. In many cases, the charity on your bill is real and it temporarily received a small donation from you, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

In actuality, thieves have stolen your credit card number and are checking to see if it's valid. If you allow the $2 charge through or fail to notice it on your statement, fraudsters know they've hit the jackpot. Before you know it, says Breyault, you'll likely see expensive surprises such as electronics or jewelry charged to your card. The thieves will arrange for delivery of these items to an address of their choice and quickly sell the fraudulently obtained goods on the black market.

As with any suspicious charge, you should contest it right away with your credit card issuer. Once you fill out a statement that you didn't make the donation, your card issuer will refund your money and you'll be off the hook, says Breyault. In some cases, the bank may also issue you a new credit card. This is an important safeguard, but can be a bit of a hassle. If you were using the compromised card to pay automatic monthly fees such as your gym membership or your cable bill, you'll have to contact the companies and give them your new card number.

Defenseless do-gooders
Why do fraudsters involve charities in their credit card schemes?

For one thing, "Scammers see fewer charge-backs -- people disputing the charges to their credit card company -- when a nonprofit is the recipient," explains Breyault. "Most cardholders assume somebody in their household or business must have made the donation."

Secondly, online donations are quick, they can be automated to test hundreds of stolen credit card numbers in minutes, and they don't require a physical credit card -- just a stolen card number.

But perhaps the bigger reason: "Charities are often easy prey, unfortunately," says Avivah Litan, a security and fraud analyst for Gartner, an international technology research and advisory company. "Nonprofits don't expect people to make online donations with stolen credit cards, so they often don't have sophisticated fraud prevention programs." If they did, the charity's online payment processing systems would likely flag certain transactions as suspicious and decline them, Litan says.

Old scam, fresh twist
Fraudulent credit card payments made to real charities are simply a fresh variation on a longstanding small-charge credit-card scam. In more traditional cases, the tiny "test" charges that show up on your card are usually payable to an unfamiliar business name, and that money can actually end up in the bank accounts of fraudsters. "The thieves charge a dollar or two to thousands of stolen credit card numbers at a time, and that ends up being a lot of money they've taken at the end of the day," says Breyault.

When charities are involved, the scam is slightly different. Legitimate nonprofits actually receive the donations -- temporarily. Eventually, though, they must return the money. "That's incredibly disappointing. A charity may think they just got an unsolicited $1,000 donation, and a week later, they have to give it back because it's fake," says Litan.

For instance, in May 2013, the Irish Jack & Jill Children's Foundation announced it had returned more than 130,000 euros in fraudulent credit card donations. The foundation received the contributions over a six-week period, in amounts ranging from 2 cents to 3,000 euros-- all fraudulently charged to private credit cards.

Fraud costs
This type of large-scale fraud can temporarily scar a charity's reputation, since consumers may worry that the nonprofit's donation-accepting website is not secure. Credit card fraud can also cost charities time and money. When a consumer disputes a fraudulent charge to the charity (or the charity's credit card processor detects the fraud), the ill-gotten donations must be refunded. That process can be time-consuming for the organization's staffers. In addition, credit card processors and banks typically charge $15 to $25 for "charge-backs," or customer refunds, according to Breyault.

Greg Hammermaster is president of Sage Payment Solutions, a McLean, Va., credit card processing company that works with many large nonprofits. Hammermaster says most payment-processing firms waive charge-back fees if a charity is the victim of fraud.

In addition, Hammermaster says payment processors can do a lot to help their nonprofit customers prevent future fraud. For instance, credit-card processors with solid experience in e-commerce should be able to automatically detect suspicious online transactions, such as multiple donations coming from a single computer Internet Protocol address, or donations coming in unusually quickly. "If a charity typically gets 100 donations a day, then suddenly receives 100 donations in a minute, that's not normal," says Hammermaster. "That activity should immediately kick out an alert to have a fraud expert look at the transactions and figure out what's going on."

Charities that accept online donations can also set donation minimums in their fraud software. For instance, if a charity rarely receives donations under $5, the card-processing company can set its system to automatically flag any incoming donations less than that amount.

Like any online merchant, Hammermaster says every charity should verify transactions by requiring donors to enter the three or four-digit card verification code on the back of most credit cards, as well as their mailing addresses. These codes can help make sure the credit card being used matches the given address and, in the case of the three-digit code, is physically in the cardholder's possession. Scammers rarely get cardholders' addresses or verification codes, says Hammermaster.

Protecting yourself -- and others
You can help prevent charities -- and yourself -- from being victimized, too. In addition to contesting any unusual charges on your credit card statement, Breyault suggests doing everything you can to keep your credit card number away from fraudsters.

Use secure websites to make online purchases. You should see an address beginning with "https" or a seal indicating that the site employs secure socket layers (SSL).
Be cautious about storing your credit card number online for future purchases. Breyault won't go so far as suggesting that you never allow your card number to be stored by an online store, but says you should decide on a case-by-case basis which merchants you trust with this information.
Avoid making online purchases over free Wi-Fi networks. Because these networks aren't usually password-protected, they're less secure. Your credit card number could be easily intercepted by a cyberthief.
Keep your own computer software current and malware-free. Up-to-date operating and security systems are a good way to keep your computer free from hackers who might steal your financial info


Read more: Didn&#39;t Make that Donation to Charity? Watch Out for Fraud | Fox Business (http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/07/16/didnt-make-that-donation-to-charity-watch-out-for-fraud/#ixzz2ZpfbjJ4t)

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 09:53 PM
A central Indiana man was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday afternoon in connection with running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded several victim of more than half a million dollars.

Former Carmel financial advisor Thomas Redmond, Jr. was found guilty on charges of securities fraud. He is accused of defrauding 10 victims of approximately $580,000.

Thursday, a judge also ordered Redmond to service six years on work release and to pay restitution to his victims.

According to court documents, one victim told authorities she met Redmond through a church friend. She said Redmond quickly took control of her finances and told her he was going to invest into two different companies. Instead, that money and much more was going straight to Redmond’s pockets, said Secretary of State Connie Lawson.

The secretary of state added her investigators found out Redmond had been running the scheme since 2004 and targeted the elderly at his own church, missionaries who spent their lives counseling victims of Auschwitz and widows.

Read more: Carmel man arrested in Ponzi scheme sentenced to 4 years in prison | Fox 59 News – fox59.com (http://fox59.com/2013/07/18/carmel-man-arrested-in-ponzi-scheme-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison/#ixzz2ZpiYHR50)
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An art dealer who allegedly duped two top New York top galleries into buying counterfeit paintings she presented as works by Modernist masters has been indicted for fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.

Prosecutors said Glafira Rosales, 56, will be arraigned in a Manhattan court Friday on charges of selling more than 60 fake works of art between 1994 and 2009 for a total of $33.2 million.

Rosales is also charged with concealing the proceeds of her sales by having much of the money sent to overseas bank accounts and filing false tax returns.

She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of fraud and money laundering, the two most serious of the seven counts on which she has been indicted.

"The indictment depicts a complete circle of fraud perpetrated by Glafira Rosales -- fake paintings sold on behalf of non-existent clients with money deposited into a hidden bank account," said Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in charge of the case.

According to prosecutors, Rosales managed to convince the galleries that some of the previously unknown works came from two clients -- one based in Switzerland and one based in Spain -- where she had set up bank accounts to receive the payments.

Prosecutors say her Swiss client, presented as a wealthy individual who had inherited the art works, was a "a pure fiction" while the Spanish one was a real art collector but had never owned the paintings he was supposed to be selling or had any business relationship with Rosales.

Rosales's most spectacular success came with the sale of a supposed Jackson Pollock painting known as "Untitled 1950" to the Knoedler & Company gallery, at the time the oldest gallery in New York.

In 2007, Knoedler's then president Ann Freedman sold the work to London collector Pierre Lagrange for $17 million.

Lagrange subsequently discovered that two paints used in the work were not invented until after Pollock had died and launched a law-suit against Knoedler & Freedman in May.

Days after the suit was filed, Knoedler went out of business, after 165 years at the forefront of the New York art market.

Lagrange's action was one of at least six lawsuits initiated by buyers who suspected they were sold fakes, and their doubts triggered an investigation by the FBI.

Other works provided by Rosales were sold by Julian Weissman, another prominent art dealer who had represented the artist Robert Motherwell when he was alive. Rosales is alleged to have supplied at least seven fake works represented as paintings by Motherwell, as well as others presented as works by Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning.

Rosales, who denies the charges against her, has been in custody since she was arrested in May.

Federal authorities have said she poses a flight risk because of her substantial funds overseas.
New York Dealer Indicted over Massive Art Fraud (http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/91138-new-york-dealer-indicted-over-massive-art-fraud)

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Craigslist seller falls victim to counterfeit money scam Craigslist seller falls victim to counterfeit money scam, sharing story to warn others | abc13.com (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=9177831)

Balderston took the cash -- $750 for three pairs. Not long after the buyer had left with the shoes, Balderston realized he had been scammed.

"Sure enough, they were all fake," he said.

Every $20, $50 and $100 bill was counterfeit. At first glance, they looked real, but then Balderston noticed little things.

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Crime is Slate’s crime blog. Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @slatecrime.

In the summer of 2007, with no job to speak of and no prospects on the horizon, I decided that America was chafing me and it was time to leave the country. I resolved to spend July and August in Italy, a country that seemed like it would look much more kindly on my lackluster work ethic and my burgeoning alcoholism. No matter that the balance of my savings account was lower than my SAT score. I would go to Europe—and I would go there in style.

That’s not all. Somehow I got the idea that I'd travel to Italy in business class—lie-flat beds! Complimentary newspapers! All the Kir Royales I could drink!—and, what’s more, that I’d do so at a discount. Full-fare business-class tickets cost several thousand dollars more than I had to spend. But, God knows why, I figured I could get one for a fraction of its true cost. This idea excited me very much, and I became irrationally confident that I could successfully beat the system. “Paying full price is for suckers,” I informed my friends. “I can find a better way.” As suckers do, I put my trust in the Internet.

Now, I didn't really expect to find cheap business-class fares for sale online. (I was delusional, not crazy.) My plan, instead, was to buy a bunch of frequent flier miles and exchange them for a round-trip ticket. So I searched Craigslist and found some miles for sale. They were offered by someone who claimed to be an airline pilot named Capt. Chris Hansen. He said he had more miles than he knew what to do with, miles that he would never use because he was always traveling for business.

Capt. Chris responded to my email. He also called me on the telephone, where we talked for several minutes about the airline industry and the relative merits of various airplanes, a topic that he knew a lot about, and that I pretended to know a lot about. Our conversation convinced me that he was on the level. (As everyone knows, scam artists don’t use telephones.) After our talk I agreed to pay him $650 for 100,000 miles, which I immediately sent via PayPal.

PayPal rejected the transaction. While a wiser man might have taken this as a sign that the captain was up to no good, I took it as a sign that PayPal was broken. Frustrated, I emailed Capt. Chris explaining the situation and asking if he had any idea what might have gone wrong. He didn't, but he promised to look into it. Then he disappeared for a few days, and didn't respond to any messages, which made sense to me, given that he was apparently flying around the world all the time. (As everyone knows, other countries don’t have email access.)

My travel date was soon approaching and I still didn't have a ticket. So I went back online and found yet another great deal on frequent flier miles. This one was offered by a guy calling himself Franco Borga. This fellow wasn’t a pilot, but he had nevertheless accumulated a lot of miles, which he was willing to part with for a low, low price. So I sent him almost the exact same message I had sent to Capt. Chris, and received essentially the same response. Along with his response, Franco also attached a scanned photograph of his driver’s license. There didn’t seem to be any real reason for him to do this, but the gesture still helped assure me of his bona fides. (As everyone knows, sketchy people don’t have driver’s licenses.) Franco called me on the phone, we had a very nice conversation, and I agreed to purchase his miles, congratulating myself on my extremely shrewd dealing.

He gave me two options for payment. I could send a check or money order to his temporary address in New Haven, Conn., and wait several days for the check to clear. (No thank you!) Or I could send him the money using Green Dot, a rechargeable gift card of sorts that is sold at supermarkets and pharmacies. In the email laying out these options, he helpfully included an explanatory section titled “What is Green Dot?”

Naturally, I chose the Green Dot option, and although my friends all said I was being scammed, I insisted otherwise. "If he was a scammer, why did he call me on the phone?" I asked. “If he was a scammer, why would he give me two options for payment?” Working from those irrefutably logical positions, I went to the local CVS, put $700 on a Green Dot card, emailed him the account number, and waited for the tickets to arrive. And waited. And waited. And waited.

It took about four days before I realized that I had been tricked. During that period, I sent Franco about a dozen emails, which grew increasingly pathetic. (“Dear Franco,” one began. “I continue to believe that you are operating in good faith … ”) I had given Franco every possible benefit of the doubt, but it became clear that he wasn't going to send me the frequent flier miles, and I wasn't going to travel to Europe in style.

Just then, I heard from Capt. Chris—my savior! The good captain apologized for his absence—he had been overseas, he said—and asked if I was still interested in his miles. The answer, of course, was yes, especially since, as I told him, I had just fallen victim to a devious Internet scammer. He was very sympathetic: "If you want to give me the contact info for the guy who you purchased from, I can see what I can do for you," he wrote. I declined his assistance, and we reactivated our deal, wherein I would pay him about $650 for enough miles to purchase a round-trip business-class ticket.

He sent me a contract, which I signed and returned to him at the address he had listed. (An Internet search indicated that the address belonged to a rehab facility in Colorado, which did seem a little strange, but not dealbreakingly so. “Maybe he owns the place,” I said to myself.) Because he was abroad, and because his PayPal account was still out of commission, he suggested that I use Western Union to send him the money in care of his assistant. This seemed reasonable enough to me. (As everyone knows, airline pilots often have personal assistants.) So I sent the money and waited for the tickets. And waited. And waited. And waited.

This time it only took about three days before I realized I had been scammed. (I was getting better at this, in a sense.) The process played out much as it had before: Capt. Chris gradually stopped responding to my emails, which grew increasingly hostile as I realized what had happened. At this point, I was out $1,350, and I was the subject of endless ridicule from my friends and family. I also had no ticket to Italy, where I was supposed to be headed in one week.

Angry at myself, I started doing all the research that I should have done in the first place. I couldn’t find much information on “Capt. Chris Hansen”—which, of course, wasn’t the scammer’s real name. But there was plenty of info on “Franco Borga.” It turned out that Franco had a long list of aliases, most of which seemed like they had been taken from the Sender field of spam emails: Kenji Sukizu, Bobert Ancini, Andrew Bryson, Mathias Ochsendorf, Alan Sasafahi, Hop Chuen, Rajiv, Richard Warrens, Camille Berges. He had been pulling the same scam for a couple of years under various names, always asking to be paid in Green Dot cards. (In an email he sent to one victim, he claimed to be an American tourist in Asia who pulled this scam all the time, under various aliases. This annoyed me. I wanted to be the tourist, not the one being scammed by a tourist.)

On message boards and in the comments sections of various websites, lots of gullible victims had been registering their frustration with “Franco”: “He took me for $180 on two supposed American Airlines Incentive Flight Vouchers which were never received and which probably don’t exist,” one person wrote. “He e-mailed me a picture of his driver’s license and his telephone number exactly as he has done to many other victims to gain their confidence. He also called me and left a message.”

“He have [sic] also stolen the identity of Angel leon molina and scammed us for vouchers,” another victim said. “He finds images on Flickr to back up his stories then sets up the email accounts. If anyone ever gets the opportunity to catch up with him, we’d love to join you chop his balls off.”

Chopping off his balls sounded like a good idea to me, and I vowed that I would someday track down Franco Borga and exact at least $700 worth of justice. (Not long thereafter, I would attempt to ensnare Borga in an ill-conceived sting operation that ended up involving the New Haven bureau of the FBI. But I’ll save that story for some other time.)

My more immediate concern, however, was my trip to Italy. Thanks to my astounding stupidity, I had no plane ticket and no money with which to buy one. The way I saw it, I had two options. I could cancel the trip, move back in with my parents, spend the summer actually trying to get a job, and chalk the whole thing up to a hard lesson well-learned. Or I could abandon all caution and put a last-minute coach ticket on my credit card, thus incurring a debt that, at the time, I had no real hope of repaying.

I bought the coach ticket. On the way to Rome, British Airways lost my luggage. A few days later, I sent the airline an articulate, sympathetic, and supplicatory email, and they responded by upgrading me for the return flight. I ended up flying business class after all.

Frequent flier miles scam: How I lost $1,350 by falling for the same Internet scam twice in one week. (http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2013/07/19/frequent_flier_miles_scam_how_i_lost_1_350_by_fall ing_for_the_same_internet.html?fb_ref=sm_fb_share_ blogpost)

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 09:58 PM
DA: Hewlett man indicted in alleged Facebook investment scam DA: Hewlett man indicted in alleged Facebook investment scam - Long Island Crime | Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/article/da-hewlett-man-indicted-alleged-facebook-investment-scam)

Crime & Courts
July 18, 2013
By: Mike Balsamo


A Hewlett man was arrested and arraigned Thursday after being accused of stealing more than $700,000 from five victims who were seeking to invest in Facebook, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. said in announcing the charges.
Related topics

The indictment of Ronen Zakai, 42, was made public July 18 and includes charges of second-degree and third-degree grand larceny, securities fraud and first-degree scheme to defraud.

According to court documents, Zakai solicited and collected $705,000 from five investors between December 2010 and January 2012. Prosecutors said he promised the investors that he would purchase shares of Facebook, Inc., before the company’s initial public offering in May 2012.

The deal, which Zakai alleged nicknamed ‘The Social Innovation Fund,’ never actually happened, said prosecutors. Instead, they allege Zakai “quickly depleted the funds for his personal use” by paying his country club membership fees, car payments and using large amounts of cash on vacations and shopping trips, a news release said. Zakai is alleged to have spent all of the money by June 30, 2012.

“The defendant is accused of scamming his own social network – including friends and acquaintances – ahead of the country’s biggest technology IPO,” said DA Vance.

Prosecutors said officials at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission assisted in the investigation.

Zakai was ordered held on $250,000 bail or $350,000 bond. According to jail records, he remains in the custody of the New York City Department of Correction and is due back in court on July 24.
================================================== ======
'Queen of IRS Tax Fraud': Florida Woman Sentenced After Bragging Online (http://www.theroot.com/blogs/grapevine/facebook-fraud-queen-convicted&fb_ref=fb_share_toolbar_bottom)

A Tampa, Fla., woman who used stolen Social Security numbers to file fake returns has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after daring authorities on Facebook to catch her, the Daily Mail reports. Rashia Wilson, 27, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and being a felon in possession of a handgun, was caught after police staked out her and her accomplices in a two-year sting called "Operation Rain Maker," which also involved the Internal Revenue Service, the Secret Service and the U.S. Post Office.

On her Facebook page, Wilson bragged about her exploits, referring to herself as the "queen of IRS tax fraud" and writing, "if U think indicting me will B easy, it won't i promise U!" She is believed to have stolen about $20 million.

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 10:03 PM
Our bragging friend above could have learned from this. Intel Launches “TMI” Campaign to Combat Online Oversharing | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/Intel-Launches-TMI-Campaign-to-Combat-Online-Oversharing.html) (THIS IS AN AWESOME PAGE FOR THE CYBER ANGLE of SCAMS).

Intel Corporation has joined with McAfee, Dell and other tech companies this summer to help fight the problem of people oversharing information online. The campaign aims to educate social media users via a series of infographics about what information they should and shouldn’t provide online. They also have some tips on how to avoid falling prey to fake apps and Facebook scams. According to the campaign, the amount of personal information that web users disclose is shocking: 52 percent of social network users have disclosed information that could be used to commit a cybercrime against them, while people have an average of $35,000-worth of assets stored on their digital devices. Meanwhile, McAfee found 2.6 million new suspicious URLs between January and March of this year alone.

Intel is also launching a sweepstakes where followers of the initiative can win free Ultrabooks or year-long subscriptions to McAfee LiveSafe security service. Users can enter the sweepstakes up to nine times per day by sharing one of several humorous videos on Intel’s website. They can also join the movement on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag “#isthisTMI?.”

Malware scams and fake links are becoming commonplace on Facebook, asking users to disclose personal information in exchange for access to a salacious video or the chance to win a lavish prize. They’re easy enough to avoid, however: don’t click on anything that looks fishy, and be careful what information you disclose.

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 10:05 PM
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — A British national has been kidnapped near Lagos international airport, in Nigeria's commercial capital, the British Consulate-General reported Friday.

Diplomats are working with Nigerian authorities on the kidnapping, which took place earlier this week, said consulate spokesman Wale Adebayo.

The person was kidnapped shortly after leaving the international terminal, said a British statement.

Adebayo would not say what day it occurred or give any other information, citing the "sensitive nature" of the issue.

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria sent an alert about the kidnapping, saying it "urges all U.S. citizens living and traveling in Nigeria to take extra precautions for your personal security and safety" because of the "high threat of kidnapping of expatriates country-wide."

The embassy advised U.S citizens to be particularly vigilant around church and other places of worship, locations where crowds gather, government facilities and areas frequented by foreigners because of an ongoing threat from Islamic extremists operating mainly in northeast Nigeria, where there is a 2-month-old state of emergency.

Kidnappings for ransom are relatively common in oil-rich Nigeria — both of foreigners and wealthy Nigerians.

The 3-year-old son of a state legislator and four Chinese nationals in two different states all have been reported kidnapped this month.

Some cases are not reported because of fears for the safety of the hostages.

Most are released unharmed after ransoms have been paid, though people have been injured and killed if they resist.

Risk analysts Drum Cussac have reported "a noticeable upsurge" in the number of kidnappings in the southwest of Nigeria including Lagos.

"Foreign nationals were targeted in the affluent Lagos areas of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Epe-Lekki, sparking speculation that organized criminal gangs have renewed their focus on the city's upscale districts given their relatively permissive security environments," the consultancy said.

The latest piracy statistics from the London-based International Maritime Bureau also reported an increase in kidnappings of the crew of hijacked ships off the coast of Nigeria and the rest of the Gulf of Guinea.
Briton kidnapped near Nigeria's Lagos airport (http://news.yahoo.com/briton-kidnapped-near-nigerias-lagos-airport-135413538.html)

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 10:06 PM
SEATTLE — A 30-year-old Seattle man pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges he ran a $30 million Ponzi scheme involving bogus real estate investments in Peru and that he used investors’ money to furnish his lavish lifestyle, including a $600,000 yacht.

Jose L. Nino de Guzman Jr. pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to wire fraud and money laundering. His sentencing is set for Nov. 1, but under a plea agreement in the case, federal prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 151 months in prison.

De Guzman, who founded and ran NDG Investment Group LLC from 2006 to 2009, raised more than $30 million from more than 200 investors for real estate investments in Peru, U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said.

NDG had ever successfully completed any real estate projects in Peru and, despite raising funds for about 20 projects, had only purchased a limited number of real properties, Durkan said. No projects ever generated a profit.

Nevertheless, De Guzman told the investors their projects were completed or were progressing, and he sent periodic, fraudulent “updates” to investors, including showing “construction” sites for projects in which the land had not even been purchased, Durkan said.

Investors’ funds instead were used to fund De Guzman’s lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of a $365,000 diamond ring, a $600,000 yacht, a $250,000 suite at Qwest Field for Seahawks games and a $200,000 Bentley automobile, Durkan said.

Moreover, as in a classic Ponzi scheme, De Guzman used millions of dollars of investors’ funds to pay off previous investors to continue the illusion that De Guzman was a successful developer, and to induce additional investors, she said.

“This defendant brazenly and persistently defrauded investors by lying about his background and success and misused millions of their dollars for his personal benefit,” Durkan said.

“His victims included family members, friends and co-workers who did not know he paid for his glitz with their money,” she added. “When the scheme crumbled, they sadly learned that Mr. De Guzman had perpetuated a massive fraud.”

“The FBI is pleased that Mr. De Guzman is finally taking responsibility for his actions,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Laura M. Laughlin of the FBI Seattle office. “He exploited friends, loved ones, and coworkers indiscriminately to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself. The FBI stands with the prosecutors and victims in refusing to tolerate such heartless criminal activity.

Read more: Seattle man pleads guilty to $30 million Ponzi scheme; money used for lavish lifestyle | Q13 FOX News (http://q13fox.com/2013/07/19/seattle-man-pleads-guilty-to-30-million-ponzi-scheme-money-used-for-lavish-lifestyle/#ixzz2Zpn03edw)

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 10:16 PM
Steives scam school. The rebate scam. In short you are told you are owed money, from overpaid taxes, bill, escrow, the government, whatever. And then are asked to send an administration fee.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4LgvvdAZHl0

ribshaw
07-22-2013, 10:20 PM
Stevie's Scam School YEAH.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etw2uVhQzvY

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ribshaw
07-23-2013, 10:09 PM
The police have arrested a 45-year-old man who is believed to be involved in at least five cases of cheating.
Suspected serial conman arrested, victims cheated of thousands of dollars (http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/suspected-serial-conman-arrested-victims-cheated-thousands-dollars-201)

He would claim to be able to arrange for his victims to work in various positions at an overseas resort, and then get them to pay a deposit of several thousand dollars in order to secure their employment. After he received the money, he disappeared and became uncontactable.

The police have been receiving such reports since April this year, and managed to establish the identity of the suspect.

On Tuesday, he was tracked down and arrested in the vicinity of Marina Bay. Investigations against him are ongoing. If found guilty, he can be jailed for up to 10 years, and fined.

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British gang held over £4.3million timeshare fraud: Woman, 44, 'masterminded' Canary Islands scam

Spanish police raided offices in Arguineguin and Mogan on Monday
Involved are accused of systematically defrauding tourists since 2007
'Used flyers promising free gifts to entice tourists to their HQ'
Then they would 'trap them for between four and eight hours to hard-sell'

Customers are believed to have paid out between £4,300 and £25,000 for the guarantee of 70 per cent discounts at some of the world’s top resorts for between five and 30 years. But the timeshare sellers were allegedly using the glossy brochures of other top holiday firms to sell the concept.

Read more: British female 'ringleader' Paula Beatson, 44, among 58 arrested in Gran Canaria for 'selling timeshare properties that don't exist' | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2375033/British-female-ringleader-Paula-Beatson-44-58-arrested-Gran-Canaria-selling-timeshare-properties-dont-exist.html#ixzz2Zvcigx6W)
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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Network World - A 23-year-old man was arrested last week in the Spanish region of Murcia for a simple but ingenious scam involving the ultra-popular Whatsapp messaging system that netted him nearly $53,000 over two months.

According to a report from the Spanish newspaper Levante, the alleged criminal used social media to advertise an app that would let users spy on other people’s instant messaging conversations over Whatsapp for no charge. All they would have to do is visit a website and input their phone number, so that they could receive instructions for downloading and installing the app. --Yeah, don't do that.

Spanish crook snags almost $53,000 in sneaky smartphone scam - Network World (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/072313-smartphone-scam-272076.html)

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Taking the obvious joke, she should have saw it coming.

SUNNYVALE -- A woman is in a South Florida jail cell awaiting prosecution in Santa Clara County for an alleged "psychic scam" on a vulnerable and superstitious Sunnyvale divorcee, bilking her out of more than $800,000 over the course of a decade for protection against voodoo curses and misfortune.

Florida woman jailed in 'psychic scam,' accused of bilking Sunnyvale woman out of more than $800,000 - San Jose Mercury News (http://www.mercurynews.com/sunnyvale/ci_23716807/florida-woman-jailed-psychic-scam-accused-bilking-sunnyvale)

ribshaw
07-23-2013, 10:11 PM
Mortgage fraud scheme nets Las Vegas home builder 14-year sentence | Las Vegas Review-Journal (http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/mortgage-fraud-scheme-nets-las-vegas-home-builder-14-year-sentence)

Mortgage fraud scheme nets Las Vegas home builder 14-year sentence
GRAPHIC ART/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
By JEFF GERMAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Las Vegas homebuilder Paul Wagner was sentenced to 14 years in prison Monday in an $18.4 million mortgage fraud scheme, one of the largest in Nevada.

After a 12-day trial in October, a jury found Wagner, 59, guilty of a dozen conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud charges.

Before U.S. marshals could take him into custody after his conviction, Wagner tried to flee the courtroom. He jumped over a couple of rows of seats but was caught before he made it to the doors.

Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said at the time that Wagner was the first homebuilder to be prosecuted and convicted of mortgage fraud offenses.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Miranda Du also ordered Wagner, a self-styled Christian minister, to pay $4.4 million in restitution with other defendants in the scheme and serve five years of supervised release after he gets out of prison.

Du said Wagner, who has been in federal custody since his courtroom escape attempt, and his co-conspirators in the mortgage industry had harmed the Las Vegas community with the scheme, which occurred between 2007 and 2009.

Wagner, who described himself as a born-again Christian, begged the judge for mercy and forgiveness but did not show remorse or accept responsibility for his actions.

“I did not have intent in my heart to commit a crime,” he said in his rambling remarks, sometimes looking at his supporters in the courtroom gallery. “I was just blinded by people. I trust everybody.”

Wagner and his lawyer, Mitchell Posin, also presented the homebuilder’s wife and several other speakers, who called him a generous and compassionate man devoted to Christian values.

“My husband is a phenomenal man,” a weeping Monica Wagner said. “He puts everybody above himself first.”

For the past decade, Wagner had built homes in the northwest part of the valley.

In a pre-sentence memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Schiess said Wagner pulled off one of the largest mortgage fraud schemes in Nevada, involving more than 85 homes and costing lenders the $18.4 million.

Schiess wanted Wagner to spend 17½ years behind bars.

“Wagner’s conduct was egregious.” Schiess wrote. “He set up the scheme, which attracted people willing to engage in fraud.

“By offering huge cash back incentives, he chummed the waters for predators who were willing to take the bait. He knew these predators would use straw buyers to grab the cash. Just as these predators were motivated by greed, so was Wagner.”

Posin countered in court papers that Wagner was not a greedy man.

He described Wagner as a “productive” community member who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity and ran a hospital ministry.

As a leader of his church, Holy Ghost Ministries, Wagner ran several charitable programs to aid the homeless, particularly needy veterans, Posin wrote.

“A greedy man does not take time out of his day to help the sick and feed the poor,” he said.

Federal prosecutors, however, uncovered a different side to Wagner.

They said he created a scheme to provide large cash incentives to buyers, real estate agents and others to sell his homes.

To pay for the incentives, Wagner inflated the value of the homes 100 percent through false appraisals and then concealed the incentives from the lenders, prosecutors said.

Many of the homes went into foreclosure after Wagner stopped making the mortgage payments.

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ribshaw
07-24-2013, 02:50 PM
From Action Fraud, this is lovely. https://www.facebook.com/actionfraud

Another like farming scam is appearing all over Facebook news feeds. This time it is fraudsters using the Disney name and have even gone to the trouble of paying to have it promoted. Please tell your friends not to like/share or comment on these scam posts as they only make profit for fraudsters and no one ever wins. Information on how to spot and avoid Facebook 'Like' scams How to spot and avoid Facebook 'Like' scams | How To - CNET (http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57594894-285/how-to-spot-and-avoid-facebook-like-scams/)

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ribshaw
07-24-2013, 03:06 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Wednesday warned the public about a scam involving fake checks purportedly issued by the central bank.

BSP warns vs fake checks scam | ABS-CBN News (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/07/24/13/bsp-warns-vs-fake-checks-scam)

==================================

"Some of the scams concern fraudulent individuals asking consumers to sign up to get on a list, so they can get to the front of the line when immigration reform takes place" said Reyes, who has heard from agencies that work with immigrants and other community groups. "As we know, there is no immigration reform. Nobody knows if we are going to get any reform at all. Yet these individuals are already collecting money."

The latest immigration scam: Paying to be put on a list for 'reform' | Multi-American | 89.3 KPCC (http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2013/07/24/14343/the-latest-immigration-scam-paying-to-be-put-on-a/)

==================================

The mystery shopping scam is actually well known to fraud experts.

"Anybody who wires you money or asks you to wire money, sends you a check and asks you to deposit it and wire transfer money, that's a major red flag," said Beth Schell, Lee County Sheriff's Office Fraud Specialist.

And that's exactly happened to Marie. She got a package with a money order for $985 and instructions to cash the order, keep $100 and spend $100 at Walmart.

The rest she was instructed to wire to another person.

"It didn't seem right. It seems like it's a fake, and I'll probably end up paying for it," she said.

Fraud experts say Marie was smart not to do any of that. By the time banks find out the money order is fake it's too late -- and your footing the bill.

Woman exposes mystery shopper scam - NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida (http://www.nbc-2.com/story/22916080/woman-exposes-mystery-shopper-scam#.UfAy2m14nK5)

==================================

On the website, he tricked Swedes into shopping for goods that he didn't own, then collected the money without sending any product in return.

Over a period of three months beginning in February this year, the 32-year-old managed to sell to over 50 people across the country on the popular site.

Man cons 50 Swedes in online shopping scam - The Local (http://www.thelocal.se/49202/20130723/#.Ue_WkRuZcXw.facebook)

==================================
Here's where the problem can occur: Many people do a random search for "address change" and wind up on one of a number of sites run by private businesses. These companies charge anywhere from $17 to $24 to file that simple change of address form for you, something you can do yourself on the official USPS site for a dollar.

Rip-off alert: Watch out for the 'change my address' scam (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100908339#_gus)

==================================

ribshaw
07-24-2013, 03:10 PM
New cyber scam accuses user of child pornography, demands money New cyber scam accuses user of child pornography, demands money - WFTX-TV Fort Myers/Naples, FL (http://www.fox4now.com/news/local/216674261.html#.Ue_XqkuS6J4.facebook)

By Julian Glover

CREATED Jul. 23, 2013



Fox 4 News at Six Video by fox4now.com

NAPLES, Fla. - A Naples couple was targeted by a new cyber scam that accuses computer users of distributing child pornography and locks the device until the victims transfer cash.

Tech experts are calling the new scam the "drive-by virus" and say getting the virus is as easy as clicking a link online.

"It's frightening. You're thinking about the possibilities," said Bienvenido Roman, "somebody can go to jail."

Roman says he was on the computer with his wife over the weekend when an alarming message popped up on the screen.

"We couldn't unlock it and then it said something about child pornography," said Roman.

The couple took a screen shot of the message and sent it into Fox 4.

The message bares the official FBI seal and accuses the computer users of violating U.S. law by downloading illegal content. The message even accuses the user of distributing child pornography, an accusation that scared Roman.

"Oh my God, all I need is for people to start posting it all over the place," said Roman.

Roman is referring to the picture of his wife that the computer managed to capture using the laptop's webcam, under the virus's control.

"Her picture at the moment was on the corner [of the screen], that was most scary," said Roman.

According to the message, all Roman had to do to unlock his computer was go to a store that sold Moneypak gift cards, purchase one for $400 and then type in the code.

But Roman was skeptical. "It had to be a scam," he said.

Roman says he had never heard of the scam before, but it's more common than you might think.

"Probably three to four people come in a week with a computer that they can't access," said Dave Seitz, Greenwire IT.

Now more than ever the scam is easy to come by.

"They've compromised the advertisers or they've compromised the links that you're clicking to get to legitimate websites," said Seitz, "it finds you, it hunts you down."

Here's what the tech experts recommend you do if you are caught in the cross hairs of the so-called "drive-by virus."

Seitz warns users not to pay the $450 and don't log into any bank accounts or other important accounts.

Seitz also urges victims to get help from a computer expert rather than attempting to get rid of the virus themselves.

The necessary service to erase the virus from your computer runs from $60 to $85, according to Seitz.

ribshaw
07-24-2013, 03:14 PM
This one keep going round.

BBB warns seniors of medical alert phone scam
July 24
The Associated Press

CHICAGO — The Better Business Bureau is warning senior citizens about a phone scam promising them a free medical alert system.

The agency says the automated calls claim that someone has ordered the senior a medical alert system to help protect them in case of medical emergencies or break-ins. The message then asks them to press a button to speak to a customer service representative. The fake "representative" then asks for the seniors' credit card and personal information.

The Better Business Bureau says it's received complaints from concerned seniors in recent weeks and the scams appear to target the elderly and disabled.

It recommends that seniors hang up the phone immediately without speaking or pushing any buttons. Seniors should never give credit card information or a social security number over the telephone.

Read more here: BBB warns seniors of medical alert phone scam - KansasCity.com (http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/24/4363496/bbb-warns-seniors-of-medical-alert.html#storylink=cpy)

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ribshaw
07-24-2013, 03:16 PM
Fraud and cybercrime biggest non-investment risks to family offices Financial Standard - Fraud and cybercrime biggest non-investment risks to family offices (http://www.financialstandard.com.au/news/view/33375656)
Tuesday, 23 July 2013 10:50am
By Mark Smith | In Family Office

Sustainability, data loss, fraud and theft are among the top non-investment risks faced by private families and the offices that serve them, according to The Family Wealth Alliance's 2012 Inaugural Security Study.

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For the study - which was conducted in two parts -- the US-based family office research and resource provider asked 35 single-family offices to answer a set of security questions. Then a further 24 firms, including single-family offices, multifamily offices and external CIOs, were asked to answer a 27-question security questionnaire.

"While participating firms have a solid grip on operational security and contingency planning, there is a gap in client family awareness of the risks they face, and ways to mitigate threats wealthy families can be targets for," The Family Wealth Alliance managing director and author of the study Kathleen McBride said.

The report identified that security risks can threaten not only tangible assets, but reputation as well.

Travel and health risks, the threat of natural disaster, identity theft and cybercrime, fraud and simply allowing the family's good name to erode due to poor reputation management were highlighted in the study.

According to the study, only 4.1% of client families are considered well-informed about these risks.

The study also found that while 70.8% of firms say families are 'moderately informed' about the everyday security risks they face, 21% are 'insufficiently informed' and 4% are 'not informed at all.'

Three in 10 households surveyed have suffered financial fraud incidents while more than a fifth reported incidents of burglary or robbery.

The vast majority -- 71% -- of firms do not employ a security consultant.

ribshaw
07-25-2013, 07:47 PM
Two right off the bat targeting seniors.

The man thought to be his accomplice knocked on the couple's door claiming to be a surveyor who needed to check the boarding and facia of their roof for a potentially high lead content.

He claimed to carry out the checks for free under an EU directive and that a colleague, King, would revisit to check the lead levels.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/con-man-who-tried-rip-5314444

===========================================

Hunting the Doorstep Conmen (ITV) made me extremely cross. In 2010, Kit, an 80-year-old lady suffering from dementia, was targeted by two con men. They posed as roofers, told her that she needed some serious work doing on her house, and persuaded her to give them thousands upon thousands of pounds. The most worrying thing was that the scam was only uncovered by her children; to this day, she can’t remember any of it.

This was only the tip of the iceberg. The first programme in this two-part documentary followed investigators from the Trading Standards Authority, who in partnership with the police and other agencies tracked down these men (they were always men) and dragged them, kicking and screaming, to justice.

In their nefarious toolbox were the following techniques: going through the local obituary columns to find vulnerable, elderly widows; compiling a list of pensioners who were showing early signs of memory loss, in order to target them in 18 months’ time; and driving victims to the bank so that they could be pressured into withdrawing hundreds of pounds and handing it over on the spot. To the most unfortunate elderly people, this happened on a daily basis. Unbelievable.

Particularly heartbreaking was the story of Dr Leslie Drain, an MBE-winning Oxford physicist who was instrumental in inventing the MRI scanner. Over a period of 19 years, he was conned out of £414,000 by a pair called Stephen Green and Clive Smith. According to the police, the trauma affected him so badly that his health went into decline. When the police told him that they had caught Green and Smith, his death followed soon after.

Admittedly, the throbbing music and dramatic voice-overs were hyperbolic. But such, perhaps, are the constraints of the genre. The most important thing was that word of these doorstep con men was spread to the people who are at risk of falling foul of it: the elderly, who next time won’t open the door.

Hunting the Doorstep Conmen, ITV, review - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10198310/Hunting-the-Doorstep-Conmen-ITV-review.html)

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ribshaw
07-25-2013, 07:50 PM
If someone is promising amazing returns, run the other way with both hands on your wallet. IT ALWAYS ENDS THIS WAY. Never in history did it end a different way.

BHOPAL: Betul district police on Wednesday arrested Santosh Das for defrauding hundreds of investors of crores of rupees through "Ponzi" schemes by promising to double their investments faster than banks. A sum of Rs 12.45 lakh in cash and incriminating documents were confiscated from his house.

Initial investigations suggest more than 4,000 persons had invested in Das scheme lured by offers like - guaranteed return of Rs 4.95 crore in four years against a deposit of Rs 25,000 and Rs 1 crore against investment of Rs 10,000 in five years.

Das, 35 a native of Kolkata, was arrested from his rented accommodation at Bagdona area in Betul at around 7.00 am following a complaint lodged by Mukesh Kaushik, a petty contractor living in the same locality. In his compliant, Kaushik said he had invested Rs 1 lakh in Das's company - Ayush Technology in 2012. He was promised double return in one year.

"When I approached the company for my return on maturity, they began by offering excuses. Left with no option, I lodged complaint against him," Kaushik told TOI over phone.

However, unlike other fraudulent investment companies, Das did not give his investors any bill while accepting deposits. Modus operandi was simple. He was giving promised returns on small amounts like Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 without fail so that investor make further investments or get more investors for him.

"Through such fraudulent investment operations, Das was paying returns to investors from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors rather than from any actual profit earned," said Ajay Sharma, inspector general (Hoshangabad) told TOI.

Individuals have made investments in Das's company ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 40 lakh in the last three years. "We had sent at least seven public notices warning against the Ponzi schemes, but none bothered. They continued depositing in these schemes," the IG said.

Earlier, a video recording of more than 100 investors in Das's company was done by the Betul police, but none admitted to have invested in scheme of Das, police said. Das procured a poultry farm in Betul and Chhattisgarh with investors' money besides five vehicles, including Traveler and two SUVs. He also gave four-wheelers to his employees and key agents.

Additional SP Geetesh Garg, who is investigating the case, said the accused was arrested under Section 420 (Forgery) of the IPC. He will also be charged under Madhya Pradesh Protection of Interest of Investor's Act 2000.

There are reportedly more than 400 such companies operations in the state despite 33 such scammers being charge-sheeted in the court of Gwalior, Indore and other cities.

Worried over flourishing chit-fund companies, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had written a letter to the Centre in February this year urging for early notification of Money Circulation Scheme (Banning) Rules 2012 under Prize Chit and Money Circulation Scheme (Banning) Act 1978.

Ponzi scheme mastermind held, Rs 12.45 lakh seized - The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Ponzi-scheme-mastermind-held-Rs-12-45-lakh-seized/articleshow/21328727.cms)


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One like this is a little tougher to spot.

You had an esteemed member of the community, so people trusted him.
Nevertheless, it is always good to be able to independently verify where your money is. If it is with a private manger you should be able to call a bank or brokerage to check on your money.

And the fact that people "are being paid" means nothing. Ponzis always pay until the money or criminal disappears.

“Between 2006 through 2011, Mr. Galemmo claimed to have achieved a 432 percent return,” the complaint states, adding that Galemmo “claimed that he never had a year in which his investments experienced a loss.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130724/NEWS/307240137/Investors-sue-say-they-lost-millions-Ponzi-scheme

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ribshaw
07-25-2013, 07:56 PM
As if the 8th grade sex education video showing a live birth was not enough, scammers have to get in on the action.

Their messages - which feigned to be legitimate updates from the live blogging site - contained a link entitled “Watch the Hospital Cam”.

Royal baby scam: Cyber criminals exploit the new prince's birth - Crime - UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/royal-baby-scam-cyber-criminals-exploit-the-new-princes-birth-8730635.html)

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ribshaw
07-25-2013, 08:07 PM
Phone scams, back in the news. Banks, IRS, FBI, Police, Lotteries, NEVER use the phone to get you to give personal information unless it is a scam.

One scam that targeted Arkansans as recently as last week involved telephone calls from con artists purporting to be representatives of a credit-card company. Consumers hear pre-recorded messages stating that their credit cards had been "locked," and are asked to press "1" to connect to customer-service agents.

AG Office warns of scam calls | thv11.com (http://www.thv11.com/news/crime/273202/370/AG-Office-warns-of-scam-calls)

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Alice (fictitious name) called to tell us she received a phone call this week, supposedly from David Russell of El Paso, Texas, representing Publishers Clearing House. He was pleased to announce she has won $1.5 million from Publishers Clearing House, $350,000 to be distributed on a monthly basis (delivered by UPS) for the rest of her life. (What mathematical formula are they using to disburse the $1.5 million?)

That is good news within itself but there's more. Bank of America is giving her an $850,000 cash bonus, which Brink's Inc. will deliver to her home.

She was instructed to immediately go to get a GreenDot MoneyPak card (prepaid cash card) for $500 (plus a $50 fee). She was then to call Kimberly Stalling in Madison, Wis.., and give her the number on the card, which could be cashed immediately. (There's no explanation why the phone call comes from El Paso and the insurance fee needs to be sent to someone in Madison, Wis.) Once the insurance is paid, the money she won will begin rolling in.

New route to old scam - South Bend Tribune: Business (http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/business/article_a0530aea-f510-11e2-a470-0019bb30f31a.html)

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HAMILTON - An early morning scam involved hundreds of Bitterroot Valley residents Wednesday.

Hamilton Police Det. Steve Murphy said a large number of people received text messages and phone calls from a company purporting to be Farmers State Bank.

The text messages asked people to call a number with a 210 area code. Those making the call were met with a recording telling them their debit card had been locked and they were asked to enter their card number.

The scam was not limited to Farmers State Bank customers.
Hundreds in Bitterroot Valley targeted by bank scam (http://missoulian.com/news/local/hundreds-in-bitterroot-valley-targeted-by-bank-scam/article_0dd0a328-f487-11e2-b4e7-001a4bcf887a.html#.UfFDvQFE9r4.facebook)
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An elderly resident was scammed out of $3,000 when she wired money to the Dominican Republic because someone claiming to be her grandson, called her and told her he was at a wedding out of state and was arrested. The first time he called, he requested $1,600 to keep from going to jail. The woman received a second call from someone claiming to be from a prosecutor’s office in Oklahoma and said her grandson was a flight risk and they needed another $1,400. The report was made July 15.

Another elderly resident a victim of a scam: Mayfield Village and Gates Mills Police Blotter | cleveland.com (http://www.cleveland.com/hillcrest/index.ssf/2013/07/another_elderly_resident_a_vic.html)

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Another common travel scam that scam artists run is they will pretend to be resort staff, and call resort guests from local payphones, so the incoming call appears as locally placed. The goal of the scam artist in this scenario is akin to what was previously mentioned. An unsuspecting traveler may slip up and give the requested information over the phone, believing to be conversing with resort management. Travelers can avoid this tactic by just not giving out personal information over a phone call. The front desk of the resort is the only place that resort guests should provide financial information.

GeoHoliday Club Scam Awareness Team Talks Travel Scam Avoidance for Summer 2013 -- LAS VEGAS, July 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/geoholiday-club-scam-awareness-team-talks-travel-scam-avoidance-for-summer-2013-216903941.html)

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ribshaw
07-25-2013, 08:16 PM
RANDOM SCAMS

A week or so back I saw an article on a beef jerky crowd funding scam. GoFundMe is another site where predator lurk. It is best if you can independently verify a story and/or afford to lose 100% of any money you send.

One side-effect of the law is to open up some new opportunities for “shady operators” and scam artists to exploit unsophisticated investors; the objective of I-CROWD is to crack down on such abuses, Galvin suggested.

Crowdfunding scam artists beware: Massachusetts is putting I-CROWD on the case - Innovation - Boston.com (http://www.boston.com/business/innovation/blogs/inside-the-hive/2013/07/24/crowdfunding-scam-artists-beware-massachusetts-putting-crowd-the-case/fn6hf3IsEYI36cby2CkPRO/blog.html)

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e on the lookout for crap like this on EBAY or other auction sites. According to the article this replica was bid up to $13,000,000 before people noticed.

This auction is for a Amazing Fantasy #15 reprint only, this is not the original comic. Pictures that are shown in the picture gallery above do not represent the reprint comic being sold nor do they represent the comic in anyway. Bidder/Buyer accepts that he/she as read the full description/details of this auction listing. Good luck to all bidders!

eBay Members Scam Amazing Fantasy #15 Scammer - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/07/25/ebay-members-scam-amazing-fantasy-15-scammer/)


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Content Marketing, The Next Pyramid Scheme And How To Avoid Being A Sucker

Content Marketing, The Next Pyramid Scheme And How To Avoid Being A Sucker - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/philjohnson/2013/07/25/content-marketing-the-next-pyramid-scheme-and-how-to-avoid-being-a-sucker/)

Increasingly, the obsession with content marketing looks like a pyramid scheme. It’s great for people who get in at the top and have all the resources. For people joining the party late and not fully prepared, they can be duped into investing a lot of money and getting nothing in return. Do most brands really believe they can compete with the media companies for audience acquisition and attention?

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ribshaw
07-26-2013, 04:06 PM
TUCSON - Darryl Willhite calls himself a pastor. Some who know him call him a con man. They say the 53-year old Willhite is asking Tucson residents for money to buy a building on Grant Rd. near Tucson Blvd. for his Krystal Light Ministry. But several of his acquaintances told the News 4 Tucson Investigators that Willhite doesn't practice what he preaches.

Tim Booker is the Senior Pastor of the Church on the Street, which provides food, shelter and bible study for the homeless. He says he's known Willhite since 2000.

Pastor Booker said of Willhite, "He's a con."

Booker says Willhite was a homeless drug addict when his church took him in. He claims Willhite stole the church's truck and $500 from a church bank card.

We met Willhite outside the building he hopes to buy, and asked him, "Did you steal the church truck and bank card, as Pastor Booker claims?" He replied, "No." We asked, "Why would Pastor Booker, a Senior Pastor, lie about you?" Willhite replied, "Well, I don't know. I can't give you Pastor Tim's reasoning."

But there's more: Court records show that Darryl Willhite has a long criminal record, having been arrested at least three dozen times in Arizona, Nevada and California. Las Vegas Police told us they arrested Willhite at least 30 times between 1998 and 2012, on charges including larceny, theft and forgery; the forgery conviction ultimately resulting in a 10-month jail sentence. Records show that in 2000, Willhite was found guilty in Tucson of resisting arrest. Records also show that in 1998 , he pled no contest to theft in Pima County. All the charges since 2004 are misdemeanors.

Willhite says, "I used to be an addict. I gave my life to Jesus Christ."

We had the following exchange with Willhite:

News 4 Tuscon Investigators: "When was the last time you were arrested for anything?"
Willhite: "Um. I think 2005. 2005?
News 4: "I have a mug shot of you from Las Vegas Police from 2012."
Willhite: "For what?"
News 4: "Motor vehicle violations. Not walking in the crosswalk, things like that, not having insurance."
Willhite: "Ha-ha. I don't count a jaywalking ticket as something that's a big deal."

Ramona Huerta met Willhite recently through a minister. She said five minutes after Willhite saw her, he said God sent her to him, got down on one knee, and proposed.

Huerta told us, "He's a good sweet-talker, he's a good sweet-talker. He's a fake."

We said to Willhite, "It doesn't sound very pastor-like to get on one knee and propose marriage to somebody five minutes after meeting them. "He replied, "I'm sorry, sir, that's not true. I was playing with her, ok, in a manner."

Soon after meeting Ramona, Willhite confirmed to us that he did move in with her and stayed for several days. He said, "She's an attractive woman, to say the least."

Turn around and walk away, because he's not who he says he is.

Denise Maurici was Ramona's roommate. Maurici said, "I am Christian, and I just can't believe someone would actually act like that, and use God and the church and all that."

Maurici's advice for anyone who Willhite approaches? "Turn around and walk away, because he's not who he says he is."

The News 4 Tucson Investigators asked Willhite, "Why are three people telling me you're a liar, a con man and a sweet-talker, and don't trust you?" He said, " Well, I'm trying to tell you. The woman is a woman scored, for whatever reason."

Willhite said Ms. Huerta is trying to destroy him in the media because he ended their brief relationship. She says that's not the case, that she kicked him out.

We asked Willhite, "Why should people watching this believe you?" He said, "I've had some difficulties and some struggles, but that's how I've learned what to do and what not to do."

Finally, Pastor Booker of The Church on the Street said, "The public should know that if you deal with Darryl Willhite, and you get burnt, that's on you."

The realtor listing the building that Willhite wants to buy for his ministry told us the selling price is $749,000. Willhite says he is still hopeful of collecting donations from Tucsonans to buy the place for his ministry.

Remember, if you have a story you want us to investigate, please email us at investigators@kvoa.com.
Blind Faith? | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona (http://www.kvoa.com/news/blind-faith-/#_)
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Koenig's story, he was conned himself by a woman he met on Match claiming to have cancer.

From 1997 to 2009, Koenig headed Asset Real Estate & Investment Company (AREI), a firm that oversaw dozens of senior housing and residential assisted-living centers. Koenig & co. told investors these complexes served as a safe and lucrative means for tax-sheltered property exchanges. After AREI would buy an assisted-living home, Koenig would then divvy up shares of the given facility to clients. However, the senior centers were not the profitable investment vehicle that Koenig claimed them to be, as they were incurring losses and defaulting on obligations. By May of 2007, California state DOJ investigators established, AREI was already an insolvent enterprise.

Koenig and Armitage would sustain the scam by encouraging thousands of investors to sink their money into AREI, funds the men would then pay out as fictitious interest. Rewarding themselves for their financial creativity, they also spent clients’ cash on a Lear jet, luxury vehicles and an 80-acre estate complete with a castle in the mountains outside of Redding. Victims were even convinced to refinance their homes and open retirement accounts to foot the bill for the fraudsters’ lifestyle.

Interestingly, Koenig himself is alleged to have been scammed by a Florida woman he met on Match.com. Mary Ann McCall settled into the Ponzi engineer’s residence on upscale Fleming Island outside of Jacksonville by telling him she had terminal cancer, a false claim local prosecutors say she had made several times before in order to score free goodies from well-wishers. Koenig, meanwhile, could face up to 50 years in prison for his charges; he will be sentenced June 11th.

$250 Million Ponzi Scheme Featured Castle Estate | Ponzi Clawbacks (http://www.ponziclawbacks.com/2013/05/14/250-million-ponzi-scheme-featured-castle-estate/)

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Weekly returns of 10% should make anyone run the other way.

Shalhoub hooked his marks by falsely promising weekly returns of up to 10 percent of their principal investment.
Shalhoub paid purported profits to customers from their original principal or from money invested by other customers, in a manner similar to a Ponzi scheme, said prosecutors.
Staten Islander ran $300K commodity futures Ponzi schemes, U.S. attorney charges | SILive.com (http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/prosecutors_staten_islander_ra.html)

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According to Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli, he had access to various documents and computer terminals that contained fellow employees' personal information, including data about their company-sponsored 401K accounts with Fidelity Brokerage Services.

Golden is accused of using the info to change the PIN numbers on various accounts, then logging in to make withdrawals, transfers and borrow funds.

East Orange man charged in $50K identity theft scam | NJ.com (http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2013/07/east_orange_man_charged_in_50k_identity_theft_scam .html)

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ribshaw
07-26-2013, 07:24 PM
More service scams. If someone calls and tells you that if you don't pay up they will turn off you power, tell them to go pound sand. If your power goes out and stays out and they actually send you a bill, I would say you probably owe the money. Other than that, please don't give out details over the phone.

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Suffolk Police are investigating a flim-flam where the victim was scammed by a person pretending to be with Dominion Virginia Power.

The 57-year-old victim told police he received a call from a man stating he was with Dominion Virginia Power on July 18. The caller noted the victim’s account number and said the company was in the process of updating its system and a balance was due.

The victim was ultimately scammed out of $1,800.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Dominion Virginia Power has warned customers of this exact scam. Anyone who may feel they have been targeted by a scammer should call their local law enforcement.

Man falls victim to Dominion scam | WAVY.com | Suffolk (http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/suffolk/man-falls-victim-to-dominion-scam#.UfKFq5bGrIQ.facebook)

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Southern California Edison is warning customers to be aware of a telephone-based scam in which the caller asks for immediate payment for supposedly past-due bills.

SCE advises customers who suspect they are being targeted to ask for the caller's name, department and business phone number. If the caller refuses to give the information, customers should end the call and report what happened to police or SCE by calling 800-655-4555.

Southern California Edison customers warned of phone scam - The Daily Breeze (http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_23731117/southern-california-edison-customers-warned-phone-scam)

ribshaw
07-26-2013, 07:29 PM
A classic scam has been making the rounds on websites such as Craigslist and Kijiji -- someone contacts you to purchase an item you’re selling, and is even willing to send a cheque for more than it’s worth. In return, they only ask that you use the extra funds to ship the item via a third-party courie

Read more: How to avoid an old scam now making the rounds online (http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/how-to-avoid-an-old-scam-now-making-the-rounds-online-1.1384574#ixzz2aA4aWEnE)


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The Florida Times-Union (Nationwide search brings Jacksonville couple back to Nassau County to face Dish Network fraud charges | jacksonville.com (http://bit.ly/1aMqsl3) ) reports authorities say Anthony Gerhold bilked customers for $700 to $900 each by having them sign up for a Dish Network upgrade. Officials say customers realized they had been scammed when their service was cut off for non-payment. When customers complained, they were given an 800 number that was monitored by Crystal Gerhold.

N. Fla. couple arrested in satellite TV scam - SFGate (http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/N-Fla-couple-arrested-in-satellite-TV-scam-4688300.php)

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Users have taken to Twitter to warn others of the attacks. But as convincing as the e-mail might be at a glance, grammar mistakes, a missing capital letter in "Apple," and a fake Apple domain for the Web site the e-mail points to mark the message and the site as bogus.

Phishing scam piggybacks on Apple Dev Center hack | Security & Privacy - CNET News (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57595511-83/phishing-scam-piggybacks-on-apple-dev-center-hack/)

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Con artists are again impersonating ASIC in an effort to scam money out of consumers and the regulator is now warning Australians to be ‘wary’ of cold callers claiming to represent ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission).

“These offshore cold callers claim that your credit union, building society or bank have overcharged you and ask for your personal bank details,” reads an ASIC statement released yesterday. “These calls are a scam, and ASIC warns anyone who is contacted to hang up.”

Scammers impersonating ASIC - Your Investment Property Australia (http://www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au/news/scammers-impersonating-asic-177520.aspx)

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ribshaw
07-26-2013, 07:36 PM
My tip, tell them to hold on while you go get your checkbook and never come back to the phone. LOL Also, I get a lot more mailings these days touting a stock than I ever do phone calls. Throw this junk in the trash.

Our top five tips on avoiding boiler room scams:

Beware of cold callers offering opportunities that look too good to be true.
Always verify the identity of an authorised firm. Check the FCA website if in any doubt.
Avoid giving out personal details.
Remember that investors do not have the same protection when dealing with unauthorised firms. (I.e. no access to the Financial Ombudsman service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme FCSC if things go wrong.)
Beware of where the enquiry comes from; most boiler room scams are based overseas. Common countries include Switzerland, Spain, Dubai and the USA.

Brewin Dolphin Holdings plc : Top tips for avoiding boiler room scams. | 4-Traders (http://www.4-traders.com/BREWIN-DOLPHIN-HOLDINGS-P-4001760/news/Brewin-Dolphin-Holdings-plc-Top-tips-for-avoiding-boiler-room-scams-17127976/)

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MANILA - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is warning the public against another potential scam targeting teachers in Cebu.

In a notice on its website, the SEC said it received reports that CBR Energy Asia Group Inc, which uses the name CBR Global Group Inc, is soliciting funds that supposedly would be invested in an offshore oil business and earn a monthly interest rate of 20 percent for distribution to investors every week.

After one year, the company promises to return 150 percent of the investment, on top of the 20-percent monthly interest, the regulator added.

While CBR Energy Asia is registered with SEC, the company is not licensed to engage in financial investment activities. Its funds have so far supposedly come from teachers in Ayungon, Cebu.

"The public is advised to exercise due diligence when making any investment," the SEC said.

In August 2012, the SEC issued a similar warning against Aman Futures Philippine Inc, a company operating in Pagadian City that promised a "double your money” investment scheme. Aman Futures had duped 15,000 people in a P12-billion pyramiding scam.

SEC warns of investment scam preying on Cebu teachers - InterAksyon.com (http://www.interaksyon.com/business/66184/sec-warns-of-investment-scam-preying-on-cebu-teachers)

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ribshaw
07-26-2013, 07:43 PM
Public WiFi, 2013 version of taking candy from strangers.

Don't get #WiFi hacked on vacation! https://www.facebook.com/privatewifi

To keep you safe, PRIVATE WiFi CEO Kent Lawson gave these tips to CNN:

Confirm the name of hotspot with the hotel or restaurant’s staff, so you don’t accidentally log into a rogue connection.

Disable auto connect features on your device.

Don’t connect to ad hoc networks, there’s no way to tell if they’re secure.

Turn off a device’s WiFi connection when not in use.

If you regularly access online accounts through WiFi hotspots, use a virtual private network (#VPN). VPNs encrypt traffic between your computer and the internet, even on unsecured networks.

ribshaw
07-26-2013, 07:46 PM
Keeping kids safe on the internet.

If you have a child in the home who has access to your computer, these ten safety rules will help them enjoy the Internet safely.

Always ask your parents' permission before using your full name, address, telephone number or school name anywhere on the Internet.

Always tell your parents or guardian if you see something online that you know is wrong or that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Don't respond to messages that make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy.

Never give out a credit card number or password online.

Never send out your picture without your parents' permission.

Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts or money.

Don't ever accept a gift or an offer that involves having someone visit your house.

Never arrange to meet someone you've met online in person unless you discuss it with your parents and an adult goes with you.

Talk to your parents to set up rules for going online. Decide with them the best time of day to be online, the length of time to be online, and appropriate areas to visit.

Get to know your "online friends" just as you get to know all of your other friends. Be sure that you are dealing with someone that you and your parents know and trust before giving out any personal information about yourself via email.

Internet Safety Rules for Kids (http://crime.about.com/od/online/qt/kidsonline.htm)

ribshaw
07-30-2013, 09:19 AM
MALEWARE/PHISHING SCAMS Just 14 years Old drunk girl did this infront of all Public – Facebook Scam | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Scam-Watch/Just-14-years-Old-drunk-girl-did-this-infront-of-all-Public-Facebook-Scam.html)

Did my best to screenshot as who doesn't want to watch a drunk 14 year old with all the good viewing options available on the web? To me the plugin looks legit, but is actually a potential threat according to Facecrooks. Don't know myself, I likes kitten videos.

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ribshaw
07-30-2013, 09:22 AM
MALEWARE/PHISHING SCAMS Just 14 years Old drunk girl did this infront of all Public – Facebook Scam | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Scam-Watch/Just-14-years-Old-drunk-girl-did-this-infront-of-all-Public-Facebook-Scam.html)

Did my best to screenshot as who doesn't want to watch a drunk 14 year old with all the good viewing options available on the web? To me the plugin looks legit, but is actually a potential threat according to Facecrooks. Don't know myself, I likes kitten videos.

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This is an older article that discusses how to clean up rogue extensions that you may have picked up along the way.

How to protect your Facebook account from Rogue Browser Extensions | Facecrooks.com | How to Avoid Facebook Scams (http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/how-to-protect-your-facebook-account-from-rogue-browser-extensions.html)

ribshaw
07-30-2013, 09:30 AM
Had discussed this elsewhere today, but there are any number of reasons to lock down your identity these days. Including a credit freeze and getting a code to protect your tax return. The later is only available presently from the IRS if you are a potential victim of ID theft. But who is to say, what potential victim truly means as all of this seems inevitable with the continual data breeches, etc. Credit Freeze and Thaw Guide | www.clarkhoward.com (http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/nFbL/)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EhR-iGHt1o&feature=youtu.be

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'The issue here is that people need to be incredibly cautious with their online identities,'' Mr Leeper said, ''and what we learned from that particular case was that there appears to
be enough around on social media sites these days for it to be possible for someone who is not that careful to make it easier for someone to steal their identity.''

Read more: Identity scam sparks new ATO unit (http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/identity-scam-sparks-new-ato-unit-20130728-2qt4n.html#ixzz2aMwcY300)


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Even if your parents/grandparents are not on the web, this looks like a good preemptive strike against online thieves.

Patti Patterson, regional communications director for Social Security, said in an email thieves set up “My Social Security” accounts using personal information of a beneficiary and through the automatic enrollment process at financial institutions. That’s one good reason, she said, to set up a “My Social Security” account.

“If a person already has an account, a fraudulent attempt will not be successful,” Patterson said.

People can also block direct deposit changes through the automatic enrollment process by contacting Social Security.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20130728/COLUMNISTS40/307280032/Online-scam-hijacks-Social-Security-benefits

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ribshaw
07-31-2013, 04:20 PM
One for fun. The 23 Funniest Scam Viagra Ads (http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/the-25-funniest-scam-viagra-ads)

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Police Chief Mark Thompson is urging residents to be aware of a phone scam involving callers pretending to be members of the Prattville Police Department in an attempt to solicit money.

Thompson said a person is calling elderly residents of Prattville claiming to be a member of the department and saying the resident has been caught on camera running a red light. The resident is then told to get a prepaid card, put money on it and call a number to find out where to send it.

Thompson said the department not only doesn’t call residents about traffic tickets but also doesn’t have a red light camera ticket system in place. Anyone who has received the call should report it to the Prattville Police Department at 595-0208

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20130728/NEWS01/307280035/Briefly-Prattville-PD-advises-residents-phone-scam

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''The issue here is that people need to be incredibly cautious with their online identities,'' Mr Leeper said, ''and what we learned from that particular case was that there appears to
be enough around on social media sites these days for it to be possible for someone who is not that careful to make it easier for someone to steal their identity.''

Read more: Identity scam sparks new ATO unit (http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/identity-scam-sparks-new-ato-unit-20130728-2qt4n.html#ixzz2aMwcY300)


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KUALA LUMPUR: Less than 10 percent of victims who fall prey to investment scams, including those online, report their predicament to the authorities.

Head of Other Trade Crime Investigation, Bukit Aman Commercial CID, Supt Chuah Yong Huat said most victims were either embarrassed or scared to lodge a report as they were worried about having to face their alleged perpetrator in court.

"They are also embarrassed to tell their family and friends. We need to overcome this because fraudulent schemes are becoming widespread," he said at an Investment Fraud in Business Awareness seminar at Wisma Bernama here on Saturday.

In the seminar organised by the Malaysian Crime Prevention Awareness Board, Chuah provided advice on how to avoid being scammed by such schemes.

He said the most important method was to refrain from responding to e-mails, short message service (SMS) or telephone calls offering dodgy investment schemes.

"Carry out a check before signing any documents related to investments. Don't easily trust a person based on their looks. Investigate the background of the investment company thoroughly," he said.

According to Chuah, early detection of such activities was an effective way to eradicate the problem.

Chuah also explained that pressure was among the main reasons for a person to offer fraudulent schemes as a way to get rich quickly.

He said such individuals were also greedy and lived beyond their means. - Bernama

Police: Investment scam victims reluctant to make report - Nation | The Star Online (http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/06/29/Police-Investment-scam-victims-reluctant-to-make-report.aspx)

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ribshaw
07-31-2013, 04:31 PM
SCAMMER https://www.facebook.com/jeffcarey.melby

Using this picture:

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Who is this:

Cookies for the commander (http://www.warren.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123340387)

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And all this fits like a glove with this:

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130729/NEWS/307290026/Vicksburg-cookie-scam-woman-sentenced

The Vicksburg woman who pocketed over $1,000 for what she told residents were Girls Scout cookie pre orders has been sentenced.

Authorities at the Warren County Sheriff’s Department said a judge ordered Paula Lynn Kelly, 35, to reside in a restitution center and complete alcohol and drug counseling after being charged with grand larceny in June.

According to Mississippi Department of Corrections’ website, restitution center residents are “required to work and pay full or partial payments to crime victims.”

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace says Kelly allegedly went door-to-door during February and March taking orders for Girl Scout cookies and taking cash as prepayment.

Pace says Kelly has no connection to the Girl Scouts.

Becky Traweek, CEO of Girls Scouts of Greater Mississippi said they made good on all of the fraudulent purchases and delivered cookies to the victims.

She said the Girl Scouts cookie program is one of the largest financial literacy programs in the country and described the incident as “very unfortunate.” Traweek said they have internal controls to prevent this from happening again.

“Through this unfortunate situation it is our hope that, in the future, anyone that would ever think about doing something like this would think twice. We appreciate all of the support of the community and we have made good with everyone who had purchased cookies,” she said.

Traweek said the money used to cover the cookies given to victims came from the scouts’ operation budget and said it will not affect directly the girls.

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ribshaw
07-31-2013, 04:47 PM
With all the online stuff, I sometimes forget stuff like this still goes on. Rather brazen for $83.50.

She appeared at the height of dinner service, claiming to be a doctor whose $3,000 Chanel suit was soiled after a waitress spilled soup on her during a recent visit.

Something about the woman struck Bella Tori General Manager Eric Yacker as suspicious, like the dry cleaning bill she presented him. The total was $183.50 but she demanded only $83.50 in cash.

But the upscale Langhorne restaurant had a full dining room, two parties, a packed bar on Wednesday night, so when the woman started getting loud and irate, Yacker gave in.

The next day, he learned his hunch was right — he’d been scammed. He wasn’t the only one either.

Police investigating soup stain scam artist; Upper Moreland restaurant says it was target, too - phillyburbs.com: Langhorne (http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/langhorne/police-investigating-soup-stain-scam-artist-upper-moreland-restaurant-says/article_04615607-90dd-5f2e-9a03-2e56012a383d.html)


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WOW!!

In subsequent court filings, the agents alleged that the family deliberately befriended a lonely ex-cop from Albany named Michael Todd Sestak, who happened to run the HCMC non-immigrant visa division, one of the five busiest in the world.

In their most recent indictment, Federal prosecutors alleged that Sestak rubber-stamped roughly 410 visa applications forwarded to him by Hong, Binh and their relatives between February and September of 2012. In return, prosecutors say Sestak got a little less than $3 million.

And he was no longer lonely. In a video taken from Binh Vo’s lavish wedding, the lumbering Sestak is accompanied by a stunning young woman in a red dress.

Sestak has already confessed to the crime.
Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Jilted informant helps crack massive US visa fraud (http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/pages/20130729-jilted-informant-helps-crack-massive-us-visa-fraud.aspx)

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The state’s leading private insurer alleges Gary Kompothecras, known as “Dr. Gary,” is involved in a “massive fraud scheme,” which has led to State Farm paying Kompothecras-owned Physicians Group more than $19 million since 2005.

According to the federal suit filed in the Middle District of Florida, Kompothecras’ ASK-GARY referral service has never referred any auto accident victim to any other healthcare provider other than Physicians Group.

Additionally, Kompothecras’ referral service accepts money from personal injury attorneys in return to obtain client referrals, alleges State Farm. Some attorneys then send their clients to Physicians Group for treatment, adds the insurer in the lawsuit.
State Farm Sues 1-800-ASK-GARY Founder for 'Massive Fraud Scheme' | PropertyCasualty360 (http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2013/07/29/state-farm-sues-1-800-ask-gary-founder-for-massive#.UfaYM6pHhuQ.facebook)

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Who can resist a Costco gift card? I mean, they sell cereal in bulk.

But if you see a Facebook ad claiming that you can "Get a Free $500 Costco Gift Card," you're going to have to be strong and resist.

There is no $500 Costco Gift Voucher. This is just a scam intended to get users to click through to potentially malicious websites.

Many companies use Facebook to promote their products. It's not uncommon for them to ask users to like their pages or share their posts in order to get a promotion.

Alleged Costco Facebook Promotion is a Scam | TechNewsDaily.com (http://www.technewsdaily.com/18597-costco-facebook-scam.html)

ribshaw
07-31-2013, 04:53 PM
Here is something I have noticed when Ponzis collapse. The people who participated and/or promoted them always feign ignorance. Some I have followed in the states have been involved in scheme after scheme. Don't know anything about this chap, but seems typical.

A Member of Parliament who investigators have linked to a pyramid scheme which collapsed with over Sh780 million in members contributions on Monday disowned the company he allegedly used to receive the money.

MP Gideon Mwiti Irea denies role in Sh780m pyramid scheme - News - nation.co.ke (http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/1930214/-/vmgwbyz/-/index.html)

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CARY — As state officials announced 70 charges filed against 10 men they say were involved in schemes to bilk elderly homeowners for unneeded repairs, two of them were due in court in Wake County on felony charges of doing that in Cary.

Read more here: RALEIGH: State task force charges 10 with $300,000 in scams against older people | Crime | NewsObserver.com (http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/07/29/3066625/state-crackdown-on-repair-scam.html#storylink=cpy)
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Deed Scam, Erie PA. Often private companies will charge you many times what it would cost you to go to a government agency direct. In this case, 1000 times more.
County warns residents about deed scam | WIVB.com (http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/county-warns-residents-about-deed-scam#.Ufap2jGiBf0.facebook)

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The state treasurer says the email claims recipients are owed millions of dollars through the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. The email states an audit found the property. It seeks the recipient’s name, email address and phone number.

Zweifel says his office does not charge to return unclaimed property and that anyone with questions about the legitimacy of an email should contact his office. He urged Missourians to forward suspicious emails to his office.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators is real – but it does not notify individuals of unclaimed property.
Missouri treasurer warns of unclaimed property scam email - KansasCity.com (http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/29/4374632/missouri-treasurer-warns-of-unclaimed.html)

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More than 1,200 apps published to the official Google Play app store in the past seven months have been designed by "one-click fraud" scammers. But a new variation on that scam now involves many more clicks than just one.

"The new type not only requires clicks, but it also requires users to send an email in order to register to become a member of a service, call a given phone number to acquire a password, and enter the password to log into the fraudulent site," said Joji Hamada, a Japan-based researcher with Symantec, in a blog post. "That's quite a bit of work to get through just to be scammed."

Scam Android Apps Plague Google Play - Security - Mobile Security - (http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/scam-android-apps-plague-google-play/240159084)

ribshaw
07-31-2013, 04:56 PM
Your Money asked ASIC to talk us through the top five financial frauds, and provide advice on how to avoid them.

1. Boiler room fraud

These are serious organised fraud gangs often supported by an office of people and technology working the phones and internet, Drake says.

Boiler rooms are usually staffed by a team of experienced high-pressure sales people who put the "heat" on consumers. The sales people are also under pressure because they only get paid if they successfully scam someone.

"The key rule, if anyone approaches you that you don't know, is to be sceptical," Drake says. Never provide any information. Requesting or being given a phone number to call back is of little help.

"It's probably just another person sitting at a desk in the same scam office."

2. Fake businesses

These scammers specialise in looking like genuine financial services companies or advisers. They create a fake website and phone number, and send out real-looking documents and letters.

Anyone operating a financial services company must have an Australian Financial Services Licence. This licence number must be included in all their paperwork.

However, even if there is a licence number, that still doesn't mean it's real or that it belongs to them. Check who the number belongs to and if it is still current through ASIC by phoning 1300 300 630 or visiting its website asic.gov.au.

The same goes for a person - check they have a financial services licence or that they are a registered accountant. Then, follow up to ensure the licence or registration is genuine.

3. Super scams

Superannuation is proving rich pickings for scammers, chiefly in the area of self-managed super funds, Drake warns.

"SMSF is the flavour of the moment. Where there is a lot of money, and individuals making investment decisions, then shysters get attracted to where this easy money is."

The two biggest scams are early release schemes and investment rip-offs such as seminars. Early release scams usually centre on the fund's money being transferred to a new super fund set up by the scammer.

Seminar or course-style scams usually include recommendations to set up a self-managed super fund to "take advantage" of the investment opportunity. In both cases, the money can be stolen outright or used to purchase bad investments.

"Any scheme that says you can get your super early by transferring it to another fund is dodgy," Drake says. "If you are eligible for early release, then you will be able to do so through your existing fund."

Seminar spruikers can take all the money or arrange the paperwork so they can operate your new self-managed fund as if it were their own. "Never transfer money into a super fund set up by someone else. You should only transfer money to an SMSF if it has been set up for you, by you and is only under your control," he says.

4. Recovery room fraud

These double-dipping scammers specialise in hitting the victim twice.

"They are particularly malicious people. They target individuals who have already lost money through a cold-calling or other type of scam. They are really just the same operators but using a different approach," Drake says.

"They come across pretending they know about the company that ripped them off and they offer help to get their money back.

"They imply they are taking legal action against them or have had private investigators working on the case and that's how they know the person is a victim of the scam."

Once bitten, twice shy.

5. Taking a punt

Sports, horse races, gambling and the share market all have one type of scam in common - beating the system, Drake says.

Claims about computer programs, gambling systems, investing and index trading are among the oldest scams around, but they still reel in plenty of unwary punters.

This is not investing or buying a product.

It is a scam targeted to make money from gamblers.

"No one can promise or help you beat the odds," Drake says.

https://news.google.com/news/section?pz=1&cf=all&q=investment+scam&siidp=776fe1fc91cd335c1ab0717420232bb7f98b&ict=ln

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ribshaw
07-31-2013, 05:02 PM
More absolute BS being peddled on Facebook, the supercenter of SCAMS. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Money-from-Government/185043811646436

If you lost money in a SCAM you will need to go through a court appointed receiver. You don't go to Facecrook and ask people like this to get your money back unless you want to lose twice.

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ribshaw
07-31-2013, 05:13 PM
A person was arrested by Aluva police on Monday for duping hotel owners by pretending to be the local food inspector. Suresh Babu, 52, Parikappilly House, Eloor Manjummel, introduced himself as the food inspector based in Tripunithura and had free food from a few hotels in Aluva, Perumbavoor, Kalamassery and nearby areas.

He then went a step ahead and asked for money from hotel owners on the assurance that he would help them out in emergencies.

Conman held for impersonating local food inspector - The New Indian Express (http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Conman-held-for-impersonating-local-food-inspector/2013/07/30/article1708833.ece)

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PAY ATTENTION, THIS IS GOING ROUND.

If the man pretending to be her grandson Michael hadn't called her "grandma," Beverly Hicks might have given him money.

No one calls her grandma. To her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she is "Nana."

"The whole reason I was skeptical is he said 'grandma,'" Hicks, 72, said.

On Wednesday, Hicks received a phone call from a man claiming to be her grandson. He was in trouble, she said. After a bachelor party with his friends in Cancun, Mexico, they rented and crashed a car. As a result, he was arrested and needed money. He asked her not to share his news with the rest of the family.

Con artists target area elderly - News - Daily Review (http://thedailyreview.com/news/con-artists-target-area-elderly-1.1528890)


Grandma at 100, completely unrelated to story.
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McClung pitched potential investors starting in 2009 on software to make automated trades on the foreign currency market. The program would "perform numerous automated trades during a short time based on an algorithm designed to predict and exploit differences in foreign exchange rates," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

McClung, now 27, falsely represented to investors that the program received returns of 15 percent to 100 percent every 14 to 30 days. He also told them that he would use their funds for trades, though he did not actually do so.

Read more: Former Parker resident admits to Ponzi scheme of up to $1.7 million - The Denver Post Former Parker resident admits to Ponzi scheme of up to $1.7 million - The Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23762402/former-parker-resident-admits-ponzi-scheme-up-1#ixzz2adg23mtG)

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This is a real program being exploited by con artists.

To qualify, foreign nationals must agree to invest at least $500,000 in a business venture that will create at least 10 jobs in two years in a high-unemployment area, such as the Rio Grande Valley.

Feds probe alleged Ponzi scheme targeting immigrant investors - San Antonio Express-News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Feds-probe-alleged-Ponzi-scheme-targeting-4697710.php)

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The Ocala Star-Banner reports the woman was told a year ago that she won $1.8 million in the lottery. She told deputies that a man she identified as Kevin Thomas told her she needed to send him money to cover taxes on the prize before she could collect her winnings.

Read more here: SUMMERFIELD, Fla.: Fla. woman bilked out of $105,660 in lottery scam - Florida Wires - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/31/3533255_fla-woman-bilked-out-of-105660.html#storylink=cpy)
SUMMERFIELD, Fla.: Fla. woman bilked out of $105,660 in lottery scam - Florida Wires - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/31/3533255_fla-woman-bilked-out-of-105660.html)

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FESTIVAL-goers have been warned to be vigilant against accommodation scams, after scores of visitors were caught out by a website falsely offering prime flats in Edinburgh for the peak season.

Hawick civil servant Cameron Shiels lost £280 after paying for a one-bedroom flat on Richmond Place, near Haymarket, only to find the website where he made the booking had disappeared.

More than 50 other customers are believed to have been taken in by the scam, with an unlucky group of Fringe performers losing £1420 after booking a plush flat through the same site.

Edinburgh Fringe: Web scam warning after flats con - Edinburgh Festival - Edinburgh Evening News (http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/what-s-on/edinburgh-festival/edinburgh-fringe-web-scam-warning-after-flats-con-1-3022747)

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TROY, MO (KTVI) – Troy, Missouri police are investigating after scam artists targeted an area hotel. Someone called Luxury Inn & Suites on King Drive Monday night asking to be transferred to two random rooms. When the guests got on the line, the caller pretended to be a hotel employee then asked for their credit card numbers. Luckily, they did not give out their personal information.
Scam artists phish for credit card numbers at hotels | FOX2now.com (http://fox2now.com/2013/07/30/scam-artists-phish-for-credit-card-numbers-at-hotels/)

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ribshaw
07-31-2013, 05:21 PM
Three things tipped this guy off, security video, an audit and living larger than he should.

“The way he was doing it they were almost untrackable," Walker told KRQE. Castillo would apparently input the money order into Walmart's MoneyGram system, then turn off the computer at just the right moment so that the valid order would still print out but there was no documentation of it on the screen.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/walmart-employee-arrested_n_3671232.html

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Va. warns of new scam promising inheritance

The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia officials are warning residents about a new email scam promising recipients a big inheritance from a deceased relative.

The state Treasury Department says the fraudulent email's sender is listed as a National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators auditor, Alexis James. The association employs no one by that name.

The message promises a large sum of money that can be claimed in exchange for detailed personal information. Officials say there is no inheritance, and the personal information is usually used to steal the victim's identity. In some cases, the victim also is asked to pay a processing fee that is typically stolen.

The Treasury Department says state and federal unclaimed property programs never contact potential unclaimed property owners in this manner.
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Read more here: RICHMOND, Va.: Va. warns of new scam promising inheritance - Technology - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/31/3533035/va-warns-of-new-scam-promising.html#storylink=cpy)

The ruse is almost always the same, don't click on strange links. And if you are prompted to enter information, from a link, best not to.

According to Nextgov, the hackers secured data via phishing expeditions. They sent emails to White House staffers, which included links from what appeared to be news sites like CNN or BBC. After clicking on the links, however, users were asked to sign in via Gmail or Twitter in order to read them. Those links were fake, and typing in the info allowed the SEA to log the passwords that were entered and secure access to the staffers' accounts.

Syrian Electronic Army Targets White House With Phishing Scam | News & Opinion | PCMag.com (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2422482,00.asp)

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Best not to send things to people you really don't know.

Police said the women allegedly forwarded “earnest” money to Nigeria for nine months. Both women are charged with felony corrupt business influence and control, as well as felony attempted theft.

Two Suburban Women Accused Of Processing Checks For A Nigerian Scam « CBS Chicago (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/07/30/two-suburban-women-accused-of-processing-checks-for-a-nigerian-scam/)

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ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:05 AM
SCUMBAGS. We all pay for this kind of crap. I only wish he was 25 instead of 65 so he could spend more time locked up.

The FBI infiltrated the operation with an undercover agent, who feigned injury, obtained treatment, recovered conversations and documented evidence.

The probe alleges that Haddad paid cash to individuals to find clients involved in motor vehicle accidents. Documents seized by the FBI indicate that Mark Kirshner, who owned and operated chiropractic offices in Bridgeport and Stamford and Midas Medical LLC, a diagnostic testing company, provided Haddad with at least $100,000 in cash as a finder's fees.

After meeting with the clients, Haddad allegedly would recommend they visit Francisco Carbone, a former doctor whose license was pulled by the state. Carbone fabricated injuries in reports and provided permanent disability ratings, often without examining the clients, according to the FBI. On occasion, the FBI said, he recommended that Dr. James W. Marshall, who operates Immediate Medical Care in Monroe, provide clients with narcotic pain prescriptions.

The clients allegedly obtained at least six months of treatment from chiropractors like George DeCarvalho, Jennifer Lynne, Jennifer Netter and Kirshner.

In one FBI recording, Haddad explained to a client that time frame was necessary "because that way I got a good quality case and they can't say you didn't treat(ed) long enough."

Lawyer charged in fraud scheme - Connecticut Post (http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Lawyer-charged-in-fraud-scheme-4699302.php)

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:14 AM
ALL KINDS OF INVESTMENT FRAUD.

MEMPHIS, TN -

(WMC-TV) - A scam artist is in jail after devising an elaborate scheme, even appearing on TV as an investment "expert."

33-year-old Casey Charles of Baltimore, MD, pleaded guilty to mail fraud. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Charles promised clients, primarily seniors, to help them make safe retirement investments.

Instead, he kept their money for his personal use.

Andy's Got Your Back on financial advisor fraud - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee (http://www.wmctv.com/story/22960483/andys-got-your-back-on-financial-adviser-fraud)
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Fir all the folks that show up at Realscam.com in active scams who just don't want to believe. They always say "do you have proof", or "I am being paid". It never ends any differently than this:

According to charging documents, the pair ran a company called Newport Financial Services and allegedly guaranteed investors an 18 percent return by purchasing contracts of furniture store customers who could not qualify for traditional financing options.

Investigators say the Smiths made false claims to attract investors such as they were making "100 percent on every dime they put out there."

"Mike and Quintin said they were making money hand over fist," according to court documents. They allegedly told one investor that "if everything were cut off today, we would have enough to pay every investor back and still have $2 million left over."

A month later, police say they told investors all the money was gone.
2 plead guilty in multimillion dollar scam that victimized Norm Chow | Deseret News (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865583892/2-plead-guilty-in-multimillion-dollar-scam-that-victimized-Norm-Chow.html)

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Seriously, this is all you need to hear to smell a scam.
He had promised annual returns of 15 to 18 per cent and as high as 36 per cent.

Multimillion-dollar investment scam nets Calgary man four years (http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3921658-multimillion-dollar-investment-scam-nets-calgary-man-four-years/)
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INVESTING TIPS FROM FINRA AND BBB

Based on the last article of a phony investment guru, this is the first place you should always turn before right a check. They have detailed information on both firms and brokers. Both MUST register, if you don't see them you are dealing with a scammer.
Of course just because someone is there, is not a green light either.

FINRA - Home Page (http://www.finra.org/)

This link on investing is a little more work to locate things, but every time a scam ends you always hear about folks that lost it all. So a little time spent could save a lot on the back end.
http://www.bbb.org/smart-investing/


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ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:21 AM
RENTAL SCAM

This is only one way the rental scam works. Sometimes thieves send keys in the mail. Sometimes they tell you to send the money and the key is under the doormat. A common thread: prospective renters are required to wire money through MoneyGram or Western Union.

Offer for condo a scam, would-be renters learn | ksl.com (http://www.ksl.com/?sid=26234774&nid=148)

=================================

TRAVEL/RENTAL SCAM

Backpackers have become the targets of an online scam which claimed to offer jobs and accommodation in return for a "deposit".

Consumer Protection has warned overseas visitors after FAKE WEBSITE SCAM SCAM SCAM www.orangeshill.net.au SCAMMERS was used in a scam.

The website, which has not been shut down, claimed it could offer job opportunities to those who sent a payment to a prepaid credit card account.

A farm in Manjimup, referred to on the website, did not exist.

Consumer Protection commissioner Anne Driscoll said travellers should be suspicious when employment agents asked for fees to secure the job.

"There have been many cases where backpackers have been left out of pocket after handing over their money and giving their personal details, only to find out afterwards that the job doesn't exist and they have become the victim of a scam," she said.

In WA, employment agents must be licensed and are not permitted to charge fees to prospective employees.
Ms Driscoll said jobseekers being asked to pay fees for employment should refuse and report the agent or their website to Consumer Protection.

Backpackers targeted in online scam - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/18272565/backpackers-targeted-in-online-scam/)

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:26 AM
I love this stuff, there was a book Amazon.com: The Smart Money: How the World&#39;s Best Sports Bettors Beat the Bookies Out of Millions (9780743277143): Michael Konik: Books (http://www.amazon.com/The-Smart-Money-Bettors-Millions/dp/0743277147/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375449895&sr=8-1&keywords=smart+money)
on the lengths large sports bettors go to to beat the Casino bookmakers. So this should be good to watch, but seems like it is a bit put on, like all those storage auctions I got so excited about.

CNBC Is Giving A Scam Artist Handicapper His Own Reality Show CNBC Is Giving A Scam Artist Handicapper His Own Reality Show (http://deadspin.com/for-one-the-71-5-percent-hit-rate-stevens-promises-is-977552165)

The world of sports handicapping is dirty. That's begrudgingly accepted. But it's dirty enough without CNBC giving the sort of exposure money can't buy to a convicted felon operating under a fake name.

Meet "Steve Stevens," who runs VIP Sports in Las Vegas.

This weekend, CNBC announced a new reality show debuting in September, tracking Stevens and his company.

“Money Talks” is a docu-soap that follows Steve Stevens, his stable of agents and the clients who risk big dollars in the hope these guys have the expertise to consistently deliver winners. There’s a lot on the line as we follow the gamblers who wager a few thousand each week to the whales who routinely make six-figure bets.

Almost immediately, the sports betting community raised a stink. For one, the 71.5 percent hit rate Stevens promises is a mathematical impossibility. He's "a complete scam artist," says Bob Voulgaris, one of the biggest names in NBA betting. For another: no one's heard of Steve Stevens. Todd Fuhrman, a former oddsmaker at Caesar's Palace, writes that "no one, and I mean no one, in the sports betting community I speak with daily knows who this guy is."

But the hammer blow was landed by our friends at Wager Minds, who dug deep into his background and discovered that Steve Stevens is actually a man named Darin Notaro.

The evidence is damning. Photos of Stevens and Notaro appear to show the same person. Stevens's VIP Sports office is identical to a building registered as the address of Executive VIP Services International, a company owned and operated by Notaro. VIP Sports's sales board shows the company's top salesman is named "Darin."

So who is Darin Notaro?

1999:

District Judge Sally Loehrer Tuesday sentenced Darin Notaro, 25, to one year in jail for his part in a Las Vegas telemarketing scheme that bilked elderly citizens across the nation out of at least $234,000.

Notaro, who was also ordered to make $12,230 in restitution, is one of six men charged in connection with their work for Century Pacific Group, a boiler room that telephoned elderly people and told them they won valuable sweepstakes prizes, but they had to pay $699 to get the prize.


At the time of his arrest, Notaro was on probation for conviction of six federal felony counts of telemarketing fraud by wire. For those 1995 offenses, he was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution, fined $3,100 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

2001:

Investigators for the Nevada attorney general's office have arrested a man in connection with a telemarketing scheme targeting out-of-state elderly people.

Darin Notaro, 27, was arrested Friday after people were called and told that they had won a sweepstakes grand prize. Authorities said the victims were told that they had to make an income tax payment via Western Union before they could pick up their prize, authorities said.

So! CNBC has ordered an entire series that will presumably glamorize a thrice-arrested scammer who promises clients a return that can't mathematically be achieved. And what, pray tell, is CNBC's reaction to the uproar?

We are aware of Steve Stevens’ 1999 conviction and while we are very clear in the press release that VIP Sports clients risk big dollars in the hopes that Stevens and his agents have the expertise to consistently deliver winners, viewers should tune in on September 10th at 10pm ET/PT to draw their own conclusions about VIP Sports. We are merely betting that viewers will be interested in the world of touts and handicappers and in no way endorse either Stevens’ picks or his business model.

We shouldn't be surprised. A large chunk of CNBC's programming is already devoted to people promising to make you rich playing the stock market. That's an older and bigger scam than handicapping.

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:30 AM
AIRLINE TICKET SCAM

Hundreds of 9NEWS viewers from across the state posted on Facebook saying they received a letter claiming they were awarded two free airline tickets.

The typed note contains letterhead that appears to be from American Airlines or US Airways and has a toll-free number to call to claim the tickets.

An operator will either ask for credit card information or promise the tickets after attending a sales-pitch seminar.

This sort of "phishing" scam has been around for years.

On its website American Airlines has warnings about the scam and links on what to do if you receive such a letter.

The Better Business Bureau recommends you toss the letter.

Free airline tickets 'scam' hits Colorado mailboxes | 9news.com (http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/348006/222/Free-airline-tickets-scam-hits-Colorado-mailboxes-)

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Lotta fake airline stuff going round. https://www.facebook.com/ComplaintResolution
ScambookWatch Alert!!
Fake JetBlue Scam on Facebook. They've released a statement on the scam, "Sorry folks, we wouldn't run a contest outside of our official Facebook account: www.facebook.com/jetblue. If you see this sweepstakes (or anything similar), please don't share it – simply mark the faux contest as spam. We’ve also notified Facebook and they are working to remove the JetBlue impostor. Thanks for keeping it real!"

Share this and warn your friends!

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ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:32 AM
TAX RELIEF SCAM

One of the most common tax relief scams are advertised on TV and radio and promise to reduce your tax liability to pay pen nies on the dollar.

“In most of the cases, they ask the customer to pay a fee in advance; unfortunately all too frequently, they do nothing,” says Freedman, noting that one company was able to fraudulently collect tens of millions of dollars on behalf of tax payers without bringing any resolutions in just a few years.

Read more: Don (http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/07/30/dont-become-victim-tax-relief-scam/#ixzz2agTBYpZg)

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:33 AM
Consumer Alert FBI &mdash; Pirated Software May Contain Malware (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/august/pirated-software-may-contain-malware/pirated-software-may-contain-malware)
Pirated Software May Contain Malware

08/01/13

You decide to order some software from an unknown online seller. The price is so low you just can’t pass it up. What could go wrong?

Plenty. Whether you’re downloading it or buying a physical disc, the odds are good that the product is pirated and laced with malicious software, or malware.


Is Your Software Pirated?

Possible signs of what to look for:

- No packaging, invoice, or other documentation…just a disc in an envelope

- Poor quality labeling on the disc, which looks noticeably different than the labeling on legitimate software

- Software is labeled as the full retail version but only contains a limited version

- Visible variations (like lines or differently shaded regions) on the underside of a disc

- Product is not wrapped correctly and is missing features like security tape around the edges of the plastic case

- Typos in software manuals or pages printed upside down

- User is required to go a website for a software activation key (often a ploy to disseminate additional malware)


Today, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination (IPR) Center—of which the FBI is a key partner—is warning the American people about the real possibility that illegally copied software, including counterfeit products made to look authentic, could contain malware.

Our collective experience has shown this to be true, both through the complaints we’ve received and through our investigations. It’s also been validated by industry studies, which show that an increasing amount of software installed on computers around the world—including in the U.S.—is pirated and that this software often contains malware.

As in our above scenario, pirated software can be obtained from unknown sellers and even from peer-to-peer networks. The physical discs can be purchased from online auction sites, less-than-reputable websites, and sometimes from street vendors and kiosks. Pirated software can also be found pre-installed on computers overseas, which are ordered by consumers online and then shipped into the United States.

Who’s behind this crime? Criminals, hackers and hacker groups, and even organized crime rings.

And the risks to unsuspecting consumers? For starters, the inferior and infected software may not work properly. Your operating system may slow down and fail to receive critical security updates.

But the greater danger comes from potential exposure to criminal activity—like identity theft and financial fraud—after malware takes hold of your system.


Software Buying Tips for Consumers

- When buying a computer, always ask for a genuine, pre-installed operating system, and then check out the software package to make sure it looks authentic.

- Purchase all software from an authorized retailer. If you’re not sure which retailers are authorized, visit the company website of the product you’re interested in.

- Check out the company’s website to become familiar with the packaging of the software you want to buy.

- Be especially careful when downloading software from the Internet, an increasingly popular source of pirated software. Purchase from reputable websites.

- Before buying software off the beaten path, do your homework and research the average price of the product. If a price seems too good to be true, it’s probably pirated.


Some very real dangers:

Once installed on a computer, malware can record your keystrokes (capturing sensitive usernames and passwords) and steal your personally identifiable information (including Social Security numbers and birthdates), sending it straight back to criminals and hackers. It can also corrupt the data on your computer and even turn on your webcam and/or microphone.
Malware can spread to other computers through removable media like thumb drives and through e-mails you send to your family, friends, and professional contacts. It can be spread through shared connections to a home, business, or even government network. Criminals can also use infected computers to launch attacks against other computers or against websites via denial of service attacks.

To guard against malware and other threats, read our tips on how to protect your computer. If you think you may have purchased pirated software (see sidebar on how to spot it), or if you have information about sellers of pirated software, submit a tip to the IPR Center or the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

And know this: Pirated software is just one of the many threats that the IPR Center and the FBI are combating every year. The theft of U.S. intellectual property—the creative genius of the American people as expressed through everything from proprietary products and trade secrets to movies and music—takes a terrible toll on the nation. It poses significant (and sometimes life-threatening) risks to ordinary consumers, robs businesses of billions of dollars, and takes away jobs and tax revenue.

Learn more by visiting the IPR Center website and the FBI’s Intellectual Property Theft webpage.

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:40 AM
MORE PONZI FUN Feds say Long Island resort was funded by $96 million Ponzi scheme - Aug. 1, 2013 (http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/01/investing/long-island-ponzi-scheme/)

Federal prosecutors announced charges Thursday against two New York men accused of operating a $96 million Ponzi scheme to fund a money-losing Long Island resort.

An indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Brian Callahan, a 43-year-old investment manager, perpetrated the fraud with assistance from his brother-in-law, 41-year-old Adam Manson. Both men pleaded not guilty Thursday and were released on bond.

Between 2006 and 2012, Callahan allegedly raised more than $118 million from at least 40 investors, misappropriating roughly $96 million, the indictment says. Among the alleged victims was a Long Island fire department said to have contributed $600,000.

Callahan is accused of diverting millions of dollars from investors to the Panoramic View, a 10-acre, 117-unit resort development in the seaside town of Montauk that prosecutors say has proven unprofitable. Callahan allegedly acquired the property along with Manson in early 2007.

Related: SEC busts alleged Bitcoin Ponzi scheme

Callahan also allegedly used investor funds for credit-card bills, luxury cars including a BMW and a Range Rover, and down payments on lavish homes in Old Westbury and Westhampton, N.Y.

Manson, who managed the Panoramic View property, is accused of aiding the fraud by lying to an auditor and helping Callahan produce fake financial documents.

Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, said the men "used one of Long Island's landmarks, the Panoramic View Resort, to perpetrate a wide-ranging fraud."

"Callahan gave his word that he would invest his clients' funds safely and responsibly in established vehicles," Lynch said. "To conceal their status as business failures, the defendants employed all the tricks in the typical con man's bag."

Related: Chipping away at Swiss bank secrecy

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Callahan and Manson last year in a case delayed pending the outcome of the criminal matter. The SEC obtained a court order at the time freezing the assets of Callahan and his firms.

Robert Anello, a lawyer for Manson, said the case "has no basis as it relates to Adam, who has done nothing except act in an expert manner in dealing with the Panoramic properties."

A lawyer for Callahan did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Panoramic View declined to make a representative available for comment. To top of page


First Published: August 1, 2013: 1:41 PM ET

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:46 AM
PHONE SCAMS

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—

An electrical cooperative serving Interior and Western Alaska says some business owners have been shocked by a recent scam, in which callers pretending to be with the utility demand money to keep the power on.
According to the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, two businesses have reported the scam in the last week. One of the bogus callers was a man's voice and the other a woman's, but both of the businesses said their caller had a foreign accent -- and showed up as AVEC on their phones' caller ID.

One of the callers instructed the owner of a restaurant to go to Walmart and get a cash card for $500, promising to call back later and get the card number -- instructions the restaurant owner followed.

Two Businesses Zapped by Bogus Callers in Electricity Scam - ktuu.com (http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-local-anchorage-restaurant-gets-scammed-20130731,0,1411953.story)

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ATLANTA -- The Georgia Department of Transportation is warning the public of a person calling metro Atlanta residents with fake traffic fines.

The scam artist identifies himself as Lt. Derek White. Last week, he called a woman and told her that she needed to pay him a speeding fine of more than $300 over the phone or risk spending time in jail, according to GDOT spokesman David Spear.

"There is no individual named Derek White employed by the Georgia Department of Transportation," Spear said in a statement. "Further, the department has no enforcement or collection authority regarding traffic tickets or fines."

Anyone who receives a call from this scam artist is asked to report it to GDOT's Investigations Unit at 404-347-0620.

GDOT warns of phone scam | 11alive.com (http://www.11alive.com/news/article/301043/3/GDOT-warns-of-phone-scam)
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Been going around a lot lately.

"The phone rang and I answered it and the voice said, 'Hi Pop Pop,' " Frantz said.

Frantz said the person was pretending to be his grandson, a 22-year-old New Jersey resident.

"He said 'I'm in trouble,' " Frantz said. "He said he went to Mexico for a funeral of a friend that died, and while he was there, he got caught with a friend who had some drugs and they've got him locked up. And he needed $2,000 right away."

Read more: Catonsville phone scam asks for thousands of dollars - baltimoresun.com (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/catonsville/ph-ca-ransom-scam-0731-20130801,0,830594.story#ixzz2almMKjtS)

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CRAIG'S LIST SCAM

In a bizarre coincidence, McCartney realized that the serial number and the event ID on his Pink tickets matched the serial number on the fake One Direction tickets in the Global News story

Vancouver man out $400 in craigslist concert ticket scam - BC | Globalnews.ca (http://globalnews.ca/news/756022/vancouver-man-out-400-in-craigslist-concert-ticket-scam/)

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EVACUATION SCAM

What the hell is wrong with some people?

“The assumption is that once they left, the person would come back and conduct some kind of nefarious activity,” Gilbertson said. “There are all kinds of vultures and birds of prey out there looking for victims.”

Southern Oregon wildfires ignite scam: false evacuation alerts | OregonLive.com (http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/08/southern_oregon_wildfires_igni.html)

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ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:48 AM
This is a really good idea for elderly parents who still want some independence.

Stinchcombe’s goal is to prevent the elderly from driving off the road in the first place.

The simple solution is a preloaded Visa card ($20 for a yearly subscription) that serves to prevent fraud. The elderly can throw out their checkbooks in favor of the card and can continue to live independently.

It takes about five minutes to sign up for a card. A caregiver or elderly person can fund it from any checking account or a direct deposit from a pension.

For the most part, caregivers or family members will purchase the card. They are authorized to prevent certain types of transactions from going through the card without explicit consent. They can also set up the True Link “fraud blocker” feature to disable or limit ATM withdrawals.

Senior security: New credit card protects your grandma from online fraud | VentureBeat (http://venturebeat.com/2013/08/01/senior-security-new-credit-card-protects-your-grandma-from-online-fraud/)


This is a really good picture if you have a daughter that does not want to study.

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ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:48 AM
MORTGAGE DEBT RELIEF SCAM

Beginning in 2005, Michael Prieto of Manchester mailed offers to help bail out distressed homeowners if they signed over to him the deeds to their homes. He then sold those homes at inflated prices to straw buyers he paid to sign off on the false mortgage applications and turn the checks over to him, jurors found after hours of deliberation.

NH businessman found guilty in mortgage fraud case - News Local New Hampshire - Boston.com (http://www.boston.com/news/local/new-hampshire/2013/08/01/jurors-mull-million-mortgage-fraud-case/VHZHNF2krVw3htg6M0E60K/story.html)

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:49 AM
JOB SCAM

Nothing wrong with calling ahead to verify the person you are meeting actually works for the company.

The man then brought them up to a different floor to a public seating area where they paid the man $40 and filled out job applications giving up their social security numbers, addresses, birth dates and signatures, diSpagna said.

Police worry job application scam may be identity theft too - StamfordAdvocate (http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/policereports/article/Police-worry-job-application-scam-may-be-identity-4701747.php)

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:50 AM
Fake Facebook accounts asking people for money, there's a first.

The two pages look the same, but someone under the fake account has been sending out friend requests. Once the person accepts it, they get a private message similar to this: "I've been trying to reach you lately because I have great news to share with you." The person then gets a message from a "David Williams Officer" who claims he is a federal agent. The so-called agent asks if you are ready to claim your money he has been holding and sends instructions on how to collect.

Sheriff's Facebook page hacked, possible money scam - WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports (http://www.wafb.com/story/23023497/sheriffs-facebook-page-hacked-possible-money-scam)

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ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:54 AM
DR PHIL SCAMS. Uh yeah, lets not feel too sorrry for Phil he has some questionable antics himself. But you my good reader need not fall for this nonsense either.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIi1nl1R7Pc&list=PL0FD821287501A3D8

ribshaw
08-02-2013, 08:56 AM
DR PHIL SCAMS PART II -- DON'T SEND PEOPLE MONEY. I also just realized in Dr. Phil fashion this goes on for 8 videos. LOL, blah blah blah.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GsQ2YLN-DI&list=PL0FD821287501A3D8

scratchycat
08-02-2013, 10:11 AM
Here is one I just saw on FB.

ALERT!!!!! ALERT!!!!! ALERT!!!!!
Don't accept a friend request from
Nichole Morgan 43 years old, from EL Paso, TX and sometimes says from San Antonio Tx, Wa. or Fl, ....she is a HACKER. Tell everyone on your list cause if someone on your list adds her then she will be on yours too. She will figure out your computer ID and address, so send this to everyone on your list even if you don't care for them cause if she hacks them, she hacks YOU too. She is also noted for repeated sexual harassment and indecent private chatting. users beware!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!

People are posting it on their timelines but BEWARE!!

Nichole Morgan Friend Request Hacker Hoax (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/nichole-morgan-hacker-hoax.shtml)


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200301560044904&set=a.1913914810838.2098619.1330976341&type=1&theater



According to this message, which is circulating rapidly via Facebook and other social media sites, users should not accept friend requests from a person named Nichole Morgan. The message claims that just accepting her friend request will allow this Nichole Morgan to take control of your computer and hack the computers of people on your friends list as well. It also warns that the woman is known for repeated sexual harassment incidents. The message features a photograph depicting the supposed hacker.

However, the claims in the message are nonsense. In fact, the message is just a revamped version of a series of very similar hoaxes that have circulated via social media and email for years on end. The wording of this new version is clearly derived from earlier variants, including one that named a Christopher Butterfield as the supposed hacker:
DO NOT ACCEPT a friend request from a CHRISTOPHER BUTTERFIELD he is a hacker. Tell everyone on your list because if somebody on your list adds him u get him on your list too and he'll figure out ur computer's ID and address, so copy and paste this message to everyone even if u don't care for them cause if he hacks their email he hacks your mail too! SEND TO ALL FRIENDS. Copy and paste to ur page...

All such warnings are hoaxes. The messages suggest that just accepting a person - in this case Nichole Morgan - as a "friend" on your contact list will give the hacker access to your computer along with the computers of everyone else on your list as well. This is total nonsense. Cybercrooks use a range of tactics to trick users into relinquishing access to their computers. They might, for example, trick victims into installing trojan software that allows a computer to be controlled remotely. Or they might use a phishing attack to trick a victim into sending them personal information such as usernames and passwords, which would, of course, allow them to access their victim's account. However, even the smartest criminal will not be able to hack your computer just by being added to your contact list. For a hacking attempt to be successful, some sort of file transfer or exchange of information must take place.

The Nichole Morgan version of the hoax is more heinous than most in that it includes a photograph of the person accused of doing the hacking and harassing. False messages such as this can severely damage the reputation of innocent people. The hoax may have been created by a person with a grudge against the pictured woman. Or it may have started as an amazingly ill conceived prank perpetrated by one of the woman's friends.

Sending on this bogus warning will do nothing whatsoever to help you stay safe online. Moreover, its continued circulation may hurt an innocent person. If you encounter this hoax message, please do not share it with others. And please let the person who posted it know that the message is a hoax.

Looks like people will try anything these days!

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 04:49 PM
RAMSOMWARE SCAM.

Understanding Scareware and Ransomware (http://www.antifraudnews.com/scareware-and-ransomware/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook)

Something new to worry about!

Just what is Scareware and Ransomware? While most internet users are at least basically familiar with viruses and malware, there are new ‘wares’ being adapted by cyber criminals: so-called ‘scareware’ and/or ‘ransomware’. So what are these and how can we avoid them?

We’ve all seen pop-up ads, and those seemingly unending offers to upgrade our virus protection software. However, some of these pop-ups may be using new tactics of scareware.

A message pops up (which you can’t easily close with the ‘close’ or ‘X’ option)… it tells you that your computer is infected with multiple viruses… and you can purchase software that purportedly will remove these viruses… the collect payment option appears… you get scared that your computer is infected and purchase scareware. Some of these scareware ads will even go so far as to show icons or links to reputable legitimate software companies; the links to the legitimate websites won’t work though. In reality, you may be paying scammers for a bogus service, and in the process most likely infecting your computer and making it more vulnerable.

Ransomware is similar, but is used for extortion scams. When ransomware is installed on a user’s computer, typically the computer freezes and a message pops up. This time, the message is claiming that the government or police where you live have been monitoring your computer use… you’ve violated such-and-such law… your IP address (and it may be shown in the message) was identified as visiting a child pornography or other illegal website… you will have to pay a fine… you can’t access your computer until the fine is paid… here’s how to pay. Some may even claim that if you do not pay within a certain time frame, then you will be subject to prosecution. You pay and the scammers get their money, and most likely your computer is left vulnerable by the software as well. Legitimate law enforcement and governments do not assess fines or penalties for internet crimes in this way. It’s just another case of cyber criminals attempting to extort money through their malicious software.

In the case of scareware or ransomware, even after the ‘scare’ or ‘ransom’ is over, the malicious software may still be present on your computer. You may be open to online banking and credit card fraud.

So what can be done to avoid these ‘wares’? Use common sense and pay attention when clicking on pop-up ads. Keep your anti-virus software up to date. If you think your computer may be infected with viruses, then research and find a reputable legitimate software to use. When you purchase it, legitimate anti-virus software will always have a secure payment option. Also, remember that the police can’t lock your computer unless they come to your house!

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MORE SCARY COMPUTER STUFF, JUST READ A BOOK.


Why you should NOT install ‘Fun & Entertaining’ Facebook Applications

Why you should NOT install (http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/why-you-should-not-install-fun-entertaining-facebook-applications.html)

January 26, 2012

in Internet Safety & Privacy

We often have readers ask us questions about specific Facebook applications. Some apps generate an enormous amount of spam and can annoy the heck out of your Facebook friends. Others are outright scams and should be avoided entirely. For example, any application offering to show you who has viewed your profile, who your Facebook stalkers are etc., are guaranteed to be fraudulent. Facebook doesn’t allow developers access to the data required to create apps like this.

There are a couple of things you should know about third party Facebook applications. First off, there is no formal review process for applications or developers on the Facebook platform. Anyone and everyone (scammers included) can create apps. This is far different from the “Walled Garden” approach taken by Apple. Many unsuspecting users might be under the impression that if it’s on Facebook then it must be legitimate. That is totally not the case.

The majority of Facebook applications that virally spread on the platform are questionable at best (virally here means spreading quickly and not that it necessarily contains a virus.) If you click on the info tab of the application and there is nothing known about the developer, then we highly recommend that you do not proceed with the install. For your maximum safety and protection, it is essential that you only install apps from trusted, well known sources.

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 04:52 PM
A conman has been preying on ‘kind-hearted’ pensioners in a village near Stourbridge, taking cash from them after claiming he needed it to visit his sick wife, police said today.

Hagley pensioners are conman victims « Express & Star (http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2013/08/01/hagley-pensioners-are-conman-victims/)
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90 months in jail, seems a little light for stealing a few million.

Forehand used the business name “USA Marketing,” to solicit investments from people, mainly in South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, between 2006 and November 2009. Forehand told investors that he had a relationship with Vicky Yeager, who sold cookware to colleges and universities through her business Elite Marketing.

Forehand solicited investments in Elite from his victims. He promised the victims extraordinarily high rates of return, up to 700 percent, on their investment in Elite.

Dothan man sentenced to federal prison for involvement in Ponzi scheme where investors lost nearly $3 million | al.com (http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2013/08/dothan_man_sentenced_to_federa.html)

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I have no idea who this guy is, but there are quite a few "gurus" that float around asking for money for this and that with unpaid judgements. Just one more thing to look for if you are seeking a business partner. And the credit card bills were so big, they have to go first.

Their credit card bills, totaling more than $3.4 million dollars, including $20,000 in charges at Nordstrom's and thousands more spent on hair plugs for Bontrager.

Bontrager was convicted in 1983 and 1994 for bank fraud. As a result, he was ordered to pay $687,000 in restitution, but that never happened.

Bellevue developer convicted in 'massive' tax evasion scheme | KING5.com Seattle (http://www.king5.com/news/local/Bellevue-developer-convicted-in-massive-tax-evasion-scheme-218049541.html)

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ribshaw
08-03-2013, 04:56 PM
Sharon Pina, of Victorville, received a call at her residence recently from a man who identified himself as an employee of the gaming commission, she said.

The man said she had won several thousand dollars in a contest, but to take possession of the check it had to be insured at a cost of $3,000 to $4,000.

Victorville woman sees through gaming scam | victorville, through, woman - Victorville Daily Press (http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/victorville-41614-through-woman.html)

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SACRAMENTO, CA - A Seattle-area man and woman were taken into custody on suspicion of defrauding numerous victims, described as elderly, out of tens of thousands of dollars by convincing them they had won multi-million dollar lotteries or sweepstake prizes which they could claim by pre-paying taxes on the winnings.

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One woman from Woodland is believed to lost more than $127,000, according to the criminal complaint filed with U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.
IRS: Fake lottery winnings scam claims area residents | news10.net (http://www.news10.net/news/article/252763/2/IRS-Fake-lottery-winnings-scam-claims-area-residents)

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 04:58 PM
Defendants offered to buy gold for cheap in Africa for three of their relatives and acquaintances, then refine it stateside and re-sell it.

Instead of turning a profit, though, they pocketed their partners' cash -- $340,000 in total, prosecutors allege.

Staten Island grand jury indicts two men in alleged gold-refining scam | SILive.com (http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/08/staten_island_grand_jury_indic.html)

This reminded me of the Black Money Scam. This is the carnival barker version, but there are many variations going into the 100s of thousands of dollars.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f4Of8R4lnQ

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 05:03 PM
TITLE SCAM GOING AROUND POST SANDY.

BOSTON (MassDOT) - MassDOT’s Registry of Motor Vehicles is urging used car consumers in the Greater Springfield area to pay extra attention to vehicles with out of state Oregon titles.

Reconstructed titles from Oregon are being used to mask vehicles damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy title scam hits Springfield area | WWLP.com (http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/massachusetts/hurricane-sandy-title-scam-hits-springfield-area)

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ribshaw
08-03-2013, 05:05 PM
The Attorney General's Office said the intended victim will get a phone call or text message saying that the person's debit or credit card has been compromised and asking for personal information. The scammers will then ask for one of two things.

"One is that you click on a website that's a phishing website, a scam website that looks real, or the other one is to just ask for a reply with the personal information," Head said.

Read more: AG issues new warning about bank scam | Local News - WMUR Home (http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/ag-issues-new-warning-about-bank-scam/-/9857858/21307074/-/keiufn/-/index.html#ixzz2arxvyaKU)

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 05:05 PM
An organized cybercrime ring is amassing profits by targeting smartphone users in Russia with promises of free downloads that turn out to be malicious software. Some Russians have seen their phone bills spike after downloading what they thought were free applications, songs or porn advertised to them in Twitter messages, according to Lookout Security, which plans to release a report about the scheme today.

The malware forces Android phones to discreetly send text messages to phone numbers set up by the hackers. Those numbers charge service fees to the user's mobile operator, which later appear on the subscriber's phone bill. The system is similar to how ringtones are bought. The hackers hide their tracks by deleting evidence of the messages from the devices.

Russian Text-Message Scam Covers Its Tracks While Racking Up Huge Phone Bills - Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-02/russian-text-message-scam-covers-its-tracks-while-racking-up-huge-phone-bills.html)

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 05:07 PM
This is the ugly step sister of the black money scams.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD3fsR_wNRI&feature=youtu.be

ribshaw
08-03-2013, 05:14 PM
PONZI SCHEMES. They all sound the same...

Promoters raised approximately $2.6 million from 158 investors, most of them Oregonians, during a three-year period ending in 2007. Promoters told investors that their money would be used to mine for gold in British Columbia and that they would not have to wait long to receive a substantial return.

In fact, the mine was not operational, the state said, and salespeople hid multiple investment risks.

They lied about having innovative proprietary mining technology and special contracts to sell gold through European bullion banks. They issued "promissory notes" and "gold certificates" to investors, although the department's Division of Finance and Corporate Securities had not licensed them to sell investments.

Ore. levies major fines in gold mine investment scam | News - Home (http://www.ktvz.com/news/ore-levies-major-fine-in-gold-mine-investment-scam/-/413192/20908452/-/hcnw6cz/-/index.html)

==============================

When she met Maurice Michael McCant in 2007, he presented himself as a successful CEO of Billionaire Catt Entertainment, a rap concert promotion business, and promised to deliver more than 25 percent returns by investing in his company. After seeing these high returns on initial investments, she decided to liquidate her entire individual retirement account and other savings totaling $1.3 million and invest with McCant. It was a disaster.

Getting burned twice? Financial fraud and tax liabilities (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100918004)

==============================

One for the sports fans.

Frisch and others are accused of submitting false information to obtain more than $50 million worth of life insurance policies for unqualified applicants who didn’t plan to pay the policy premiums. Authorities say they received more than $1.6 million and the ability to sell the policies to investors.

Ex-Dallas Cowboys lineman charged with others in $50 million insurance fraud | Dallasnews.com - News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW (http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20130802-ex-dallas-cowboys-lineman-charged-with-others-in-50-million-insurance-fraud.ece)

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ribshaw
08-03-2013, 05:30 PM
There seems to be a lot of this going around right now, internet extortion. This video is sort of hokey but gets the point across. Of course in the video they catch the criminals that almost never happens. If you are going cyber, my suggestion is to insist on one of those leather masks with the zipper, it gives you some plausible deniability.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfjEjl4oHaM&feature=youtu.be

5413

ribshaw
08-05-2013, 10:15 PM
(Reuters) - In a victory for federal regulators, an administrative judge has found three former executives who worked for Allen Stanford's now-defunct brokerage liable for fraud and said they should banned from the industry.

The ruling comes more than a year after Stanford was sentenced to 110 years in prison for bilking investors through a Ponzi scheme with fraudulent certificates of deposit issued by Stanford International Bank, his bank in Antigua.

In her ruling, Securities and Exchange Commission Judge Carol Fox Foelak described as "egregious" the conduct of former Stanford Group Co. chief compliance officer Bernerd Young, former president Daniel Bogar and Jason Green, a former head of the private client group.

Foelak also ordered the three executives to pay fines and forfeit ill-gotten profits.

The SEC's case against the three executives did not allege they actually knew about Stanford's Ponzi scheme.

Instead, it hinged on whether they sufficiently ensured that marketing materials and other disclosures were adequate for investors.

All three executives have vigorously denied any wrongdoing.

Young, who was previously a regulator with the group now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, told Reuters in the summer of 2012 that he took due diligence steps including reviewing quarterly financial statements and reading annual reports about the bank.

But he said in the exclusive interview that Antiguan privacy laws kept him from seeing more details about the investment portfolio, so he relied on the bank's compliance experts.

"If there is such a thing as a...perfect scam, this was the perfect scam," Young told Reuters last year.

Foelak ordered Young, Bogar and Green to each pay a $260,000 civil penalty.

In addition, Young was ordered to return roughly $592,000 plus interest. Bogar was ordered to forfeit about $1.5 million, and Green must pay $2.6 million.

Lawyers for both Young and Bogar said they were disappointed in the judge's ruling and are still considering their options.

If they decide to appeal, the case would first go before the full five-member SEC.

"Mr. Young...is deeply troubled by the initial decision's disturbing implications for the securities compliance industry and the newer and more Draconian standards that compliance officers may be facing," said Randle Henderson, Young's attorney.

"The decision demonstrates the real danger to compliance officers relying upon advice of independent outside counsel, fully licensed and qualified accounting firms and the audited financial opinions they issue, and the sovereign financial regulatory agencies of foreign countries."

Thomas Taylor, a lawyer for Bogar, said that while he felt his client got a "full and fair hearing," he disagreed with her outcome profoundly.

An attorney for Green could not be immediately reached.

Friday's ruling by the administrative judge marked the second big trial victory for the SEC in one week.

On Thursday, a jury in New York found former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. vice president Fabrice Tourre liable for federal securities law violations for his role in a complex mortgage deal that cost investors $1 billion when it failed.

SEC judge rules Stanford executives are liable for fraud | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/05/us-sec-stanford-idUSBRE97410620130805)

ribshaw
08-05-2013, 10:19 PM
Tax fraud by identity thieves is on the rise, and the Internal Revenue Service should respond by beefing up enforcement and do more to make victims whole, a House panel was told on Friday.

The House Oversight and Government Reform operations subcommittee hearing put acting IRS chief Danny Werfel on the hot seat -- not only because the government is losing millions to scammers, but also because of ongoing political tensions from the investigation of the scandal over inappropriate targeting of conservative groups.

Incidents of taxpayer identity theft this year rose to 1.9 million as of June 29, 2013, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, up from 1 million in fiscal 2011.

“The IRS complains of a lack of resources, but it has 21 units tackling the problem and it’s gotten worse, not better,” said subcommittee Chairman Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. “We’re lucky [bank robber] Willie Sutton is no longer around today or he would be scamming the IRS.”

Mica made a point of saying that the issue is neither a new problem nor a scandal, “and we’re not here to pick on the IRS,” he added. But the agency “has a number of problems, and unfortunately, this continues.”

Ranking member Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., agreed that 1.9 million is “an epidemic that is profoundly unacceptable.” He described the case of an identity theft victim from Fairfax, Va., whose tax return was rejected because a thief had already filed and collected a refund in his name. It took two years for the IRS to resolve the mess, but the taxpayer continued to have problems refinancing a house because his credit report reflected tax delinquency. “If we can step up enforcement and deter identity theft, we can help taxpayers and our constituents,” Connolly said.

Michael McKenney, Treasury’s deputy inspector general for audit, said the IRS has made “some progress but significant improvement is still needed.” He cited 860,000 problematic tax returns from the 2013 filing season costing up to $4.2 billion, including 446 tax refunds totaling nearly $600,000 being sent to a single bank account. The agency needs more access to third-party documents for verification, McKenney said.

Werfel described an ongoing “comprehensive strategy” to thwart identity theft under way at the agency he joined nine weeks ago, saying the IRS was currently conducting 1,100 investigations that had produced 785 indictments through June. So far this year, he said, IRS had suspended or rejected more than 4.6 million suspicious tax returns, already surpassing last year’s total, with 565,000 cases closed. “New procedures and programs have been adjusted to make the process faster,” Werfel said. Recovery time for victims is down to less than 120 days, in part because of greater centralized effort and in part because of a partnership with private-sector banks and software vendors.

“We have 3,000 employees, more than double the number during last year’s filing season, on what is one of the biggest challenges facing the IRS,” Werfel said. "It is an evolving learning process, and the goal is to get ahead of the schemers. There is a lot of work to be done, but it is trending better.”

Obstacles to progress Werfel cited include “the sheer volume and complexity of the problem, the need for upgraded technology filters and authentification procedures, and the difficult budget environment.”

IRS’ budget has been cut by $1 billion since 2010, costing 8,000 positions, and it lost $618 million this year from the sequester, Werfel said. “This forces some very difficult performance tradeoffs," he said. "Without a budget increase, we will face difficult choices. If we incur additional budget cuts, we would no longer be able to sustain our current level of effort on identity theft without significantly weakening other programs.” Last month the House Appropriations Committee backed a 24 percent cut for the IRS.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson told the panel that while the IRS has beefed up protections against identify theft since she first flagged the issue in 2004, “They have not made comparable strides in providing assistance to victims. Despite some improvement in cycle times, they continue to be six months or longer, she said, noting that unresolved cases reported to her office rose by 61 percent from fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2012, and are trending upward this year.

“That’s a pretty good barometer of the IRS’ problems,” Olson added. She suggested a new centralized office and a single point of contact for victims as they deal with the tax agency.

The state of Georgia has had some success with an anti-identify theft program, according to Douglas MacGinnitie, the state revenue commissioner of Georgia who himself was a victim of identity theft. Georgia officials spent $2.6 million to scrub the tax return database to flag returns with irregularities, MacGinnitie testified. The selected 44,000 taxpayers were then asked to respond to a few brief online questions, which delayed processing of their returns by an average of one to five days. But the overall savings for the state in avoided fraudulent refunds totaled $23 million.

IRS Told to Do More to Curb Identity Theft Fraud &#39;Epidemic&#39; - Management - GovExec.com (http://www.govexec.com/management/2013/08/irs-told-do-more-curb-epidemic-identity-theft-fraud/68099/)

ribshaw
08-05-2013, 10:22 PM
By Elaine Silvestrini | Tribune Staff
Published: August 4, 2013
TAMPA - The IRS is running into problems as it struggles to get control over the wave of identity theft tax refund fraud that has engulfed the Tampa area and spread to other parts of the country over the last three years.

Two recent watchdog reports concluded authorities are making progress but need to do more to help identity theft victims and stop issuing refunds to thieves. The Government Accountability Office also says the IRS still doesn't know the total extent of the fraud.

And witnesses at a congressional hearing in Washington on Thursday said the fraud is continuing to rise nationwide. As of June 29, the IRS had identified almost 1.9 million incidents of identity theft this year, according to testimony, compared to about a million incidents in 2011.

The IRS reported that in the first half of this year, the agency had stopped the issuance of $4.2 billion in potentially fraudulent tax refunds associated with almost 860,000 tax returns that involved identity theft, Michael R. McKenney, acting deputy inspector general for audit told Congress. But he added that the IRS doesn't know how many identity thieves are filing fictitious tax returns and how much revenue is being lost through fraudulent tax refunds.

The IRS inspector general plans to issue a report in September in which it will find that although the IRS has improved its detection of identity theft refund fraud, thieves are still managing to steal billions, according to McKenney.

The national Taxpayer Advocate wrote in a report to Congress that the IRS is "still harming victims by extensively delaying case resolution." Moreover, filters the IRS has created to weed out fraudulent tax returns "ensnare far too many legitimate filers."

The Inspector General for Tax Administration concluded that the IRS's Taxpayer Protection Program is improving identity theft detection but needs to make adjustments to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

Locally, officials say work remains to be done as thieves continue to use stolen identities to steal from federal taxpayers, even as law enforcement solidifies its improved relationship with IRS criminal investigators and federal prosecutors.

"The new relationship with the IRS has streamlined the process and it's made investigating the crimes much easier," said Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis. "We do believe (the fraud is) still going on, and we're still seeing activity. We're not seeing as much of the flaunting of the money and the cars in the traffic stops and the search warrants we're doing. Yes, we're still inundated with cases and we're still working cases."

After early issues that made prosecutions difficult, more suspects are now facing justice. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Tampa has brought charges against about 45 people so far this year, compared to about 30 people in all of last year.

Davis said recent prosecutions and sentences of high profile defendants - including a 21-year-sentence for Rashia Wilson, who had called herself the "queen" of tax refund fraud - has sent a strong message of deterrence. "I think the word is out," she said, "so whether it's 'Let's lay low and do it more quietly,' or it's really stopping, that's something that I guess we'll see in time."

Hillsborough Sheriff's Cpl. Bruce Crumpler agreed that the Wilson sentence had an impact. "We've got their attention," he said.

Crumpler said his sense is the number of people involved in the fraud has gone down but that those who are still committing it are stealing more money.

The Taxpayer Advocate, which helps filers having problems with the IRS, says the number of identity theft complaints it receives continues to rise. The Taxpayer Advocate saw a 61 percent increase in identity theft cases from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2012, and a 66 percent increase from 2012 to 2013. Current trends appear to be heading in the same direction.

But in Tampa, postal workers say they are intercepting "significantly less" suspicious refunds in the mail. From January through the end of July, postal inspectors pulled more than 28,500 suspicious refunds, according to Postal Inspector Doug Smith. In the same period last year, inspectors pulled 105,000 suspicious refunds from the mail.

It's possible, however, that local thieves know law enforcement has cracked down in Tampa and are having refunds sent to other places, Smith said. Law enforcement officials have documented numerous cases that cross state lines. Just last week, for example, a Wesley Chapel woman was sentenced in Missouri federal court to 22 months in federal prison for her involvement in a tax refund fraud scheme. Tania Henderson was also ordered to pay $835,000 in restitution.

According to testimony given to Congress last week, the IRS estimates it would cost about $22 million to screen 1.2 million tax returns the inspector general says need to be verified. "Without the necessary resources, it is unlikely that the IRS will be able to work the entire inventory of potentially fraudulent tax returns it identifies," McKenney said.

Meanwhile, the IRS says it erected 13 new filters this past filing season designed to prevent fraudulent refunds from being issued to thieves and expects to create even more filters next year. Part of that effort involves the Taxpayer Protection Program, which reviews tax returns that are identified by the IRS as involving possible identity theft and then has workers try to verify whether they are valid.

If the identity of the filer can't be identified, the IRS doesn't process the return.

The program had 10 employees assigned to answer a toll-free telephone line in the 2012 filing but were able to answer only 24 percent of the calls, according to the Inspector General's report. The IRS transferred the responsibility for answering the calls to another unit this year, and more than 200 employees answered the line this time.

The Taxpayer Advocate report says it has significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to resolve identity theft cases for taxpayers, taking an average of 99 days to close cases compared to 125 days two years ago. But the IRS processing time for identity theft cases is actually increasing. Although service-wide statistics were not available, the Taxpayer Advocate said that for many categories of identity theft work, the IRS takes between six months and a year to resolve cases.

This, the advocate wrote, "is simply not acceptable for the hundreds of thousands of victims, and almost guarantees that these victims will be caught up in the IRS processes for a second filing season."

Another problem involves personal identification numbers the IRS issues to taxpayers who have had their identities compromised. The idea is for the taxpayers to use the numbers when filing later tax returns, preventing thieves from using their identities to file again. When taxpayers lose their PINs, the IRS has a procedure to issue replacement numbers. But the taxpayer advocate's report says all taxpayers using replacement PINS are having their returns marked "unpostable," meaning they have been identified by computer filters as possible fraud. This delays the processing of the returns for about six weeks.

"Preliminary analysis suggests an astonishing 81 percent of tax returns flagged as unpostable are eventually deemed legitimate," the advocate's congressional report states. "It is not acceptable for so many legitimate taxpayers to be harmed by having their returns unnecessarily rejected and delayed."

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Government effort not stopping tax fraud cases | Breaking Tampa Bay, Florida and national news and weather from Tampa Bay Online and The Tampa Tribune | TBO.com (http://tbo.com/news/crime/government-effort-not-stopping-tax-fraud-cases-20130804/)

ribshaw
08-05-2013, 10:25 PM
CRAIGS LIST JOB SCAM.

Job ad may have led to Post Office scam
Man says he was taken in by Craigslist ad

Updated: Monday, 05 Aug 2013, 7:08 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 05 Aug 2013, 7:08 PM EDT

By Henry Erb

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - "I think I've been used in a scam," a Grand Rapids man wrote to Target 8 investigators in an email.

Saylor Loft says he answered a Craigslist employment ad seeking delivery drivers for what billed itself as an industrial design company. But now, he worries that he could become the target of a federal investigation.

The company calling itself Industrial Design Pros sent him to an office in the Calder Plaza Building in downtown Grand Rapids to fill out his application. That boosted the deal's credibility.

Loft says he never met his employer face-to-face. All their business was done by phone, text or email.

He says the man he dealt with on the phone started him running errands like getting quotes for paint and for 100,000 envelopes for a big mailing. He now suspects that was "bait" to so the next step wouldn't seem odd.

That step was to pick up some paperwork at a FedEx store. Inside an envelope was a check for nearly $6,000.

"This was a company check with their name Industrial Design Pros on the top, my name under that and the Monroe Street address," he said.

Then he says he was told to take the check to the United States Postal Service office in Comstock Park. He says it appeared the company had already placed an order because the staff knew what he was talking about.

"I didn't know what I was talking about," he said. "I didn't know what I was there to pick up and they said, 'You've got almost $6,000 worth of stamps.'"

He said his boss told him on the phone to sign the check and buy the stamps. He says he did and that he quickly heard that the company was "not going to be able to get our mailing out in time locally" and to send the stamps to a FedEx store in Burbank, Calif. to be picked up there by someone.

He said he had a few more contacts with the company after he mailed of the stamps, but it soon stopped. Now, no one returns emails or phone calls.

"These guys have just dried up and disappeared," he said.

Target 8 investigators could not find a web site for the company. There was no corporation registration for the company on the State of Michigan website. Investigators tried calling what appears to be a local phone number, but nobody answered.

And Target 8 investigators found that the place at the Calder Plaza Building where Loft went to fill out his application is a company that rents out both real and virtual office space.

"They rented a temporary space with us for a day and then they were gone," a receptionist there said, adding that about 10 people came in to fill out job applications, but that the company never picked them up.

Loft says the man he talked to, however, told him he had passed his application on to someone in human resources. It's just one more thing that worries him.

For Loft, it all leads to the concern that the check he used to pay for the stamps is bogus. Crooks can sell the stamps online at discount prices.

It's not yet known if the check is bad. The Comstock Park USPS says it might not know because such a matter would go to an accounting department. A Postal Inspection Service spokesman said he hasn't heard of this specific case. A Post Office spokesperson is looking into it.

Loft said he bought the stamps on July 26. It sometimes takes two weeks or more for a bad check to show itself, so it may be too early to know if the check Loft bought the stamps with was real or not.

Loft said he talked to the FBI, which sent him to the Grand Rapids Police Department, which he says wasn't interested. He says he is next going to talk to Postal inspectors, because if the check bounces they are the ones who will come after him.

On top of that, Loft said, "I turned down two other jobs to take this. Mind you, I'd been unemployed for a year. So that's a big deal."

Job ad may have led to Post Office scam | WOOD TV8 (http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/target_8/craigslist-pob-ad-may-have-led-to-post-office-scam)

ribshaw
08-05-2013, 10:28 PM
I have received a lot of mailings saying I've won large sums of money. I suspect they are scams but could you please check them out, just in case?

TW, Worcestershire Scam letters: 'Don't be taken for a prize idiot' - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/jessicainvestigates/10219277/Scam-letters-Dont-be-taken-for-a-prize-idiot.html)

You enclosed several envelopes containing literature with the distinctive, semi-glossy feel of old-fashioned football pools leaflets. There the similarity ends. Whereas the pools give at least a fighting chance, what you have sent me does not bear scrutiny.

What stopped you disposing of them was the promise of large sums of money in a draw which, on the face of it, seems already to have taken place with you, the outright winner.

One letter says: "You are a confirmed winner of £15,500." Then, further down, this sum becomes €15,500. This is the norm for such scams, which tend to be full of silly contradictions and quirks. On top it reads: "The Official Letter enclosed is Formal Proof of this!" The exclamation mark indicates even the author cannot take what is being written seriously. The paperwork urges you to make a single order from a tacky catalogue of health and beauty products within 10 days. A hotchpotch of barely decipherable conditions follows.


Innovative businesses: the team behind Belle & Boo

The letters came from Belgium and Ireland.

Elsewhere a "specimen sealed letter" proclaims: "This is NOT a possibility in this case it's a CERTAINTY."

There are several images of a large cheque made out to you, giving the strong impression it is yours for the asking. There is also an incentive in the guise of a "free gift" to spend more.

On careful reading this turns out to be an entry to a prize draw for which there is just one winner, who may not be you after all – or anyone else for that matter, given the rest of the chicanery.

Another letter mentions a "£10,000 Jackpot Prize" which is purportedly "deposited safely and awaiting award!" Having ignored an earlier communication, you are now cajoled with: "Didn't you find the blue envelope with 'Congratulations, you have definitively [sic] won' in your letterbox?"

All in all these are, to put it bluntly, "suckers aboard" offers.

Be that as it may, such scams are a pest to some older and fragile people who believe they are bound to win a large prize if only they keep buying things they do not need or want. Saying "no" seems impossible for some people who, for whatever reason, lose a sense of perspective. This syndrome of believing, despite evidence to the contrary, can be a real trial to a victim's weary family just as gambling might be.

A Department for Business, Innovation & Skills spokesman said: "Scammers often prey on trusting or vulnerable consumers and in some instances they use the names of reputable organisations to appear credible. We are determined to clamp down on this illegal behaviour which can leave unsuspecting victims heavily out of pocket.

"We have been working with local Trading Standards Services, the Office of Fair Trading and the Citizens Advice service to raise consumer awareness and help them know how to spot a scam."

Trading Standards says it can refer such activities to the European Consumer Centre. This can be processed via the Citizens Advice helpline. The centre is a network across the European Union and can be approached by any member of the public who has a cross-border European dispute off their own bat if they so wish. It is not an enforcement body but shares information with its counterparts in the member states. See ukecc.net or call the UK European Consumer Centre on 0845 604 0503.

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ribshaw
08-05-2013, 10:35 PM
Phone scam targets MECO customers
August 5, 2013
The Maui News
Phone scam targets MECO customers - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News (http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/575174/Phone-scam-targets-MECO-customers.html?nav=5161)

Someone is calling Maui Electric Co. customers, claiming to be a representative and directing them to pay their power bills over the phone to avoid any disruption of service, the electric company said Friday.

Maui Electric is alerting customers to the telephone scam, saying its employees do not call customers to request a credit card number or direct them to submit payments via another option.

Legitimate payment options include: by phone to 871-9777 (or toll free at 877-871-8461 from Molokai and Lanai), via online at Maui Electric: Home Channel Page (http://www.mauielectric.com), U.S. mail, or in person at MECO's Kahului or Molokai business offices or at First Hawaiian Bank, Walmart or Western Union locations.

Customers should be suspicious of callers and never provide personal, confidential or financial information to someone on the phone. Telephone scam calls should be reported to police.

======================================


Hawaii Gas warns customers of meter reading scam
Posted: Aug 05, 2013 10:05 PM EST Updated: Aug 05, 2013 10:05 PM EST

HAWAI‘IGAS truck and employee uniform HAWAI‘IGAS truck and employee uniform

HAWAI‘IGAS employee uniform HAWAI‘IGAS employee uniform
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23052606/hawaii-gas-warns-customers-of-meter-reading-scam

Hawaii Gas is warning its residential customers about a scam involving an individual impersonating a Hawaii Gas employee in an attempt to gain access to their property.

The company reports at least one instance in the East Honolulu area where a customer was brazenly approached by an individual wearing blue coveralls who arrived in a white unmarked truck. The impersonator claimed to be from a company called Hawaii Star Energy and was hired by Hawaii Gas to read the customer's meter.

The impersonator then requested access to the property. Hawaii Star Energy is not an actual company, and Hawaii Gas does not hire third party entities to read meters.

Hawaii Gas reminds its customers that all of its employees wear a Hawaii Gas patch on their coveralls and carry a Hawaii Gas ID badge.

Employees also drive vehicles clearly branded with the Hawaii Gas logo. Hawaii Gas encourages customers to call Customer Service at 535-5933 if they suspect suspicious activity or have any questions.

Hawaii Gas would also like to remind customers not to provide personal, confidential, or financial information to any unidentified individual, and to be cautious when responding to phone calls and report any suspicious activity to their respective police department.


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ribshaw
08-06-2013, 08:42 PM
This has some good tips for small business owners.

4 Kinds of Fraud That Could Destroy Your Business
Matt Garrett

Get two entrepreneurs in a room and chances are one, if not both, have been the victim of accounting fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners annual report, nearly half of all small businesses experience fraud at some point in their business lifecycle. It will cost these organizations an average of $114,000 per occurrence. Worse, such fraud is usually committed by a "loyal" employee.

As the head of a managerial accounting service, I've uncovered hundreds of fraudulent activities affecting perspective clients. The amount can vary greatly, from a few thousand dollars to millions.

Let me share some true stories that highlight four common types of fraud for business owners and ways they can be avoided:

1. Payroll fraud.
Last year, we took on a local construction firm as a new client. Their payroll account had never been reconciled to their time-keeping system, so we made that one of our top priorities. According to company records, two workers and their manager were working massive hours and getting paid a ton of overtime that amounted to more than $80,000 in additional annual pay. Their timesheets revealed they were working on construction projects that were more than 50 miles away from one another simultaneously.

Hmmmm. It took about three seconds to figure that out and fire the employees, but the money was gone.

While it is easy for you and me to say that this could never happen to us, the additional salaries given to these three guys amounted to an increase of only four percent of the total payroll cost -- a figure that when unchecked could easily slip through the cracks. Most companies don't keep clean enough records to notice such an amount, especially when they fund a six-figure weekly payroll.

The best way to prevent payroll fraud is to reconcile all balance sheet accounts and payroll records monthly or, at the very least, quarterly. Look for any discrepancies and investigate them until you have a clear answer.

2. "Double check" fraud.
I know of a restaurant whose former bookkeeper stole $550,000 over five years. She did this by writing two checks each time she paid a bill, one to the vendor and one to herself. For example, if she had to pay $500 to ACME Insurance Company, she would simultaneously write another check to herself for $100 that she coded in the accounting system as "ACME."

It is very hard for business owners to catch this type of activity. Even if they are looking at the financial statements frequently and the bills look a little high, they can generally seem reasonable. But this can add up quickly. In this case, more than half a million dollars was stolen by writing 20 to 30 "double checks" per month for nominal amounts spread across multiple expense accounts.

This fraud was only detected when the bookkeeper fell ill and another bookkeeper took her place. Very quickly, the new person noticed that the bank account had not been properly reconciled in months. After doing so, it was clear that there were multiple payments in the same month to the same vendor.

As a business owner, it is difficult to find good accounting help, but it is important to have more than just one person signing checks and reconciling the bank account. Also, it is important to have an outsider come and look at the books and reconciliations at least annually, and at random times.

3. Over-ordering fraud.
Another one of our clients had a 12-year part-time office manager who would routinely order and receive all the office supplies. She was paid $10 per hour and given just enough work to get her up to the point (but not over) where she still remained ineligible to receive health benefits. She was a single mother, had a child at home, and became disgruntled.

For at least the last three years of her employment, she began over-ordering office supplies. She would return supplies the company did not need in exchange for a gift card, which she then used to buy something small and take the remainder in cash. It is unclear how much was stolen, but our estimates were that in one year it was over $19,000.

The easiest way for this business to have avoided this type of fraud is to do the right thing from the start. Good employees pay for themselves on average tenfold, and bad employees can ruin companies. In this case, the manager was short-sided in wanting to save $250 per month in health insurance premiums. The result was an unhealthy work environment and a scenario where this lady felt that it was “fair” for her to steal.

4. "Friendship" fraud.
A brilliant engineer friend of mine once hired his best friend's daughter to be his bookkeeper. He had known her as a kid. She was smart, hard-working and, because she was a single mother, she needed a sound income. As it turns out, she also felt mistreated by her father, felt her previous boss was out to get her, had problems at home, and needed this job to get out of debt. My friend is a great guy and a very trusting person. Within a year, the bookkeeper was the only one writing, signing and authorizing checks. She was running payroll and the only contact for the IRS.

In late 2011, he was astonished to learn that all of his bank accounts were frozen and levied by the IRS. Though he had paid and filed all of his personal income taxes on time, his bookkeeper was stealing the money that was supposed to go to payroll taxes. As the only IRS point-of-contact for the business, she strung this out over a three-year period and stole $439,000. Three days later, the company was forced to shut down, 15 employees lost their jobs, and the shareholders (including her father) lost all of their money.

The moral of the story is to never hire anyone solely based upon friendship, family, obligation, or feelings of sympathy. Build a culture of accountability, measure results, and make sure everyone knows that you are looking at their performance. Then, hire based on talent, and pay for that talent to perform at a high level of accountability and integrity.

Read more: 4 Kinds of Fraud That Could Destroy Your Business | Entrepreneur.com (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227689#ixzz2bF9UHih3)

ribshaw
08-06-2013, 08:53 PM
By Walter Hamilton

August 6, 2013, 2:48 p.m.

In an age of rampant online investment fraud, it’s almost refreshing that the latest scam involves only a telephone.

Federal regulators are warning investors to beware of scammers pitching high-yielding certificates of deposit. The thieves pose as brokers of a big-name investment firm, then coax victims to reveal financial data so they can steal their identities and loot their bank accounts.

The twist is that the scammers steal money the old-fashioned way: by calling unsuspecting victims on the phone. It’s not clear whether the thieves have used cellphones or gone truly retro and relied on land lines.

"It appears that some fraudsters may be resorting to a time-tested method – the telephone call,” read the warning from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the financial industry-funded watchdog.

Some of the victims were customers of the unnamed brokerage firm for which the imposters claimed to be working.

Nice as the human touch is, FINRA advised investors to never share personal information over the phone.

"If you are not sure that the person on the other end of the line is a legitimate representative of your firm, quickly end the call and get in touch with your firm's customer service center using the contact information on your account statements or the firm's website," said Gerri Walsh, the group’s senior vice president of investor education.

Latest investment scam: Stealing money by telephone - latimes.com (http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-latest-investment-scam-stealing-money-by-telephone-20130806,0,1507606.story)

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ribshaw
08-06-2013, 09:09 PM
MURFREESBORO – — Hispanic customers of Murfreesboro Electric Department are being targeted in a scam, according to the department.

A Spanish-speaking caller will ask the customer to go and buy a gift card and call back with the card number in order to keep their lights on, according to Murfreesboro Electric.

“They’re either talking to them or leaving them a very urgent message saying they need to go buy the card and call back or their lights will be shut off,” said Amy Byers, spokesperson for Murfreesboro Electric. “It’s mostly Hispanic customers or customers with Hispanic last names.”

The caller ID will often say the call came from Murfreesboro Electric, Byers said.

“We’re not going to call and ask you for money,” Byers said. “Even if you haven’t paid your bill, we will never call you. We’ll leave a note on your door or send the second notice. We’re not going to ask you to go to Wal-Mart or Walgreens. We’re not going to ask you to come anywhere but at Murfreesboro Electric. We’ll have identification or ask you to come to our office. This goes for all of our customers.”

Byers said customers who believed they have been scammed can also call or come in if they want to make sure their account is in good standing.

“For peace of mind,” Byers said, “we’re happy to talk with them, but we’ll encourage them to call police. They may not want to do that, but they have always have the option to call us and make sure their account is OK after they believe they may have been scammed.”

Byers said no one on staff at Murfreesboro Electric speaks Spanish.

“That’s what clued one lady in,” Byers said. “She was about to go and do what they said and she remembered we didn’t have anyone who spoke Spanish so she called us.”

No police reports have been filed by customers, according to Murfreesboro Police Department Spokesperson Kyle Evans.

“Anyone who believes they may have been scammed should call 893-1311 to file a police report,” Evans said.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130806/NEWS01/308060099/Hispanic-Murfreesboro-Electric-customers-targeted-scam

===============================

Scam regarding power bills targeting foreign food restaurants

SPARKS, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- The Sparks Police Department would like to make citizens and local businesses aware of a scam happening recently.

This recent series of scams appears to be targeting foreign food restaurants, according to SPD.

On August 8, 2013 a local business owner contacted SPD to file a fraud report. The owner said he was contacted by a person claiming to be a representative of NV Energy who stated that the business was behind on their power bill. The person further claimed that the power would be shut off if the bill was not paid within a few hours. The owner complied with instructions he received during the call, which included instructions to send money by wire transfer or prepaid credit cards.

SPD says people should be suspicious of such requests with similar demands. Prior to paying such requests, people should contact the company allegedly making such a request at a published number, not one given to them by the person on the phone. Other indicators of possible fraud include the request for wire transfers or prepaid credit cards that are sent to foreign locations such as Montreal, Tel Aviv and Nigeria.

If you are the victim of a scam you are encouraged to contact your local police department.

Scam regarding power bills targeting foreign food restaurants - My News 4 - KRNV, Reno, NV (http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Scam-regarding-power-bills-targeting-foreign-food/UHgaiZE7tUicCwQYNk6_qQ.cspx)

ribshaw
08-06-2013, 09:18 PM
This one leaves me shaking my head.

Two men 'posed as top bank execs to scam $220,000 in private flights, luxury hotel stays and Tiffany's shopping trips'

Dante Dixon, 45, and Christopher Henderson, 32, 'pretended to be financial execs so they were issued with credit from companies'
They 'took four privately chartered flights and spent $25,000 at a hotel'
They also 'charged $20,000 for watches, sunglasses and men's cologne'
But they were busted when an aviation employee called their 'employers' - who said the men never worked there

By Lydia Warren

PUBLISHED: 11:16 EST, 6 August 2013 | UPDATED: 13:03 EST, 6 August 2013


Two men have been arrested for posing as top executives with a financial firm and scamming $220,000 worth of charter jet flights, limo rides, lavish hotel stays and Tiffany's jewelery.

Dante Dixon, 45, from Miami, Florida and Christopher Henderson, 32, of Akron, Ohio were both arrested on Monday in Ohio after authorities discovered their ruse. They face wire fraud charges.

The two men made at least four flights between May and June after contacting Jet Aviation, a business aviation provider based at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and claiming to be top execs.

Under the name 'Josh Stevens', they provided a fake email address they said was linked to the company - and were able to tap into a sham $350,000 line of credit issued by the company.
High life: Dante Dixon and Christopher Henderson allegedly claimed to be bank execs to set up a $350,000 line of credit with Jet Aviation, which is based in Teterboro, NJ (pictured), for private jets

High life: Dante Dixon and Christopher Henderson allegedly claimed to be bank execs to set up a $350,000 line of credit with Jet Aviation, which is based in Teterboro, NJ (pictured), for private jets

A man using that name called Jet Aviation's offices in Chicago, Illinois and Van Nuys, California in May to enquire about its private charter flight services, according to the criminal complaint released by the FBI.

In the draft charter agreement, which was signed after being sent to the fake email, Dixon was listed as a vice president and Henderson as a vice president of international affairs of the company.

More...

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Is this the most peaceful home in the world? Gorgeous mansion on shore of Lake Geneva goes on sale (but it will cost you £50million)

Jet Aviation was never paid for $164,911 spent on the charter flights between California, Ohio, New Jersey and Miami or $10,879 for limousine services used between May and June this year.

The duo also allegedly used their fake corporate credentials at a Tiffany store in Bal Harbor, Florida to charge $19,991 in watches, sunglasses, sterling silver, leather business card holders and men's cologne.

'Scam': The men were caught after a aviation employee called the bank and learned they were not employees

They also allegedly stayed at the W hotel in South Beach, Miami, where they racked up bills of $25,466 for overnight stays.

But their scheme unraveled on June 7, when a Jet Aviation employee met the men before a flight from Teterboro to Miami and contacted the unnamed company, which told him that neither man was employed by the firm.

'During the meeting, the defendants identified themselves as being employees at the financial institution,' the FBI statement said.

'The Jet Aviation employee then contacted the financial institution and was informed that Dixon and Henderson and others were not, and had never been employees at the financial institution.'

The men were arrested in Akron, Ohio early on Monday morning - Dixon was picked up at his mother's house - and taken into custody following the FBI investigation.
Lavish: The duo also allegedly used their fake corporate credentials to charge $19,991 in watches, sunglasses, sterling silver, leather business card holders and men's cologne from Tiffany's

Lavish: The duo also allegedly used their fake corporate credentials to charge $19,991 in watches, sunglasses, sterling silver, leather business card holders and men's cologne from Tiffany's

Both men, who are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, made their initial court appearances in Ohio on Monday. They were ordered held until they can be extradited to New Jersey.

If convicted, Dixon and Henderson each face up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Court records show that Dixon has a history of criminal fraud.

In July 2000, he was charged in a scheme to obtain hundreds of unauthorized credit cards by submitting applications using the identities of real individuals.

Prosecutors said the scheme led to $1.4 million in losses for several financial institutions and Dixon was sentenced to six years in prison.

Read more: Dante Dixon, and Christopher Henderson, pose as top bank execs to scam $220,000 | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2385445/Dante-Dixon-Christopher-Henderson-pose-bank-execs-scam-220-000.html#ixzz2bFI7gowo)
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

ribshaw
08-06-2013, 09:29 PM
Learner drivers warned about scam websites
Learner drivers are being scammed by copycat websites charging a booking fee for test appointments.

David Millward

By David Millward, Transport Editor


Additional fees of around £30 are common, the Driving Standards Agency said.

But some sites have racked up even larger amounts by using premium rate phone lines.

Anyone going through these sites still have to pay the DSA fee of £31 for the theory exam as well as the £62 to £75 for the practical test.

Some luckless applicants have, thanks to premium rate phone lines, been landed with an additional bill of as much as £95.

Another scam used by unscrupulous sites was offering “free retakes” for anyone who failed the theory test for a further £28.50


However buried in the small print was the proviso that this was only on offer for anyone who failed by only one mark, which would only a very small proportion of candidates would be given another chance.

“It’s unacceptable that some of these websites try to trick learner drivers into paying an extra fee to book their driving test,” said Alastair Peoples, DSA Chief Executive

“We’ve already taken action with Trading Standards and the Advertising Standards Authority to make sure that they don’t use official logos, trademarks or make misleading claims. We continue to monitor these sites and explore new ways to counteract activities.”

Learner drivers warned about scam websites - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/10225448/Learner-drivers-warned-about-scam-websites.html)

ribshaw
08-06-2013, 09:51 PM
I don't know anything about these businesses so I won't pass judgement at this point. But will say I clicked on two of these links and they take you right to a sales pitch. Also, the links would lead you to believe that the FTC has ruled on something. Nothing could be further from the truth, the links simply make statements about Adzzoo, Agel, Creative Memories, and Ignite Electric then reference a previous FTC ruling. I don't see credible businesses resorting to these sort of tactics, where I have seen press releases like this is with pump and dump stock schemes. They will send a mailer and then issue a few press releases that appear to have substance, but are just fluff.

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ribshaw
08-06-2013, 10:09 PM
I hate to see this, unfortunately affinity fraud is a very common way scams like this spread.


SEC says ex-Marine bilked vets in Chicago hedge fund fraud

By Jonathan Stempel
Published August 06, 2013
Reuters

A former Marine masqueraded as a successful hedge fund trader to defraud current and former military personnel, causing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to obtain an emergency asset freeze to halt his scheme, the regulator said on Tuesday.

The SEC said Clayton Cohn, 26, lied to investors about his trading success and the performance of his Marketaction Capital Management hedge fund, raising $1.78 million from 24 investors through his Chicago-based firm Marketaction Advisors LLC.

According to a lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court, Cohn lured investors through his Veterans Financial Education Network, which purported to help veterans manage their money, and by touting annualized returns reaching triple digits.

Instead, the SEC said the Winnetka, Illinois, resident spent less than half what he raised on his fund's equity and equity options trading strategy, and "lost what money he has invested."

It said some of the rest went toward "living the high life," including payments on a Los Angeles mansion and luxury sports car and "extravagant" nightclub tabs, as well as investments in start-ups focused on t-shirt designs, hair extensions and 3-D adult film production.

The SEC said it needed to intervene after Cohn refused to honor simultaneous redemptions by several of his investors.

"Cohn's hedge fund investors didn't have a chance to make a profit since he never invested most of their money and promptly lost the portion he did invest," Timothy Warren, acting director of the SEC's regional office in Chicago, said in a statement.

Cohn did not immediately respond to phone and email requests seeking comment.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent ban on various securities law violations, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and civil fines.

The case is SEC v. Cohn et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 13-05586.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Read more: SEC says ex-Marine bilked vets in Chicago hedge fund fraud | Fox Business (http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/08/06/sec-says-ex-marine-bilked-vets-in-chicago-hedge-fund-fraud/#ixzz2bFVaSoFD)

ribshaw
08-07-2013, 07:16 AM
I don't know anything about these businesses so I won't pass judgement at this point. But will say I clicked on two of these links and they take you right to a sales pitch. Also, the links would lead you to believe that the FTC has ruled on something. Nothing could be further from the truth, the links simply make statements about Adzzoo, Agel, Creative Memories, and Ignite Electric then reference a previous FTC ruling. I don't see credible businesses resorting to these sort of tactics, where I have seen press releases like this is with pump and dump stock schemes. They will send a mailer and then issue a few press releases that appear to have substance, but are just fluff.

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Patrick Pretty did a great write up on his, found a few more and appears to have exposed the guy behind the ads.

Series Of News Releases From Purported MLM Trainer Plants Seed That Federal Trade Commission Has Given Green Light To Several Opportunities, Including Herbalife (http://www.patrickpretty.com/2013/08/06/series-of-news-releases-from-purported-mlm-trainer-plants-seed-that-federal-trade-commission-has-given-green-light-to-several-opportunities-including-herbalife/)

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:13 PM
Way way way behind, even cutting and pasting takes some time. But some good scam stuff in the headlines.

A good read for business owners. Or aspiring white collar criminals I suppose.

4 Kinds of Fraud That Could Destroy Your Business


Get two entrepreneurs in a room and chances are one, if not both, have been the victim of accounting fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners annual report, nearly half of all small businesses experience fraud at some point in their business lifecycle. It will cost these organizations an average of $114,000 per occurrence. Worse, such fraud is usually committed by a "loyal" employee.

As the head of a managerial accounting service, I've uncovered hundreds of fraudulent activities affecting prospective clients. The amount can vary greatly, from a few thousand dollars to millions.

Let me share some true stories that highlight four common types of fraud for business owners and ways they can be avoided:

1. Payroll fraud.
Last year, we took on a local construction firm as a new client. Their payroll account had never been reconciled to their time-keeping system, so we made that one of our top priorities. According to company records, two workers and their manager were working massive hours and getting paid a ton of overtime that amounted to more than $80,000 in additional annual pay. Their timesheets revealed they were working on construction projects that were more than 50 miles away from one another simultaneously.

Hmmmm. It took about three seconds to figure that out and fire the employees, but the money was gone.

While it is easy for you and me to say that this could never happen to us, the additional salaries given to these three guys amounted to an increase of only four percent of the total payroll cost -- a figure that when unchecked could easily slip through the cracks. Most companies don't keep clean enough records to notice such an amount, especially when they fund a six-figure weekly payroll.

The best way to prevent payroll fraud is to reconcile all balance sheet accounts and payroll records monthly or, at the very least, quarterly. Look for any discrepancies and investigate them until you have a clear answer.



2. "Double check" fraud.
I know of a restaurant whose former bookkeeper stole $550,000 over five years. She did this by writing two checks each time she paid a bill, one to the vendor and one to herself. For example, if she had to pay $500 to ACME Insurance Company, she would simultaneously write another check to herself for $100 that she coded in the accounting system as "ACME."

It is very hard for business owners to catch this type of activity. Even if they are looking at the financial statements frequently and the bills look a little high, they can generally seem reasonable. But this can add up quickly. In this case, more than half a million dollars was stolen by writing 20 to 30 "double checks" per month for nominal amounts spread across multiple expense accounts.

This fraud was only detected when the bookkeeper fell ill and another bookkeeper took her place. Very quickly, the new person noticed that the bank account had not been properly reconciled in months. After doing so, it was clear that there were multiple payments in the same month to the same vendor.

As a business owner, it is difficult to find good accounting help, but it is important to have more than just one person signing checks and reconciling the bank account. Also, it is important to have an outsider come and look at the books and reconciliations at least annually, and at random times.

3. Over-ordering fraud.
Another one of our clients had a 12-year part-time office manager who would routinely order and receive all the office supplies. She was paid $10 per hour and given just enough work to get her up to the point (but not over) where she still remained ineligible to receive health benefits. She was a single mother, had a child at home, and became disgruntled.

For at least the last three years of her employment, she began over-ordering office supplies. She would return supplies the company did not need in exchange for a gift card, which she then used to buy something small and take the remainder in cash. It is unclear how much was stolen, but our estimates were that in one year it was over $19,000.

The easiest way for this business to have avoided this type of fraud is to do the right thing from the start. Good employees pay for themselves on average tenfold, and bad employees can ruin companies. In this case, the manager was short-sided in wanting to save $250 per month in health insurance premiums. The result was an unhealthy work environment and a scenario where this lady felt that it was “fair” for her to steal.

4. "Friendship" fraud.
A brilliant engineer friend of mine once hired his best friend's daughter to be his bookkeeper. He had known her as a kid. She was smart, hard-working and, because she was a single mother, she needed a sound income. As it turns out, she also felt mistreated by her father, felt her previous boss was out to get her, had problems at home, and needed this job to get out of debt. My friend is a great guy and a very trusting person. Within a year, the bookkeeper was the only one writing, signing and authorizing checks. She was running payroll and the only contact for the IRS.

In late 2011, he was astonished to learn that all of his bank accounts were frozen and levied by the IRS. Though he had paid and filed all of his personal income taxes on time, his bookkeeper was stealing the money that was supposed to go to payroll taxes. As the only IRS point-of-contact for the business, she strung this out over a three-year period and stole $439,000. Three days later, the company was forced to shut down, 15 employees lost their jobs, and the shareholders (including her father) lost all of their money.

The moral of the story is to never hire anyone solely based upon friendship, family, obligation, or feelings of sympathy. Build a culture of accountability, measure results, and make sure everyone knows that you are looking at their performance. Then, hire based on talent, and pay for that talent to perform at a high level of accountability and integrity.
Matt Garrett
Matt Garrett

Matt Garrett is chief executive of TGG Accounting, a managerial accounting firm based in San Diego, specializing in serving small to mid-sized businesses.

The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer

Read more: 4 Kinds of Fraud That Could Destroy Your Business | Entrepreneur.com (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227689#ixzz2bQ047gkz)

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:15 PM
Federal regulators are warning investors to beware of scammers pitching high-yielding certificates of deposit. The thieves pose as brokers of a big-name investment firm, then coax victims to reveal financial data so they can steal their identities and loot their bank accounts.

The twist is that the scammers steal money the old-fashioned way: by calling unsuspecting victims on the phone. It’s not clear whether the thieves have used cellphones or gone truly retro and relied on land lines.

Latest investment scam: Stealing money by telephone - latimes.com (http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-latest-investment-scam-stealing-money-by-telephone-20130806,0,1507606.story)

===================================

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ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:22 PM
I just read two stories that seem somewhat related to a recent scam. One in Sparks Nevada preying on foreign restaurant owners and this mostly Hispanic customers or customers with Hispanic last names.

A Spanish-speaking caller will ask the customer to go and buy a gift card and call back with the card number in order to keep their lights on, according to Murfreesboro Electric.

“They’re either talking to them or leaving them a very urgent message saying they need to go buy the card and call back or their lights will be shut off,” said Amy Byers, spokesperson for Murfreesboro Electric. “It’s mostly Hispanic customers or customers with Hispanic last names.”

The caller ID will often say the call came from Murfreesboro Electric, Byers said.

“We’re not going to call and ask you for money,” Byers said. “Even if you haven’t paid your bill, we will never call you. We’ll leave a note on your door or send the second notice. We’re not going to ask you to go to Wal-Mart or Walgreens. We’re not going to ask you to come anywhere but at Murfreesboro Electric. We’ll have identification or ask you to come to our office. This goes for all of our customers.”

Byers said customers who believed they have been scammed can also call or come in if they want to make sure their account is in good standing.

“For peace of mind,” Byers said, “we’re happy to talk with them, but we’ll encourage them to call police. They may not want to do that, but they have always have the option to call us and make sure their account is OK after they believe they may have been scammed.”

Byers said no one on staff at Murfreesboro Electric speaks Spanish.

“That’s what clued one lady in,” Byers said. “She was about to go and do what they said and she remembered we didn’t have anyone who spoke Spanish so she called us.”

No police reports have been filed by customers, according to Murfreesboro Police Department Spokesperson Kyle Evans.

“Anyone who believes they may have been scammed should call 893-1311 to file a police report,” Evans said.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130806/NEWS01/308060099/Hispanic-Murfreesboro-Electric-customers-targeted-scam

Just another service Ribshaw offers, but on a serious note immigrants are often victims of scams. If you speak two languages it helps to share information like this with them.

Un llamador de habla española le solicitará al cliente que ir a comprar una tarjeta de regalo y vuelva a llamar con el número de la tarjeta con el fin de mantener sus luces encendidas, según Murfreesboro Electric.

"O bien están hablando con ellos o les deja un mensaje muy urgente diciendo que necesitan para ir a comprar la tarjeta y llamar a la espalda o las luces se apaga", dijo Amy Byers, portavoz de Murfreesboro Electric. "Es más que nada los clientes hispanos o clientes con apellidos hispanos".

El identificador de llamadas a menudo decir que la llamada provenía de Murfreesboro eléctrico, dijo Byers.

"No vamos a llamar y pedir dinero", dijo Byers. "Incluso si usted no ha pagado su factura, nunca te llame. Vamos a dejar una nota en su puerta o enviaremos el segundo aviso. No vamos a pedirles que ir a Wal-Mart y Walgreens. No vamos a pedir que venga cualquier lugar, pero en Murfreesboro Electric. Vamos a tener identificación o pedimos que venir a nuestra oficina. Esto va para todos nuestros clientes ".

Byers dijo que los clientes que creen que han sido estafados también pueden llamar o venir si quieren asegurarse de que su cuenta está en buen estado.

"Por la paz de la mente", dijo Byers, "estamos encantados de hablar con ellos, pero nos animamos a llamar a la policía. Es posible que no quiero hacer eso, pero siempre han tener la opción de llamarnos y asegurarse de que su cuenta está bien después de que creen que pueden haber sido estafados ".

Byers dijo que nadie en el personal en Murfreesboro Eléctrica habla español.

"Eso es lo que dio un indicio de una señora", dijo Byers. "Estaba a punto de ir y hacer lo que decían y se acordó de que no tenía a nadie que hablara español para que nos llamó."

No hay informes de la policía han sido presentadas por los clientes, de acuerdo a Murfreesboro Departamento de Policía, Portavoz Kyle Evans.

"Cualquier persona que crea haber sido estafado debe llamar 893-1311 para presentar una denuncia policial", dijo Evans

============================

EDISON — Township police are warning residents about a phone scam involving people posing as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation who are targeting people of Asian descent.

According to police there have been seven incidents in the past few months.

Police said as part of the scam people of Asian descent are being told they owe back taxes to the federal government. They are being advised to pay the fines immediately so their arrest warrant will be voided. The victims are told to purchased Green Dot prepaid credit cards at Walmart stores or other retailers and forward the account information to the caller.

Police said in some cases the amount requested is several thousand dollars.

Anyone who receives a similar call is asked to contact Special Agent John McBride of the U.S. Department of Treasury at 732-418-3909 or their local police department.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130808/NJNEWS14/308080037/Edison-police-warn-residents-Asian-descent-about-phone-scam

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:23 PM
Two men 'posed as top bank execs to scam $220,000 in private flights, luxury hotel stays and Tiffany's shopping trips'

Dante Dixon, 45, and Christopher Henderson, 32, 'pretended to be financial execs so they were issued with credit from companies'
They 'took four privately chartered flights and spent $25,000 at a hotel'
They also 'charged $20,000 for watches, sunglasses and men's cologne'
But they were busted when an aviation employee called their 'employers' - who said the men never worked there

Dante Dixon, and Christopher Henderson, pose as top bank execs to scam $220,000 | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2385445/Dante-Dixon-Christopher-Henderson-pose-bank-execs-scam-220-000.html#ixzz2bFHVZiH4)


============================

Note for UK drivers.

Learner drivers warned about scam websites
Learner drivers are being scammed by copycat websites charging a booking fee for test appointments.

Learner drivers warned about scam websites - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/10225448/Learner-drivers-warned-about-scam-websites.html)

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:26 PM
Cleveland County authorities say a local woman was recently the victim of an Internet scam where she picked up Walmart items purchased with stolen credit card numbers and shipped them across the country.

The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office asked residents this week for help identifying a woman seen pushing a shopping cart in the local Walmart, in connection to an investigation involving credit card fraud cases.

“It turns out she was scammed by a man over the Internet,” said sheriff’s office Detective Jessica Woosley. “He claimed to be overseas and needed money for various things. She did, in fact, send him money after some time.”

Woosley said the man asked the woman to pick up items he purchased from Walmart.

“These items were purchased with stolen credit card numbers, and she had no knowledge of that. She sent these items to the address he provided across the country.”

The Star posted a photo of the woman on its Facebook page Tuesday, and it was shared 69 times within five hours.

Woosley said the woman will not face charges because she was unaware of the scam the man was conducting.

Authorities: Beware Internet fraud scam (updated 5 p.m.) - Local - The Shelby Star (http://www.shelbystar.com/news/local/authorities-beware-internet-fraud-scam-updated-5-p-m-1.182651)


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Rip-Off Alert: New twist on old foreign lottery scam



RIP-OFF ALERT | Foreign Lottery | TUE 08/06/13 | 4PM

Reported by: Marie Mortera
Email: mmortera@mynews3.com

LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- There's a new twist to an old scam that continues to lure people in. In this Rip-Off Alert, con artists have come up with one more way to deceive potential victims of foreign lottery scams.

According to U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Larson, the victim sent all of his retirement savings.

“He explained to me ... I mean who doesn’t dream of winning the lottery?” Larson said. “He was contacted and told you have won the lottery, and in order to collect that prize money you need to pay the taxes to get it out of the country and to the U.S.”

But there is a new layer to the foreign lottery scheme.

“When he ran out of that money, the scammers started explaining to him, ‘Hey, look, we have sponsors here that can help you,’ “ Larson said.

Essentially, the con artists would tell other victims they, too, won the lottery and to send their fee money to the original victim.

“So, instead of sending money directly to Jamaica, they would send money to our victim,” Larson said.

The move helped the con artists perpetuate the scam.

“It’s more legit because they aren’t sending it to another country,” Larson said.

Postal inspectors warn all consumers to remember one rule.

“Foreign lotteries are illegal,” Larson said. “You have to be on their soil to participate in their lottery.”

No legitimate lottery will ever ask for money up front. Also, a legitimate lottery never has fees or taxes that need to be paid up front.

Rip-Off Alert: New twist on old foreign lottery scam - Las Vegas MyNews3 - KSNV (http://www.mynews3.com/content/news/local/story/rip-off-alert-scam-foreign-lottery-las-vegas/5SGvwC88pEC95XhAN5gaKA.cspx)

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ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:35 PM
All the Right Ways to Protect Kids’ Personal Information at School and Beyond
Posted on Tuesday, August 21st, 2012 by Elaine Rigoli

A new school year means filling out paperwork like registration forms, health forms, and emergency contact forms, to name a few.

But many school forms require personal and sensitive information that, in the wrong hands, could be used to commit fraud in a child’s name.

After all, and as we’ve long pointed out, a criminal can use a child’s Social Security number to get government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, or rent a place to live.

Most parents don’t expect their child to have a credit file, and rarely order or monitor a child’s credit report.

Identity thieves steal kids’ Social Security numbers because their credit is generally untarnished. It’s not until years later — when they apply for a store credit card, a college loan, or a job — that they find out their credit has been destroyed.
Understanding FERPA

But did you know that the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student records and gives parents of school-age children the right to opt out of sharing contact information with third parties?

The federal law also encourages parents to ask their child’s school about its directory information policy, learn about privacy policies of sports or music activities that are not school-sponsored, and find out what to do if their child’s school experiences a data breach.

If you’re a parent with a child who’s enrolled in school, the Federal Trade Commission has released a helpful list of strategies, recommending that you:

Find out who has access to your child’s personal information, and verify that the records are kept in a secure location.

Pay attention to materials sent home with your child, through the mail or by email, that ask for personal information. Look for terms like personally identifiable information, directory information, and opt-out. Before you reveal any personal information about your child, find out how it will be used, whether it will be shared, and with whom.

Ask your child’s school about its directory information policy. Student directory information can include your child’s name, address, date of birth, telephone number, email address, and photo. FERPA requires schools to notify parents and guardians about their school directory policy, and give you the right to opt-out of the release of directory information to third parties. It’s best to put your request in writing and keep a copy for your files. If you don’t opt-out, directory information may be available not only to the people in your child’s class and school, but also to the general public.

Consider programs that take place at the school but aren’t sponsored by the school. Your child may participate in programs, like sports and music activities, that aren’t formally sponsored by the school. These programs may have websites where children are named and pictured. Read the privacy policies of these organizations, and make sure you understand how your child’s information will be used and shared.

Take action if your child’s school experiences a data breach. Contact the school to learn more. Talk with teachers, staff, or administrators about the incident and their practices. Keep a written record of your conversations. Write a letter to the appropriate administrator, and to the school board, if necessary.

Just Say NO!

Beyond the privacy benefits under FERPA, do parents actually have to give their child’s Social Security number to enroll him or her in a public school?

The answer is “no” – thanks to a federal law stating that students are not required to provide their Social Security numbers to schools in order to prove citizenship. In other words, if it’s not a requirement to prove citizenship, it’s not a requirement for any parent. After all, the fewer people that have access to such highly sensitive personal information, the better.

If you are at all concerned with your student’s credit and think his or her identity has been stolen or used for any fraud, call consumer reporting companies to place a free 90-day fraud alert on your child’s credit reports. This will stop someone from opening a new account in the child’s name. The companies include Equifax (1-800-525-6285); Experian (1-888-397-3742); and Trans-Union (1-800-680-7289).
https://www.privatewifi.com/all-the-right-way-to-protect-kids-personal-information-at-school/

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ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:36 PM
Microsoft does not call to tell you that you have problems. Anyone who is using Microsoft already knows there are problems.

Top 6 Tips for Avoiding the “Microsoft” Scam:

1. A commenter on our blog, Fossil, has a particularly clever way of getting rid of these crims. ”I have had a few calls. You can always tell when it is a scam because they usually Skype to your home phone… this is so there is no caller ID. I tell them I am expecting an important call on this line and then give them another number to call. (THE LOCAL POLICE!)”

2. Another of our commenters, Shakes, has some good advice for getting off the scammers’ lists, which has worked for some of our customers. ”Tell them you don’t have a computer nor do you like using them. The call will then end and you will be removed from their list. Informing them of any reference to your owning a computer will give them ammunition to try a different tactic on you a week or two later.” A little white lie is A-okay in cases like this!

3. Here’s another clever white lie, suggested by a commenter who goes by Coolnwynpyn1: “I always ask them if I can record the conversation. They quickly disconnect and don’t call again.”

4. Dodger has taken to screening his calls to avoid getting stuck on the line with a scam artist. “I never answer phone calls for numbers I do not know, just let them go through to the answering machine. If they are genuine calls they leave a message, most others don’t. If everybody did this phone scams would soon die out.” This may not be a convenient option if you receive a lot of calls throughout the day, but could be a good idea for evenings and nights.

5. When someone calls up our commentator Leicashooter saying that Windows needs to be cleaned, the response is simple: “I tell them that, ‘My windows are being cleaned right now! The man is still up the ladder. Would they like to talk to him?’”

6. Of course, it’s Skidmore29 who has the fastest, simplest solution for this problem: “I have had numerous calls of this nature and as soon as they say they are from Microsoft, I just hang up.” Good work, Skidmore29!
Have a look at these humorous ways of dealing with the “Microsoft” scammers from AVG customers. What are your experiences? Top 6 Ways To Avoid The "Microsoft" Scam! - AVG (http://resources.avg.com.au/home/top-6-ways-avg-customers-avoid-the-microsoft-scam/#)

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Salisbury police Detective Steven Sforza said he hadn’t heard of the scam victimizing Collins’ friend. But in recent days he took a report from a resident who claimed someone gained access to her computer, took a photo of the person and placed it online. The scammer then extorted the victim, saying he wouldn’t take it off the internet without first receiving money.

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x389849992/Locals-report-surge-in-tech-support-scam

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:39 PM
A QUICK CHECK: "See if there is anything from PayPal because they do send you an email to your account not just your email," Carter said.

Here is how the scam works. First, the suspect buys an item.

"She would use a 'buy it now' option. She would find out the sellers email address and send a phony mail pretending to be from PayPal," Laura Carter a U.S. Postal Inspector said.

The note would say the funds had been sent to the sellers account. In reality, no payment was made. The suspect ends up with the merchandise without paying a cent.

Safe from scams: PayPal Scam | abc30.com (http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news%2Fconsumer&id=9174782)

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The man who arranged to meet Devries in West Vancouver last week was an employee of Dunbar Cycles in Vancouver - a shop staff said Devries had recently visited. According to store employees, Devries left his passport at the shop before taking a $7,000 carbon fibre bike out for a test ride. He didn't return.

Read more: http://www.nsnews.com/news/Conned+turns+West+Vancouver+sting/8757659/story.html#ixzz2bL7yImWr

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:41 PM
This is a lot like the Pigeon King Ponzi Scheme which makes for some interesting reading.

The pyramid scheme was based around shopping website Wanjia Gouwu. The website initially offered discounts to consumers on purchases made through the website. However, the website later asked consumers to buy products at a discount while promising refunds based on the full retail value of the products over time.

Man sentenced to 15 years for pyramid scheme- China.org.cn (http://www.china.org.cn/china/2013-08/07/content_29652980.htm)

KSCHANG has a good article on the Pigeon King

A MLM Skeptic: Scam Study: Pigeon King (http://amlmskeptic.blogspot.com/2012/06/scam-study-pigeon-king.html?spref=fb)

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 05:41 PM
Am seeing articles about variations of this from all over.

The scam robocall pitch begins with a too good to be true promise: A free service for people who have fallen.

The call explains that somebody else set it up and paid.

And then comes the hook, according to the call: “We just have to get some personal information from you before we ship anything.”

And that's how they get credit card numbers to complete the theft. The scam is sweeping the country. The real life alert company even has a fraud alert on its website.

Read more: Phone scam targets seniors | WJLA.com (http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/08/phone-scam-targets-seniors-92445.html#ixzz2bLEG0qdM)

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ribshaw
08-08-2013, 06:57 PM
So much fraud on the Seminar Circuit. Telling people we will fund your deals and then never funding them.

The former Utah resident admitted as part of a plea bargain that he mass marketed his real estate investment program, falsely telling potential students they could make large returns on investments within a year and recruiting some as straw buyers of properties. He also failed to inform them of previous criminal convictions in Utah and California.

Cook admitted that he used student funds to pay personal and business expenses rather than as he had promised. Total losses were $1.9 million, court documents say.

Former Utahn gets 3 years in prison for real estate coaching fraud | The Salt Lake Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56704037-79/fraud-group-estate-former.html.csp)

==================================
This was part 1 of 3 of an investigative report on serial fraudster Robert Kiyosaki.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE6nT0oyPt8

==================================


This seemed like a sensible article on buying foreclosures which contrasts with the endless blather that goes around.

Reader Story: I bought a foreclosure house on the courthouse steps
Published on - July 21st, 2013 (by Ellen Cannon)



This guest post is from Naomi Mannino. Naomi is a freelance consumer personal finance and health journalist who reports on health, medical and personal finance news and how it will affect your life today. You can follow Naomi on Twitter @naomimannino.

Some reader stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or failure. These stories feature folks with all levels of financial maturity and income. Want to submit your own reader story? Here’s how.

Can you really buy a house at auction on the courthouse steps for $100? Do you have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars as the house-flipping guys do on TV?

My husband and I have just recently achieved our long-time goal of buying a foreclosed house, turning it into a rental property and creating a steady stream of income from the monthly rent we collect (at 17 percent profit on the initial cash investment every year). It’s neither quick nor easy, but it is a viable investment solution if you meet the five requirements below.

1. You need cash.

I came into a small inheritance and thought hard about what to do with the money. I don’t know enough about the stock market, so I stayed away from that. Then there’s the low interest yet tried-and-true 5-year CD ladder I opened. But my husband and I have always wanted to buy a foreclosure on the courthouse steps and now we finally had the chance. Every county is a little different, but one thing is a constant in all foreclosure auctions: Cash is king, as certified funds are required usually within 24 hours of winning the bid and making any initial deposits required.

2. You need experience.

We are not newcomers to buying houses at a low price, renovating them over a number of years and then selling at a higher price. My husband is a carpentry contractor, skilled in all the building trades, so we do all the work ourselves. That means we can look at a property and calculate in our heads time and expenses necessary to make the house desirable and rentable. We only want houses with good bones on a nice family street. They are not large and upscale and do not require granite counter tops and stainless-steel appliances (in fact, the best place to get the best appliances for less is to buy used through Craigslist.org). We don’t need to pay for inspections, surveys or other contractors unless it is for HVAC (air conditioning/heating) or septic system repair or replacement. We have learned this through small mistakes and overspending on the past five houses. Now we have a formula for choosing tile, vanities, cabinets, roof shingles, paint colors, and carpet because we have done this all before and know what works. If you have to hire contractors, you will pay twice as much or more for the entire renovation. (Foreclosure homes are usually severely neglected, if not destroyed, and need a lot of renovation.)

In terms of the foreclosure auction itself, we had no experience, so we agreed we should attend many auctions and just watch how it works, learn what the rules are and who the major players are in our small county. Every county has seasoned investors who know exactly what they are doing, and it pays to watch and learn from them. I have learned to stay away from the big city auctions with deep-pocketed investor groups who buy up tons of houses, because you really can’t win a bid against them. In my small county, where you can pick up a 1,000-square-foot 2- or 3-bedroom house for $20,000 to $40,000 to flip or to hold and rent, there are just five regular investors plus us, all with different interests and focus areas.

3. You need to research, research, research.

Our county publishes a twice-weekly list of the properties to be sold at the foreclosure auction held each Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. A large portion of our time each week is spent physically viewing the properties and researching them online or in the courthouse books. We never skip these steps.

After you identify a few houses in your chosen location or size range, research each offered property’s sales and tax history, as well as its current assessed value on the County Property Appraiser’s website, which are all public record. Note these details for the properties in which you are interested.

Next, research each property owner (also listed on the County Appraiser’s property record page) online via the County Clerk of Courts Public Record Search because whatever that the owner owes regarding that property outside of the loans (liens, back taxes, etc.), you will owe when you purchase a foreclosure home.

Finally, physically go and see each home you might be interested in (we never buy a property sight-unseen.) We’ve made the decision to stick to houses in our city proper so we are intimately familiar with the neighborhoods, not traveling more than a seven-mile radius from our home. We create a map of five or so houses that suit our specific purposes, and then we use our smartphone navigation to get us from house to house. From the outside, you can see the state of the roof, house structure, land, doors and windows and can look inside through any clear windows. Many times houses are so distressed they are open, in which case we can identify pros and cons regarding the inside: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, lighting, air handler, walls and ceilings (but you didn’t hear that from me!). Bring a flashlight.

4. You need to know the opening bid.

People get the idea they can buy a house at auction for $100 because they have heard that someone “bid on behalf of the plaintiff (the bank) for $100.” But auction buyers cannot counter the bank bid at $150 dollars. Instead, you need to start the bidding at the acceptable opening bid amount for each property, which is the lowest amount the bank is willing to accept for a property at the auction that day. And you can get this number by simply asking the bank reps, who are all at the sale. Getting to know these guys and gals on a first-name basis makes things even easier. Once you hear this number you will need to evaluate on the spot whether purchasing the property is financially feasible given your cash budget, current market conditions, the research you did on the property and your personal criteria and plan for the investment.

Just because the property is offered for sale at public auction doesn’t always mean it’s a good deal. Often, the opening bid equals the judgment amount (the money the bank is trying to recover) or more and includes the original purchase price or mortgage plus a second mortgage, other home equity loans, interest and legal fees. The opening bid is ridiculously high compared with its current assessed value. These high-priced properties revert back to the bank because nobody bids on them. What you are looking for is an opening bid way below the current assessed value, and these are few and far between.

We can afford to bid a couple of thousand higher than a flipper — an investor who plans to renovate and sell quickly, who needs every bit of profit he can muster out of each house now. I was told that’s how we won our first bid later by the flipper bidding against us.

5. How to bid.

Make sure you arrive early enough on auction day to go to the correct county courthouse office to register as a bidder and receive your bidder’s number card. Leave time to approach each bank rep for the opening bid necessary for properties you might want.

When the auctioneer (the county courthouse employee whose job it is to administer the weekly foreclosure sale) arrives at the sale site, he or she will announce some specific rules about deposits for a winning bid. Then things move quickly. When the auctioneer announces a property (by case number, not by address) you want to bid on, hold up your bidder’s card and announce your opening bid. The auctioneer will repeat it and then open it to other bidders to counter. I learned from a very seasoned investor to only raise the bid by $50 each time. He says, “There’s no sense in bidding it up for myself or the other guy by going hundreds or thousands at a time. I work too hard for my money.” Always have a ceiling in mind, and stick to it. If it goes higher, drop out.

After lurking on the edge of the auctions for about two months, we were finally ready to jump in with both feet. We got a bidder’s card, talked to the bank reps and found out that one house we saw and researched had an opening bid within our budget and under the assessed value of the home — so we bid on it! Two other investors counter-bid a few times, but we won the bid and got our first house at the foreclosure auction.

But I must warn you: The fast pace of the auction and hopeful thoughts of steady, slow investment income can be addicting despite all the work involved! Any questions? Have you ever participated in a property auction?

Reader Story: I bought a foreclosure house on the courthouse steps (http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2013/07/21/reader-story-i-bought-foreclosure-on-courthouse-steps/)


==================================

ribshaw
08-08-2013, 07:02 PM
SANDY, Ore. -- The reason for why about 30 people had their credit card and debit card numbers stolen in sandy: A computer malware or virus apparently infected a local merchant's computer, police say. If you've used a card at Dairy Queen or the Fred Meyer gas station, officials recommend checking your bank statements.

Computer virus blamed for Sandy credit card fraud cases | Local & Regional | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon (http://www.katu.com/news/local/Computer-virus-blamed-for-Sandy-credit-card-fraud-218729271.html)

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Years back I was filling up with gas, across the street I watched someone chasing their car down the road. They had gone into a convenience store and left it running and someone helped themselves. Stuff can be replaced, but the aggravation and time it takes to get it back, not so much.

SLIDERS.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3txI0goxrI

ribshaw
08-10-2013, 01:30 PM
So there are several variations of this, and if you don't know if you truly have arrest warrants out for you, stop reading my silly blog and get your life together. The other variation (s) is to tell you someone you know has been arrested. Blah blah blah. If someone calls you and tells you to get a green dot card, or send money Western Union, Money Gram, etc they are scamming you.

On an unrelated note, when you get a call claiming to be raising funds for your local police/fire department, these are fund raising organizations. Little if any of the money ever gets to the recipients. You may as well send your money to a scammer. If you want to give, do so direct to the organization.

People across the country are forking over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in what they believe to be a fee to ward off arrest warrants.
caller-scam

Scam: Caller threatens arrest if you don't pay (http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/08/arrest-warrant-scams/2619187/)


Scammers are telling people they have arrest warrants to trick them into paying a fee to clear them
Scammers have posed as local law enforcement in Kansas, Oregon, Georgia and other states
Police warn that they never ask people to wire money


In a growing scam reaching people across the country, phone fraudsters are using the threat of arrest warrants to pressure people into forking over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars.

In the past two weeks, police in Georgia, Kansas, Oregon and Florida have investigated phone scams in which a caller impersonates a local police officer. The callers, manipulating caller ID to make the number appear to come from the local sheriff's office or jail, tell potential victims they have an outstanding warrant for an unpaid debt, missed jury duty or some minor infraction and that a fine is due.

The callers convince people to make the payments by wiring it through Western Union or buying a prepaid credit card like Green Dot and registering it online.

Police don't notify people about arrest warrants by phone, and they don't accept money to clear them, the Collier County, Fla., sheriff's office said in a warning last week.

"They try to make this as convincing and as frightening as possible," says Kati Daffan, a staff attorney with the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

In Georgia's Floyd County, Amanda Middleton, 31, paid $1,550 to clear a non-existent arrest warrant related to a payday loan she never had.

Middleton, 31, got a call saying she owed $495 for a loan. She says she checked with her creditors and found no record of the loan. She had previous debt disputes after another Amanda Middleton failed to pay off a loan, she says, so she brushed it off and told the caller to e-mail proof.

But after a second call from a so-called police officer threatening to arrest her, Middleton gave in.

"He said, 'In our eyes, you're just refusing to pay the debt,'" she recalls. "'We're just going to have to proceed forward and have you arrested.'"

Her husband checked the number; it was the sheriff's office. Middleton paid the $495, along with a $500 fine and several "litigation fees" — a total of $1,550.
Amanda Middleton

Amanda Middleton(Photo: )

Only after Middleton sent the money through a prepaid credit card did she call the sheriff's office and learn there was no warrant.

"I don't consider myself to be very naïve," she said. "We were doing what you do in that call. I called all my creditors. I asked for documentation on it. My husband called the number back. I thought we were being very careful."

Floyd County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Duke says he has seen earlier versions of the scam, when so-called loan-collection agents would try to convince people they had to pay off loans. Impersonating police is a new twist, he says.

It is nearly impossible to track down scammers, Duke says. Wire transfers and prepaid cards are untraceable, and manipulated phone numbers are tough to trace.

"There's really no recourse for them," Duke says. "The best thing that can be done is making people aware."

Scam: Caller threatens arrest if you don't pay (http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/08/arrest-warrant-scams/2619187/)

THIS IS A BUNCH OF BS TOO. The government does not just lock your computer, unless you are actually watching child porn, in that case you should go to your local police station, explain the reason your computer is locked and ask for a reboot code.


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ribshaw
08-10-2013, 01:39 PM
Protecting Yourself From Check Fraud

Here are some tips for consumers to protect themselves against check fraud.

Keep your checks in a secure location. Don’t leave them in a car, at work or out in the open at home.
Review your checking accounts regularly for suspicious activity.
Pick up new checks at a local bank branch. Avoid having them sent by mail.
Never include personal data on the check. That includes your Social Security number, driver's license number, phone number and address.
Drop bills paid with checks at the post office instead of in your mailbox.


THIS IS A GOOD TIP FROM THE ARTICLE. I added this to my homeowners insurance a while back and it is not much in comparison to the cost of some of the id protection services.

Fortunately, Barker’s home insurance policy provided him with identity management services at no cost, and Barker got some help from a fraud investigator, who made sure he followed these steps to help protect his credit:

Read more: Old-School Check Fraud Makes a Comeback | Fox Business (http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/09/old-school-check-fraud-makes-comeback/#ixzz2bap5RJdB)

ribshaw
08-10-2013, 01:43 PM
CHELSEA: Chamber warns of fraud mailer

By Sean Dalton
sdalton@heritage.com

A state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs document on the left looks very similar to the fake “2013 Annual Corporate Records Form” being sent to businesses across the country and now in Chelsea. The state considers the document a “scam” and advises recipients to contact the postal service and the state, instead of sending the company $125 to generate filing reports that Michigan doesn’t require.

CHELSEA — The Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce has joined the growing number of business advocacy groups, state government officials and even prosecutors in states other than Michigan who are trying to inoculate businessowners against a very convincing mailer from a company that calls itself Corporate Records Service.

The document looks very similar to some of the sorts of forms that businesses and other organizations, such as the Chelsea Chamber, must fill out on a yearly basis to comply with state laws. In the chamber’s case, a form must be filled out and sent to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs each year in order to retain non-profit status.

“We get a lot of mail every day, so our membership coordinator on staff pulled it from the mail and brought it to me,” said Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce Director Bob Pierce. “It mentions ‘annual records requirement statements’ ... it looks pretty official.”

But Pierce noted that the green envelope that the document arrived in clearly stated “this is not a government document,” which led him to conduct some quick online research that revealed the true nature of the document. After investigating, Pierce found that corporate records will be completed and sent back to the mailer recipient for filing with the state to maintain compliance with the law, in exchange for $125 in cash or by check. Those recipients who aren’t careful and don’t know any better could include credit card information on the form, which also asks for sensitive business information, such as the identities and information of shareholders, partners and corporate officers.

While hindsight is 20/20 and many who hear about the details of a scam before being subjected to it have a hard time picturing themselves falling for it, Pierce said he doesn’t want to leave anything to chance, which is why his office issued a fraud alert to everyone on the chamber’s email list, member and non-member alike.

“With a small business, a lot of times people will open a letter and throw away the envelope, which is the only indicator that something is unusual about this mailing,” Pierce said. “Just the form itself is very official looking and it’s very similar to the legitimate forms.”

The State of Michigan issued a scam Aug. 1, in which LARA Director Steve Arwood clarified the mailer’s sender as a “non-governmental entity” that should be disregarded by recipient corporations.

“Michigan corporations are not required by law to file corporate records with LARA’s Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau,” Arwood said. “Our corporation customers should disregard these deceptive notices as they are not from the State of Michigan.”

The address noted by LARA and on what the Chelsea chamber received is 5859 West Saginaw Highway, #343, Lansing, MI, which it turns out is the address of a UPS Store location in Lansing.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before,” Pierce said after recalling how he looked the address up himself on the Internet in an attempt to contact the company, which isn’t actually called Corporate Records Service. The actual company that operates Corporate Records Service, which has listed the address of other UPS stores across the country as its mailing address, depending on where the company is mailing the paperwork, is a company operating out of Lansing called The Mandatory Poster Agency, Inc. which has an F rating with the BBB — the lowest possible rating a business can receive.

The mailing has been reported in California, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and Texas as well.

In Wisconsin, the state attorney general has issued similar warnings. In Iowa, the attorney general forced an agreement with The Mandatory Poster Agency, requiring the Lansing firm to not make misleading statements about its location or status as a government entity.

The agreement also bans the company from using a name that includes the words “agency” or “compliance center” and further stops it from using logos that are similar in appearance to government logos.

No reports were found that the company had committed identity theft or a similar crime against the businesses that fell for the pitch. However, Pierce said he agrees with the State of Michigan’s advice to keep the envelope and the paperwork, contact the U.S. Postal Inspections Service at 877-876-2455 and call the Michigan Office of the Attorney General at P.O. Box 30212, Lansing, 48909.

Pierce said that he’s seen a lot of direct-mail fraud attempts on small businesses in his 11 years, but he’s never seen anything like this.

“This is my first time in 11 years that I’ve been at this that I’ve ever seen anything that looks this official ... and once that envelope and that form are separated, I’m very worried that local business-owners, who are very busy and can’t send every piece of mail to an attorney, might get caught up in this.”

Staff reporter Sean Dalton can be reached via email at sdalton@heritage.com. Follow him on Twitter and Tout @seankdalton.

CHELSEA: Chamber warns of fraud mailer - Chelsea Standard - Heritage Newspapers (http://www.heritage.com/articles/2013/08/09/chelsea_standard/news/doc5203ef6a2ccac838397075.txt?viewmode=2)

ribshaw
08-10-2013, 01:50 PM
TRENTON — Sam Antar's uncle was crazy.

As in "Crazy" Eddie Antar — the founder of the legendary New Jersey-based chain of electronics stores which collapsed more than 20 years ago amid one of the biggest stock scams of its day.

Wednesday, Sam Antar was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison in connection with his own investment scheme that went sour.

The money involved was dwarfed by the Crazy Eddie saga, which bilked investors out of more than $145 million in the late 1980s. Sam Antar was charged with taking $225,000 from an investor in January 2011 so he could purchase electronics equipment he purportedly planned sell at a mark-up through an Eatowntown company called S&H Closeouts LLC, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Instead, federal prosecutors said, Antar took the money and used it to gamble and buy stock options.

Antar, 37, of New York, pleaded guilty in January to the scheme. In addition to the prison term handed down Wednesday, he was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton to make $445,429 in restitution and penalties.

Antar’s attorney, Margo Zemel of Newark, said he made a mistake.

"He was given money to invest and he didn’t take care of it," she said. "He got caught and now he’s paying the piper."

Antar’s uncle, whose name still evokes wide recognition, built the Crazy Eddie chain from a single store in Brooklyn beginning in the early 1970s, turning it into the largest electronics chain in the New York metropolitan area. Headquartered in Edison, it ultimately grew to 43 stores in four states.

The company used aggressive sales tactics and offered deep discounts on TVs, stereos and VCRs at a time when manufacturers fought hard to set retail prices. But it perhaps was best known for its late night television commercials, featuring a frenzied Jerry Carroll, a WPIX-FM disk jockey whose catch phrase — "Crazy Eddie’s prices are insane!" — became a hallmark of the chain.

However, family feuding and widening federal criminal and civil investigations after the fast-growing company went public later led to revelations Crazy Eddie had been skimming cash from the business for years, inflating its stock price by adding imaginary inventory and falsifying accounts to make it look like sales were surging.

Eddie Antar, who fled the country, later was returned from Israel and pleaded guilty to stock fraud.

Nephew of Crazy Eddie founder gets prison in his own investment scam | NJ.com (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/08/nephew_of_crazy_eddie_founder_gets_prison_in_his_o wn_investment_scam.html)

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ribshaw
08-10-2013, 02:01 PM
If Christine de Védrines's privileged life had gone to plan, she would now be sitting in a vast turreted ancestral chateau surrounded by sunflowers in a picturesque corner of south-east France. Instead, after a bizarre interlude in a semi-detached house in Oxford, this elegant, unmistakably aristocratic woman is living with her husband, Charles-Henri, heir to the family seat, and three grownup children in a claustrophobic council flat on the outskirts of Bordeaux.

They are, she says in her first interview since publishing a memoir of one of the most extraordinary cons ever perpetrated, financially "ruined". Robbed of their fortune and heritage by a machiavellian fraudster. "Now we have nothing," she says as a statement of fact, devoid of self-pity.

For more than a decade now, the Védrines have been at the centre of an incredible story described as a mix of Harry Potter, Dan Brown, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Christine de Védrines has decided to give her own version in a book entitled Nous n'étions pas armés (We weren't armed), detailing their ordeal. Charles-Henri, 65, and their three children, Guillaume, 35, Amaury, 32, and Diane, 27, have each contributed their side of the incredible tale. The family have written the book, she says, partly as a cathartic act, partly as a warning.

Many still find it hard to believe that 11 wealthy, cultured and intelligent members of a noble Protestant family could have been brainwashed for nearly a decade by a confidence trickster who fleeced them of nearly €5m (£4.3m). Between 1999 and 2009, Thierry Tilly plunged them into collective paranoia, convinced that only he could save them from a sinister masonic plot.

It was Charles-Henri's older sister Ghislaine, director of a Paris secretarial college, who employed Tilly as her deputy, who introduced the conman into the family. At first the Védrines were impressed by his claims of contacts in high places – Tilly claimed to be a descendant of the Habsburgs and the son of an Olympic ice-skater – and the fraudster's money-making schemes. Soon, however, Tilly had convinced them he was a secret agent and that their lives were in danger and they were being bugged, followed and spied on by an evil network that included other family members.

Incredible as it seemed, one by one they fell under his spell, including family matriarch Guillemette, aged 88; an older brother, Philippe, a retired Shell Oil executive; and Charles-Henri, a successful and popular obstetrician. It was, as one family member, banished after questioning Tilly's motives, said, as if he had "opened their heads and taken out their brains".

"As his profession and character demands, he [Charles-Henri] is prudent and pragmatic," Christine writes, but despite this her husband still "gave all his confidence … thanks to the chameleon-like talent of Thierry Tilly".

Believing itself endangered, the family was soon barricading itself behind the closed shutters of the ancestral home, Chateau Martel, in the pretty medieval village of Monflanquin in the Lot-et-Garonne, cutting off contact with the outside world.

Christine de Védrines, 62, admits the convoluted saga stretches credibility. "If someone told me this story, I would have difficulty believing it," she told the Observer. "But it happened. It's true. We were all manipulated."

Tilly is currently serving 10 years in jail for the kidnap, brutal treatment, extortion and abuse of weakness of the Védrines family. The Védrines' jewels, paintings and several properties, however, have all gone, and their money, supposedly invested by Tilly, has disappeared into the offshore ether.

"I heard someone on the radio talking about us and saying we were cultured, educated, intelligent and this should have armed us against Tilly," Christine told the Observer last week. "But it didn't. We were simply not armed to deal with someone who lied on such an extraordinary scale. Maybe we were naive, but we were not used to another human being lying to us, tricking us. We did not expect it. Thierry Tilly was a bad person, a predator, a vampire. And we were like puppets, unable to stop him. He was very clever. It was almost as if we were hypnotised."

Tilly uprooted the family to the UK, telling them their lives were at risk in France, then beat, threatened and humiliated Christine to obtain the "key" to a non-existent family fortune he claimed she possessed, turning her own children against her.

The spell was only broken in March 2009, when Christine fled back to France and went to the police. Tilly was arrested in Switzerland shortly afterwards, but such was his power over the family it was six months before her husband and children were persuaded to return with the help of a lawyer specialising in cults, Daniel Picotin.

"People ask how he could have manipulated all 11 of us, but it didn't help being so many. It meant every time someone expressed a doubt about him, someone else would justify what he was doing. We were all manipulated," said Christine.

Charles-Henri, who inherited Château Martel, said he had been devastated to discover Tilly had tricked him into signing papers to sell the property, sealing the couple's ruin. He is contesting the sale. "When the lawyer told me I almost fell off my chair. I thought I was signing for a loan. I would never have knowingly sold Martel. I wasn't in my right mind, but I wouldn't have agreed to sell my family home – my, and my children's, heritage. I will fight to my dying day to get it back."

Today the family is trying to rebuild some kind of normal life. Charles-Henri has returned to work as a doctor to feed the family, Diane is studying chemistry, Guillaume has his own insurance business and Amaury has just finished a business degree. Christine remains resolutely upbeat. What she misses most, she said, is not the chateau or her engagement ring, taken by Tilly, but the poems and notes to her late parents, the Mother's Day cards from her children. "They were in a suitcase taken to Oxford. I haven't a clue what Tilly did with them," she said. "They're not worth anything, but they were my memories."

She said her book, which she hopes will be translated into English, is an attempt to establish "the truth" of the family's bizarre ordeal, and a warning to others of the "extraordinary things that can happen to an ordinary family. For 10 years we lived with Thierry Tilly's lies. I wanted to leave a record of the truth."

French aristocrat tells how conman lured her to Oxford and stole family fortune | World news | The Observer (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/10/french-aristocrat-conman-oxford-lost-fortune)

ribshaw
08-10-2013, 02:24 PM
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Authorities say a man driving a truck with police lights on top made a crucial misstep during a bogus police stop in northern New Mexico.

Police say the two men he pulled over for speeding were real state police agents in an unmarked vehicle.

According to New Mexico State Police, 26-year-old John Shelton, of Logan, was arrested Wednesday following the sham traffic stop in San Miguel County.

Investigators say Shelton had a pistol on his hip and told the agents he was a member of the New Mexico State Police Search and Rescue and a trained law enforcement officer — something officials later discovered wasn't true.

Shelton is facing charges of impersonating an officer.

It was not clear if Shelton had an attorney.

Police: Fake cop pulled over real cops (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/free/20130808new-mexico-fake-cop-arrest.html)

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ribshaw
08-10-2013, 02:27 PM
Mystery shopper scam. You get a check to cash and are supposed to send part of it somewhere else.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2G-4MsHJAg&feature=youtu.be

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 01:21 PM
Ribshaw was HORRIFIED and HEARTBROKEN that he could not meet Bieber.

Conman leaves Justin Bieber fans in tears - and £1000 out of pocket - after setting up meetings with star that never happened
11 Aug 2013 10:29

ANDY ROSS ripped off parents with the promise of VIP tickets to see the singer at sell-out shows in London.




A CONMAN stole a fortune from Justin Bieber fans after falsely promising them the chance to meet their hero.

But the youngsters, known as Beliebers, were left in tears after a Sunday Mail investigation exposed Andy Ross’s cruel rip-off.

Ross, 26, who edited Motherwell’s matchday programmes until last season, charged families more than £1000 each after advertising VIP tickets to Justin’s sell-out shows at London’s O2 Arena in March.

His online ads said the price would include a meet and greet with the Canadian pop pin-up.

Ross pocketed more than £3000 from unsuspecting customers but after we uncovered his lies, he admitted the tickets never existed.

Incredibly, the Bieber scam was launched just over a month after he was bailed by a court on identical frauds.

The Sunday Mail arranged to meet Ross on March 6 after being contacted by a desperate mum who had handed over £1100 for two VIP tickets for her 15-year-old daughter Natalie’s Christmas present.

Julie Gall, 49, of Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, paid the cash into Ross’s bank account but was continually fobbed off with excuses about why they weren’t posted out.

Last night, she slated the conman for preying on youngsters caught up in the Bieber sensation.

She said: “It was a lot of money to hand over but my daughter was absolutely desperate to meet Justin.

“I checked out this guy before even giving him a deposit and everything seemed to be OK.

“But as it got nearer to the concert, the excuses started piling up about why he couldn’t post them.

“I can’t believe I paid him the balance. It’s easy to see through his lies now but at the time he appeared so genuine and plausible.

“I’m absolutely disgusted that somebody could pull a stunt like this.

“My daughter was in tears just because of some sick conman trying to make a fast buck out of us.

“The fact he carried on ripping people off after being arrested for an identical scam before is just beyond belief.

“Natalie was so excited on Christmas Day when she found out she was going to meet Justin Bieber.

“To tell her that she couldn’t was heartbreaking. This guy deserves everything he gets.”

Justin Bieber


While his victims were left counting the cost, Ross,of Motherwell, treated himself to days at the races, football matches and a trip to London with his partner.

Our investigators agreed to meet him outside Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, after he promised to hand over the tickets.

Ross claimed he was unable to post them because he was attending a “very serious” appointment with a consultant at the hospital and was being given “very bad news”.

Instead, he had been in an emergency meeting with his lawyer in a bid to escape justice as the net closed in.

When he failed to show and was told the police were being called, he eventually admitted: “It’s time to come clean. I didn’t have any tickets. They don’t exist.

“I put my hands up to some barefaced lies‚ I’m deeply ashamed and I’m sorry because I know they were a Christmas present.

“I’ve already been to court on other charges. I was just in a meeting with my lawyer – I’ve not been to hospital. I’ve been under a lot of financial pressure‚ I’ll just have to accept the consequences for my actions.”

Ross had advertised tickets for sale online but was easily caught after using his own name, mobile phone, bank account and email address to contact victims.

In May, he dodged a jail sentence after admitting three charges of fraud, conning other music lovers out of £1650 through an identical ticket scam.

He was given a 12-month supervision order at Hamilton Sheriff Court, ordered to attend addiction counselling and told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also told to pay back the money to his victims, who all live in England.

Ross was back in court last week where he admitted four new charges of fraud relating to the Bieber tickets scam.

He admitted conning four customers out of more than £3000 and will be sentenced later this month.

Ross worked on a voluntary basis for Midlands-based publisher Curtis Sport, who produce Motherwell’s programme, along with Aberdeen, Dundee Utd and Hibs.

A spokesman said: “Andrew did work on Motherwell’s programme but he stopped last season and no longer does any work for us.”

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ribshaw
08-11-2013, 01:27 PM
OREM — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a complaint against an Orem man accused of swindling $4 million from his friends, neighbors and members of his church.

The SEC got a tip in early July that Steven B. Heinz was using his investment firm as a front to get "loans" that his 15 to 20 clients were told would be put into a trading program and promising a 6 percent to 120 percent return annually.

Most of the money Heinz had collected since January 2012 was actually being used to support a lavish lifestyle, SEC trial attorney Tom Melton said.

Heinz allegedly used much of the money for personal expenses, like taking his family of 20 on a trip to Mexico (racking up a $120,000 credit card bill), setting up business deals for his children, paying off personal debts and covering household expenses, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

Heinz has been ordered to appear in court Aug. 19.

In a "classic Ponzi scheme," Heinz also used new investor money to pay off old investors, Melton said, creating a facade that S.B. Heinz & Associates Inc. was a successful investment firm.

The estimated $1.5 million Heinz actually invested was lost through what Melton called "spectacularly unsuccessful" trading of high-risk futures. The lawsuit indicates Heinz lost in excess of $100,000 in a single day because of his strategy of rapidly buying and selling futures contracts.

"Every day he was trading, generally he was losing money," Melton said.

While the SEC hopes to reclaim what money it can to return to Heinz's investors, "the trading losses we cannot recover, and that money may be lost forever," Melton said.

Heinz is believed to currently have about $500,000 in his accounts, Melton said.

The commission acted quickly to prevent more people from falling victim to the scheme. Heinz had met with potential investors as recently as July 22, Melton said.

"Many of his investors were elderly. This was their life savings," Melton said. "We felt particularly pushed to get this case done … and save as much money as we can."

This is Heinz's first brush with the SEC, Melton said. In 2007, he was disciplined by the Utah State Division of Securities. Heinz also holds an insurance license, and in 2009 he was disciplined by the Utah Insurance Office for allegedly urging a client to lie to the state commission.

There were several red flags in the case that Utahns should watch for as they invest, Melton said.

Heinz was vague about what he was going to do with the money, never gave statements or written information to his investors, and he paid returns in cash, often asking his clients to meet him in grocery store parking lots for the handoff, Melton said.

"The most important thing is, even if this is someone you trust because they are a neighbor or a friend, you should still be particularly careful," he said. "Unfortunately, as the investors found in this case, you may be taken advantage of."

As of Thursday, all assets tied to S.B. Heinz & Associates, as well as Heinz and his wife, Susan, had been frozen.

Susan Heinz received large cash payments from her husband each month, the complaint alleges, and she has been named as a relief defendant in the case.

The FBI assisted in the investigation, and Steven Heinz may eventually face criminal charges, Melton said.

The SEC investigation is ongoing, he said, and anyone who believes they were victimized in the scheme can contact the SEC's Salt Lake City office at 801-524-5796.

Calls to Steven Heinz were not immediately returned Thursday.

Orem man accused of taking millions from family, friends in Ponzi scheme | Deseret News (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584368/Orem-man-accused-of-taking-millions-from-family-friends-in-Ponzi-scheme.html)

Patrick Pretty had this on his excellent blog as well, with a few pieces of good information not included in the above.

SEC: Utah Ponzi Schemer With ‘Loans’ Program Ripped Off Church Associates, Family Members, Friends, Seniors — And Some Of The Money Went To ‘Multilevel Marketing And Web-Based Advertising Business Opportunities’; Separat (http://www.patrickpretty.com/2013/08/09/sec-utah-ponzi-schemer-with-loans-program-ripped-off-church-associates-family-members-friends-seniors-and-some-of-the-money-went-to-multilevel-marketing-and-web-based-advertising-business/)

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 01:34 PM
Brooklyn man charged with theft scam on Hoboken PATH, officials say

Rafal Rogoza / The Jersey Journal By Rafal Rogoza / The Jersey Journal
on August 10, 2013 at 4:00 PM, updated August 10, 2013 at 4:01 PM

Stephen AprilanteStephen Aprilante, 35, from Fourth St. Brooklyn, was charged with theft by deception following an arrest in Hoboken yesterday, officials say.Port Authority

Port Authority police arrested a Brooklyn man yesterday who admitted to scamming Hoboken PATH train riders, officials said.

Stephen Aprilante, 35, of Fourth Avenue, was charged with theft by deception after police took him into custody sometime around 6 p.m., according to Port Authority spokesperson Joseph Pentangelo.

Dressed in business attire, Aprilante was observed and heard by plainclothes police officers perpetuating a scam on train passengers by "phoning" someone and claiming loudly he lost his wallet and needed money, a passenger offered him $14 which Aprilante accepted, officials said.

Two days earlier, police were notified of an identical scam by a PATH passenger who also furnished a photo of the suspect, officials said.

Plainclothes officers were alerted and deployed, and found Aprilante performing the same ruse yesterday, officials said, adding that Aprilante admitted performing the scam regularly.

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5507

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:02 PM
This scam is all over the country right now, in various forms of course. I post from time to time as people read various pages of the blog, but tell your friends and family what is going on. The only reason crap like this works is people aren't aware of the scam.

Hamilton pizza shop owner falls prey to evolving PSE&G scam targeting small businesses
Print
Mike Davis/The Times By Mike Davis/The Times

Tinas.jpgTina's Pizza and Italian RestaurantGoogle Maps

HAMILTON — Ahmed Abouelela was suspicious when a person claiming to be from PSE&G called him on July 11 demanding payment of overdue utility bills for his business, Tina’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant.

Even stranger, the caller said the company had a new policy: Instead of sending a representative to collect a check from the South Olden Avenue restaurant, the person told Abouelela to purchase $2,500 in pre-paid Green Dot MoneyPak cards and to call back in an hour with the card numbers.

Abouelela was reluctant, but then the caller listed his account number, phone number, the amount due and the shut-off notice, as if “he was reading the bill right out of my hand,” Abouelela recalled last week.

If he didn’t make the payment the caller threatened to shut off power immediately, right in the middle of the restaurant’s lunch rush.

“He had all this information about my business, so I believed him. He had up-to-the-minute information,” Abouelela said. “The shut-off notice was current. The balance due was current. He couldn’t get hold of my bill from my trash can because I had it in my hand.”

PSE&G officials later told Abouelela that they had never received his money. He had fallen victim to an evolving scam that has most recently targeted small business owners.

“It ebbs and flows. There has been an uptick in the recent weeks or months,” PSE&G spokeswoman Kristine Snodgrass said. “Turning towards small business is sort of a new tactic that we’ve seen more recently. They target small business owners who can’t afford to have their power shut down for a period during the day.”

Abouelela’s case is unusual in that it is not common for scammers to have access to detailed account information, Snodgrass said. In mailed notices, PSE&G tells customers to ask for such account information from suspicious callers to verify they represent the utility.

“We haven’t seen that to my knowledge. Typically, they’re just able to convince people off the cuff that they’re with us,” Snodgrass said. “It’s possible his mail was jeopardized. There’s a million different possibilities, but that’s not how this scam usually goes.”

Abouelela reported the incident to Hamilton police as well as the utility company, but said he thought it unlikely the perpetrator will be found. He said PSE&G told him the call likely came from the Dominican Republic via an Internet phone service.

“We do investigate every incident that we learn about, but we obviously don’t know about every incident,” Snodgrass said. “We hope all our customers call us and report this to local authorities, but this is a very hard thing to track. The money goes like cash and it’s gone.”

Abouelela said his main concern now is being able to keep Tina’s up and running.

PSE&G has said it will not reimburse or credit him for the $2,500, but offered him a 12-month installment plan, Abouelela said. He has filed a small claims complaint against the utility company, he said.

“I’ve lost $2,500. What am I supposed to do?” Abouelela said. He said he told PSE&G, “‘I lost the money and paid the guy, assuming it was you, because he represented you with all my information. You can write it off, but I’m a small guy. It’s summertime and I can barely keep my doors open.’”

Contact Mike Davis at (609) 989-5708 or mdavis@njtimes.com.

Hamilton pizza shop owner falls prey to evolving PSE&G scam targeting small businesses | NJ.com (http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/08/hamilton_pizza_shop_owner_falls_prey_to_evolving_p seg_scam_targeting_small_businesses.html)

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:12 PM
Locksmith scam warning

Posted: Sunday, August 11, 2013 7:30 am


SALEM - The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) are warning citizens to be on the alert for bogus locksmiths.

Complaints to the DOJ and CCB reveal that several locksmith companies, all using similar methods, are significantly overcharging consumers, charging consumers for unnecessary services, using intimidation tactics, and failing to give refunds or respond to consumer complaints.

"You may be quoted a price on the phone, but when the locksmith arrives, often in an unmarked vehicle, he often wants significantly more money or claims to only accept payment in cash," says Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon Attorney General.

Sadly, this is a typical scenario for a locksmith scam. When a Beaverton woman called the first number that popped-up in her Google search, she thought she had reached a local locksmith. But when the man on the other end asked her if she was calling from Portland, Maine, she knew something was wrong. And it only got worse from there.

The "locksmith" arrived in a van clearly identified as associated with a company other than the one she had called and he wanted to charge her more than twice the amount she was quoted on the phone. Fearing she was being scammed, she called another locksmith only to learn the "locksmith" standing next to her car was a fraud. The going rate to unlock her car according to this legitimate locksmith - $80; not the $139 this "locksmith" was demanding.

"It is very important to know who you are doing business with before hiring a locksmith," said Rich Blank, CCB enforcement manager. "There is a large number of fake addresses and phone numbers on the Internet, crowding out the good guys. Legitimate locksmiths in Oregon have passed a certification exam and undergone a criminal background check. Working as a locksmith without proper Oregon certification is illegal."

To help you protect yourself from the bad guys, the DOJ and CCB urge you to follow these tips:

First, find a certified locksmith before you need one. Don't just sign-on with the first listing in a Google search. Get references from the CCB online at https://ccbed.ccb.state.or.us/ccb_frames/consumer_info/.

Once you've found a reputable locksmith, keep the company's name and contact information in your phone, wallet, or address book at home or at work.

Avoid any company that answers the phone with a generic phrase such as "locksmith services" rather than with a specific company name.

Be wary of locksmiths who arrive in unmarked cars, trucks, or vans. Legitimate locksmiths usually have a vehicle with the company name.

Ask for an ID with name and address. Oregon requires that on all service calls locksmiths carry proof that they are license

Get a written estimate on company letterhead, with mileage charges, minimums and other fees, before work begins. Get a receipt after you pay.

If you're told the lock has to be drilled and replaced, find another locksmith. Experienced and legitimate locksmiths can unlock almost any door.

If you think you have been a victim of a bogus locksmith, contact the Oregon Department of Justice online at Consumer Protection - Protect Your Pocketbook! (http://www.oregonconsumer.gov), by phone at 1-877-877-9392, or by email at help@oregonconsumer.gov.

Locksmith scam warning - The News Guard: News (http://www.thenewsguard.com/news/article_a154428c-0051-11e3-b958-001a4bcf887a.html)

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ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:20 PM
Officers from Fairfax County Police's Reston District Station are investigating a scam in which a local couple was bilked out of thousands of dollars by an unknown suspect claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service.

The caller also claimed to be holding a family member in exchange for numbers associated with prepaid money cards in the victim’s possession. The victim relinquished information from the cards and the money was gone. No family member was actually held against their will, police said.

The police are reminding citizens to be cautious: if anyone except a legitimate business asks for your card numbers, it could be a scam.

"Avoid using money card numbers if someone contacts you regarding prize winnings or sweepstakes, and do not use card numbers to purchase something from a classified advertisement," police said in a statement.
"Do not give your card numbers to another person, unless you are absolutely certain of their credibility."

In most cases, the money lost from this type of scam is not insured, so when it is gone, it is gone, they added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

Crime Report: Police Warn of Reston-area Money Card Scam - Police & Fire - Reston, VA Patch (http://reston.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/crime-report-police-warn-of-restonarea-money-card-scam)

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HONOLULU -- The Hawaii State Judiciary is warning the public to be on the alert for an apparent telephone scam by a person claiming to be a court employee.

The judiciary says the purported court employee leaves a voice mail message saying they're calling in regards to a protective order case. The caller asks for a call back and requests additional information like a Social Security number and date of birth.

The judiciary says employees don't call parties to obtain Social Security number and birth dates over the phone.

It's urging anyone who receives such calls to report them to the police.

The judiciary said in a statement Friday it's been contacted by members of the public about the legitimacy of the voice mail message.

Read more here: HONOLULU: Hawaii judiciary warns of apparent telephone scam - Politics Wires - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/11/3556021/hawaii-judiciary-warns-of-apparent.html#storylink=cpy)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The state attorney general says more than 200 Ohioans have reportedly received unsolicited phone calls with offers of medical alert devices.

Attorney General Mike DeWine says roughly 40 percent of this year's reports came in the last month. He urges Ohioans not to give out any personal information on these calls and not to press any buttons.

Consumers that have gotten such calls hear a prerecorded message, saying they are eligible for a free medical alert system or that someone bought an alert device for them. The recordings might tell consumers to press a button to schedule their delivery, or press another button to opt out.

DeWine says not to respond to the suspicious calls at all, because pressing a button could tell scammers that the phone number is active.

Read more here: Ohio AG warns of medical alert device scam - Wire Technology - The Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/11/5641167/ohio-ag-warns-of-medical-alert.html#storylink=cpy)

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Warning on ‘free’ medical-alert device scam in Washington

Posted by Anna Boiko-Weyrauch

Some Washington state residents have received scam calls offering a “free” medical-alert device and asking for personal information to deliver it.

The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has received complaints about these robocalls and is encouraging consumers to be skeptical about the calls’ offers.

The messages say you can receive a medical device that is already “paid for” or “free” if you indicate you want it.

“Seniors often are vulnerable to scams because scammers think the scams will go unreported,” spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, Alison Dempsey-Hall, wrote in an email. She said that consumers who have gotten involved in the scam should file a complaint with the office.

Other states have experienced the same scam, and the attorneys general of Maine, Ohio and Minnesota have issued consumer alerts.

Warning on ‘free’ medical-alert device scam in Washington | The Today File | Seattle Times (http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/08/free-medical-alert-device-scam-warning/)

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ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:25 PM
Says top 6 and gives 5, I feel cheated.

1. Title fraud.
2. Foreclosure and home-equity fraud.
3. Online rental/sale scams.
4. Property investment seminars and courses.
5.Home Improvement scams.

Top 6 real estate scams (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/mortgages/top-6-real-estate-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them/article13108985/?page=1)

scratchycat
08-11-2013, 02:27 PM
Says top 6 and gives 5, I feel cheated.

1. Title fraud.
2. Foreclosure and home-equity fraud.
3. Online rental/sale scams.
4. Property investment seminars and courses.
5.Home Improvement scams.

Top 6 real estate scams (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/mortgages/top-6-real-estate-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them/article13108985/?page=1)

They can't count?? :)

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:34 PM
Boiler room scam networks active in southeast Queensland as expats are used to dupe countrymen

David Murray Crime Editor
The Courier-Mail
August 12, 2013 12:00AM

Expats used in cold call scams

Australian expats and backpackers are being used in cold call scams to dupe their fellow countrymen.

AUSTRALIAN expats and backpackers throughout Asia are being used to dupe their countrymen into caller scams.

Police have warned the so-called "boiler room" scam networks have moved on from Nigeria and are active in Asia and on the Gold Coast.

The Australian Crime Commission said one scam in Bangkok was linked to the theft of more than $50 million from Australians.

The ACC said that in the Bangkok raid in April, Thai police found nine expats with phones, scripts and lists of Australians.

The scams use carefully crafted scripts to dupe Australians into investing.

ACC acting executive director Warren Gray said: "Any of the South-East Asian countries and China seem to be favoured for it.

"We're finding expats man the boiler rooms so that the language difficulty isn't too bad and they are believable stories.''

Have you been a victim of a cold call scam? Tell us below

"Basically they're sitting in these boiler rooms, they've got scripts, which they read to their victims.

"We've had our forensic psychologists look at these and they're saying they're very effective on the vulnerable.''

The Bangkok boiler room was part of a network that also operated from Jakarta and Taiwan, promoting a range of fraudulent investments.

Thai police will travel to Australia to interview victims, with the main player still at large and believed to pull the strings from China.

Superintendent Brian Hay, head of Queensland's fraud squad, said other networks operated closer to home.

"The southeast corner of Queensland seems to have developed a hub for boiler room operations,'' Supt Hay said.

"They're sophisticated in their product development and they're highly flexible and mobile, which means that the trail is always cold by the time law enforcement are alerted to the problem.''

The scams often involved low values but high volumes and victims did not always contact police.

"They will work out a script, hire some telemarketers, put them in a room with a heap of phones and here's the script,'' Supt Hay said.

"They'll rip the money out as soon as the money goes into the account.

"They provide fake websites and interactive websites where you can see how your account is going.

"Unfortunately all of this is contrived and, while you think you've got a wonderful growing balance, the money has already been taken out.''

Australian Securities and Investments Commission senior executive leader Warren Day said there was a new wave of boiler room scams last year.

"Predominantly these things are running out of South-East Asia, so Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia,'' Mr Day said.

"The perpetrators and the people organising them are from places like Canada, the UK, the US and some European countries.''

The ACC said last year 2600 Australians had lost at least $113 million from cold call scams in five years.

Read more: No Cookies | The Courier-Mail (http://www.couriermail.com.au/national-news/queensland/boiler-room-scam-networks-active-in-southeast-queensland-as-expats-are-used-to-dupe-countrymen/story-fnii5v6w-1226694459679#ixzz2bgtaPFRc)

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:57 PM
I just got a bunch of links from a friend that I will share over the next few days. This one just grabbed my eye as it is related to an email going around that is mostly fake. snopes.com: Code Grabbers and Remote Keyless Entry (http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/lockcode.asp#CdfC77ooRdZPfYXF.01)

It important to make sure your car is actually LOCKED before you leave.

As the innocent motorist tries to lock the car, the signal is blocked by an RF jammer. The punter walks away, unknowingly leaving the car open, the crim then plugs an information reader into the onboard diagnostic socket and reprograms a blank key and drives it away.

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk Car thieves make a killing from hi-tech keys scam - Quentin Willson - Mirror Online (http://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/quentin-wilson/car-thieves-make-a-killing-from-hi-tech-1142902#ixzz2bgyZr7z8)
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Faceboo

ribshaw
08-11-2013, 02:59 PM
Foster kids are at greater risk for identity theft than the general population because more people have access to their private information. Their families may be cash-strapped and view the young person's clean credit as an easy fix to a financial problem.

Help protect yourself or a young person you know by following these tips.

Keep personal information private

Friends don't need to know a child's Social Security number or the mother's maiden name.
Don't disclose a youth's Social Security number unless absolutely necessary. If someone is asking for it, ask why they need it and what they'll do to keep it safe.
Beware of people selling fake IDs. Besides the obvious risk of getting caught with a fake ID, the people involved can misuse the information given to create the ID.

Keep personal information safe

Store important documents such as Social Security cards and birth certificates in a safe place, preferably locked up -- not on you or the child, in a wallet or backpack.
Shred unneeded documents that have personal, financial or medical information.

Be safe online

Delete unsolicited emails that ask for personal information.
Use strong passwords, updated virus software and firewalls for online accounts and computers.
Monitor what personal information children are posting online. To ensure a website is secure, look for the lock icon in the address bar and a URL that begins with https//.
Never store a password on a computer or allow a site to recognize the password every time.

Check and protect credit

Order and review a credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or directly from the three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If a child is under the age of 18, a parent or guardian may have to initiate a written request.
Check the youth's name with date of birth, and then check the Social Security number separately. Identity thieves often use the Social Security number with a different name and birth date.
Opt out of preapproved credit offers by going to optoutprescreen.com or call toll free 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688).
Monitor the mail and be suspicious of preapproved credit offers addressed to a child or teen.

After a theft

Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission at IDtheft.gov. Or call 877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338).
Have the youth work with a trusted, financially stable adult to clear up credit problems, preferably before they turn 18. The child should shadow the adult to learn how to handle problems next time.
Place a fraud alert or freeze on the child's credit reports to help prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts using that name.
Go directly to the businesses involved with a copy of the birth certificate proving that the victim was underage when the credit was taken out.
File a police report.
Teach the child what you've done wrong or right with your own credit, and advise them on the importance of building good credit.


Read more: How to Protect a Foster Child from ID Theft | Fox Business (http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/01/how-to-protect-foster-child-from-id-theft/#ixzz2bgztMRtP)

ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:06 PM
Former Cayman residents linked to Ponzi scheme now in Honduras
By: Patrick Brendel | patrick.brendel@cfp.ky
12 August, 2013
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The regulator for the US financial industry has filed an amended complaint in US federal court against five people, including two former Cayman Islands residents, it accuses of running a US$300 million Ponzi scheme based in Florida. The defendants include a pair of former local residents, Fred Davis Clark Jr. and his wife Cristal R. Coleman, who are identified in the new filing as now residing in Honduras.

The attorney for Mr. Clark and Ms Coleman said they “categorically deny” all allegations of wrongdoing and “intend to disprove” 
those claims.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s amended complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida is similar in many respects to the original complaint it filed on 30 January.

Ponzi scheme?

In general, the SEC accuses Mr. Clark, Ms Coleman, and three other defendants who reside in Florida, of raising US$300 million from some 1,400 investors between 2004 and 2008 for their Cay Clubs Resorts and Marinas, which was marketed as a resort development project but which the SEC claims was actually a Ponzi scheme.

According to the filing, 
“Cay Clubs was purportedly in the 
business of renovating aged and abandoned condominium projects at 17 locations, located primarily in the Florida Keys, Central Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada into luxury five-star resorts with lavish amenities, and operating a rental pool of units in these projects for profits.”

According to the filing, Mr. Clark was Cay Clubs’ co-founder, president and CEO, while Ms Coleman was a managing member and registered agent of certain affiliated entities. They were Florida residents from no later than July 2004 to at least January 2009.

“Cay Clubs was not the successful business Clark, Coleman, [Barry J.] Graham, and [Ricky Lynn] Stokes claimed it was. By April 2005, in Ponzi scheme fashion, Clark and [David W.] Schwarz, Cay Clubs’ CFO, started using new investor funds to pay leaseback returns to earlier investors,” according to the filing.

“Cay Clubs did not pay the guaranteed leaseback returns to all investors and beginning in mid-2006, failed to pay them to the vast majority of investors,” according to the filing, which states that Cay Clubs collapsed in mid-2008.

‘Cay Clubs concept’

The new filing contains additional information, including a chart of about 100 Cay Clubs entities. It also includes sections on the different aspects of “the Cay Clubs concept”, as the SEC attempts to build a case that Cay Clubs was sold as a multifaceted investment scheme, going beyond simple real estate transactions.

“The Cay Clubs concept was not merely a fee simple investment in a condominium unit. Instead, Cay Clubs marketed a broader investment concept comprised of a unit bundled together with a package of commitments and services Cay Clubs claimed it would provide that, taken together, comprised a business in which the Defendants promised investors their entrepreneurship and management efforts would generate profits for investors,” according to the SEC filing.

Ken Hazouri of Orlando law firm De Beaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris and Neal LLP, who is legal counsel for Mr. Clark, Ms Coleman and Mr. Schwarz, said his clients absolutely refute the SEC’s allegations.

“My clients categorically deny, and intend to disprove, all allegations of wrongdoing in the SEC’s most recent complaint, which is the third one the SEC has now filed in an effort to state a valid claim,” Mr. Hazouri said via email.

“These are the bottom lines: a) Cay Clubs sold real estate, not securities and, therefore, the SEC has no jurisdiction over the matter; b) all persons who contracted to purchase a condominium from Cay Clubs received the units for which they bargained; c) neither Cay Clubs nor its representatives committed any fraud or other misconduct, as falsely alleged by the SEC or otherwise; and d) Cay Clubs failed for no reason other than historic collapses in the real estate and credit markets,” Mr. Hazouri said.

Cayman, Bahamas

The SEC accuses Mr. Clark, Ms Coleman and Mr. Schwarz of having “misappropriated more than US$33 million either as exorbitant salaries and commissions or to fund personal expenses and business ventures”.

According to the SEC, about US$1.5 million in investor contributions was diverted to ventures such as gold mines, coal refining machinery and a rum distillery, and that Mr. Clark transferred some US$2 million into Bahamas and Cayman Islands accounts to fund personal business ventures in precious metals, rum distilling, pawn shops and payments to relatives. The SEC has alleged that in late April, Mr. Clark transferred nearly US$1.7 million from Cayman to Honduras through an HSBC New York account. “Until approximately late January 2013, Clark was co-chairman of the CMZ Group, Ltd., a Cayman Islands entity that includes a Caribbean pawn shop network and spirits business, among other ventures,” according to the new filing.

CMZ Group’s brands include CashWiz pawn shops and Argentum Refineries, a precious metals processor and bullion storage operation in Cayman Enterprise City. (CMZ Group also has a company called Best4Less, a wholesale distribution company based in the Turks and Caicos Islands that manufactures Pirates Choice rum.)

In early February, CMZ Group Ltd. SEZC chairman Keith Miles told the Compass that Mr. Clark had notified him 14 January of a pending civil action by the SEC. Accordingly, Mr. Miles and another co-chairman bought out Mr. Clark, and Mr. Clark’s relationships with the companies ended.
Former Cayman residents linked to Ponzi scheme now in Honduras :: cayCompass.com (http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/08/12/Former-Cayman-residents-linked-to-Ponzi-scheme-now-in-Honduras/)

ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:13 PM
Officials believes online adoption ad a 'scam' (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/12/officials-believe-online-adoption-ad-a-scam/2642531/)

BEAVER, Pa. (AP) — A district attorney says an online ad claiming to be from a woman trying to find someone to adopt a baby boy is a scam, likely originating overseas.

District Attorney Anthony Berosh tells the Beaver County Times his investigators are working to trace the ads, which he believes may originate overseas.

The ads have been posted on Facebook and Craigslist sites in Beaver and Lawrence counties.

A woman who answered the ad told the newspaper another woman who claimed to place the ad said she was from Cameroon, an African country, and told the western Pennsylvania woman she would need to pay $3,900 to adopt the African woman's 8-month-old son, plus air fare.

Berosh says the ad is targeting people desperate to adopt a child.

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ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:16 PM
So this again, but using technology to spoof caller ID.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

The Hawaiian Electric Companies are warning customers about an increased number of reports of telephone scams to utility customers.

Recently, dozens of small business customers, mostly ethnic restaurants, have reported receiving telephone calls saying that their electric bill is delinquent and that they're subject to same day disconnection.

In some cases, the customers reported their telephone caller ID showed the calls were from Hawaiian Electric. The calls were not made by Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric or Hawaii Electric Light Company, indicating the scammers were using commercially available technology to emulate the utilities' legitimate caller ID.

"These scams are growing increasingly sophisticated. The best defense is to exercise caution. We encourage our customers to remain alert and continue to report any suspicious activity," said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president for customer service.

If customers receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to represent the company, the Hawaiian Electric Companies encourage customers to call their respective Customer Service Centers at:

Oahu: 548-7311
Maui: 871-9777
Molokai and Lanai: 1-877-871-8461 (toll free)
Hilo: 969-6999
Kona: 329-3584
Waimea: 885-4605

In addition, the Hawaiian Electric Companies are reminding customers not to provide personal, confidential, or financial information to any unidentified individual and urge customers to exercise caution when responding to phone calls from unidentified individuals. If customers feel unsure about the identity of a caller, they should feel free to hang up and call their utility's Customer Service Center. Report any suspicious activity to police.

Reports may also be made to Hawaiian Telcom's Nuisance Call Bureau. Hawaiian Telcom customers can call 643-7111 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays with reports of harassing, illegal, threatening or obscene calls. Depending on the nature of the nuisance call, a specialized team will then either investigate or recommend options to manage unwanted or annoying phone calls. Some options may entail additional charges.

Recently, many electric customers have reported that they were directed to pay their utility bills by purchasing certain types of money vouchers called MoneyPak. This is not a legitimate method of making payments on electric bills.

Customers may report fraud cases directly to MoneyPak by calling 1-800-GREEN DOT through the company's website using the "Report Fraud" tab:

https://www.moneypak.com/ProtectYourMoney.aspx#Scams

Customers wishing to pay their electric bills in person may do so at Hawaiian Electric's customer service offices in Honolulu, at Maui Electric's Kahului and Molokai business offices, or at Hawaii Electric Light's office in Hilo, Kona or Waimea.

In addition, other legitimate payment options include:

U.S. mail
Oahu: PO Box 3978, Honolulu, HI 96812-3978
Hawaii Island: PO Box 909, Honolulu, HI 96808-0909
Maui, Lanai, Molokai: PO Box 1670, Honolulu, HI 96806-1670
Online at www.hawaiianelectric.com; www.mauielectric.com; or Hawaii Electric Light: Home Channel Page (http://www.hawaiielectriclight.com)
Walk-in payments may be made at First Hawaiian Bank, Walmart, or Western Union locations (Foodland, Kmart, Sack-N-Save, Safeway, Times Supermarket)
By Phone through charge, checking/savings debit card, or electronic check (Fees Apply)
Residential customers, please call 1-888-813-2207
Commercial customers, please call 1-888-813-2215

Here are some additional safety tips from HECO:

Be careful when taking calls from an unidentified phone number; phone scammers will want to remain anonymous.
Scammers may use technology to fake a caller ID, so don't be afraid to ask questions. Get the caller's name, phone number and company name. That might deter phone scammers from continuing the conversation.
Hawaiian Electric employees would not direct you to make a payment at any location other than our customer service offices and the customer service desks of those sites noted above.

Copyright 2013 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Scam Alert: HECO impersonators using technology to fake caller I - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL (http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23117599/scam-alert-utility-impersonators-using-technology-to-fake-caller-id)

ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:18 PM
Peter Hoss, Scam of the Month: Beware computer 'monitoring'


Peter Hoss

We seniors did not grow up in the age of computers and the Internet. Generally, our grandchildren understand them better than we do.

However, we are becoming so dependent on communicating through email and the Internet that it has become difficult, if not impossible, to function without some basic understanding of how computers work and sometimes fail to work.

It is not surprising that this situation leads to computer scams aimed at those who lack knowledge about why a computer fails to function. Here is an example of a recent scam reported to me by a friend.

The steps:

1. The victim receives an unsolicited call from a purported representative of "Microsoft tech support" or some equally official sounding name.

2. The caller says their "monitoring" has detected serious system problems, viruses or malfunctions that will render the victim's computer inoperable unless corrective measures are taken. The caller may even propose bogus "tests" to verify this claim.

3. The caller then offers to fix the problem free of charge if the victim will allow the caller to connect to the computer.

4. Once the caller has access to the victim's computer, he can obtain all the information in it and set the victim up for identity theft. The caller can also block access to the victim's computer by changing the password and install malicious programs.

5. After obtaining access, the caller may claim the "free" service costs $150. When the victim protests, the caller
Advertisement
demands a fee to reveal the new password.

6. Even if the victim pays the fee and unlocks his computer, the caller can leave hidden software on the system and may be able to connect again and even repeat the scam. The victim has lost control of his own computer. To undo this may cause considerable expense.

This scam has a familiar beginning — an unsolicited call from a stranger, which should always be viewed with suspicion.

Next, it may not be generally known that no form of "monitoring" from outside a computer can detect the problems the caller proposes to fix for nothing. This type of problem can only be detected by the user of the computer or a trusted service provider who has been contacted by the user. Thus, if unrequested outside "monitoring" is claimed, it is a sure scam.

An offer of free service from an unsolicited caller should always be viewed with suspicion. And access to a computer from a stranger should never be allowed. This is like opening your home to a burglar. Access to a computer should only be allowed to a tech support representative of a server when the user complains.

This example illustrates several steps by which an intended victim can avoid a scam of this nature. It does not require computer or Internet expertise, just common sense.

Peter T. Hoss is a retired lawyer and an adviser to Legal Services for Seniors

Peter Hoss, Scam of the Month: Beware computer 'monitoring' - MontereyHerald.com : (http://www.montereyherald.com/peterhoss/ci_23842737/peter-hoss-scam-month-beware-computer-monitoring?source=most_viewed)

ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:25 PM
This was pretty interesting on affiliate marketing.

So here is what was happening:

1. Someone comes to Kogan.com and finds a product they want to buy.
2. They add the product to cart and start to checkout.
3. At checkout, they notice a “Discount Code” field.
4. They open a new tab and Google search for “Kogan Discount Code.”
5. They click around the various affiliates who claim to have a “Kogan Discount Code.”
6. When they visit the affiliates, they drop a cookie and tag the user as coming from that site.
7. They fail to find a discount code that works and come back to Kogan and finish their checkout.
8. Because the affiliate tagged the user, their reporting system claims that they referred the sale.

The big, ugly affiliate marketing scam | VentureBeat (http://venturebeat.com/2013/08/12/the-big-ugly-affiliate-marketing-scam/)

ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:29 PM
Scam Warning Issued For Ross County Residents
Monday August 12, 2013 5:36 PM
UPDATED: Monday August 12, 2013 5:38 PM

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Ross County officials are warning residents of a solicitation scam.

Officials in Chillicothe say people have gotten letters referring them to a local records office.

For a small fee, you can learn about your property deed and other public information, according to the scammer.

The recorder's office says those calls are a scam.

The hint is that the scammer even says “public information.”

Deed copies cost only 10 cents per page, or about 30 cents on average.

And any deeds filed after 1973 can be viewed online for free.

The office also says that your deed is permanent record, and it’s not a requirement to have a copy.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information.
Scam Warning Issued For Ross County Residents | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio (http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/08/12/ross-county-scam-warning.html)

ribshaw
08-12-2013, 08:32 PM
ENMAX has issued a warning about a phone scam that may be targeting flood victims.

The utility provider says some homeowners have been receiving calls from someone pretending to have information about their utility bills.

The caller then tells the homeowner that they can cut their bills in half if they purchase a $350 “energy guard” device and attach it to their homes.

The calls originate from Texas and the caller says they are from a Canadian company and are making the offer as part of a government program to assist flood victims.

They then tell the homeowner they will receive more information once payment is received.

“We’re warning people about this scam and reassuring our customers that at no time have we or will we provide details on anyone’s personal account information, except with their consent in accordance with privacy legislation,” said Gianna Manes, President and CEO, ENMAX Corporation. “What is particularly bothersome about this scam is that the criminals are targeting people who likely have already experienced financial losses from the flood.”

ENMAX says that the government program the caller is referring to does not exist and officials with the company have notified RCMP.

Anyone who gets a call like this should contact police or the provincial Utilities Consumer Advocate.

Read more: Utility scam focuses on flood victims | CTV Calgary News (http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/utility-scam-focuses-on-flood-victims-1.1408191#ixzz2boC9hWcL)

ribshaw
08-13-2013, 03:54 PM
Feds: 9 Sold Worthless Stocks in Massive Scheme
NEW YORK August 13, 2013 (AP)
By TOM HAYS Associated Press
Associated Press

A crew of con men sold worthless penny stocks to people around the globe at pumped-up prices, then victimized the investors again by setting up a fake law firm that charged them to try to get their money back, federal authorities in New York said Tuesday.

The international scheme generated more than $140 million, making it one of the largest penny stock fraud schemes in history, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said at a news conference announcing an indictment charging nine defendants.

FBI agents arrested six of the defendants Tuesday in New York, Arizona, New Jersey, Florida and California. A seventh was being held in Canada and two were at large.

The indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in a massive "pump and dump" scheme — buying controlling interests in sketchy startup companies, then artificially inflating their value by promoting them in fictitious emails, social media messages and news releases. The fraudulent sales campaign generated more than $120 million in investments by tens of thousands of people in the United States and 34 other countries, including Jamaica, South Africa, Ireland and China, authorities said.

Working out of boiler room phone centers in Canada, Thailand and Britain, the defendants again victimized the same investors by convincing them to pay $20 million in advance fees in return for helping them sell their securities or join lawsuits to reclaim their losses, court papers said. In some instances, the defendants pretended to be Internal Revenue Service employees who told victims they would have to pay a 30 percent tax before they could unload their penny stocks.

The defendants "picked (the investors') pockets yet again as they promised to help them find a way out of their financial straits," Lynch said.

The victims were told to wire the advance fees to banks in New York City and elsewhere. The funds eventually made their way to an account in Lebanon, the papers said.

Authorities said the crew had plans to set up a new call center in Brooklyn. In an intercepted phone call, one defendant remarked, "I tell you what, man ... hitting the Americans would be like taking candy from a baby," according to court papers.

Referring to the burned investors, the same defendant was overheard saying, "A lot of these guys are dying to get rid of this crap. ... It's easy money."

Feds: 9 Sold Worthless Stocks in Massive Scheme - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charged-140m-ny-fraud-case-19948761)

5530

ribshaw
08-13-2013, 04:55 PM
The Federal Trade Commission is warning furloughed federal workers about a scam that's specifically targeting those who are losing pay due to government cutbacks.

In a blog post, FTC is warning consumers about a scam involving callers telling government employees they are eligible for free grants. The scammers call and try to get the person on the other end of the line to give out their bank account information or pay a fee to receive the non-existent money.

"Some scammers also may be targeting furloughed government employees about a "free" grant specifically for them," said Amy Hebert, Consumer Education Specialist.

FTC advises people not to give out their banking account information and not to pay money to someone in order to receive a grant.

The FTC advised those who have received such a call to file a complaint. You can do so here.

Federal Trade Commission says phony grant scam is targeting furloughed federal workers | al.com (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/08/federal_trade_commission_says.html)

5531

ribshaw
08-13-2013, 04:59 PM
There are more than a few red flags in this story of who you don't want to trust you money with. And this is hardly isolated in ponzi situations.

Henderson Man Pleads Guilty in Investment Fraud Scheme
Posted: Aug 13, 2013 5:28 PM EST Updated: Aug 13, 2013 5:33 PM EST
By Steve Kanigher, I-Team Reporter - email



LAS VEGAS -- A former Henderson loan officer who took money from more than 30 victims for a high yield investment scheme involving the foreign currency exchange market pleaded guilty Monday to fraud and money laundering charges, Nevada's U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said.

Kamalu Gonzales, 47, pleaded before U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro to two counts of mail fraud, six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Gonzales is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14, and he faces up to 30 years in prison. He also faces a $1 million fine on each of the fraud charges and up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the money laundering charges.

According to court records, Gonzales told individuals in 2007 and 2008 that he was a successful investor and trader in the foreign currency exchange market. He recruited individuals to invest with him in the market, telling them that they could earn high rates of return in a short period of time. Some victims wired money to Gonzales, and others borrowed money from their retirement fund or line of credit, or refinanced their houses to invest with him.

Gonzales worked in 2007 as a loan officer for Meridias Capital in Henderson. He helped customers refinance their homes, but he also placed false information in the loan applications so the individuals could obtain refinancing and cash to which they would not have otherwise been entitled. Gonzales convinced these individuals to give him some of the cash they received from refinancing for his investment fraud scheme. None of the victims agreed to pay Gonzales any commissions or fees, or agreed that he could use their investments for personal or business expenses or to pay other investors.

Gonzales lied to the victims repeatedly and told them their investments were doing well. As a result, some victims gave Gonzales more money to invest. Gonzales also made payments to some victims using money he received from others.

Gonzales received roughly $1 million from the victims, and pocketed an estimated $410,000 for his own purposes.

Gonzales is free on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Newman and Kimberly Frayn.

Henderson Man Pleads Guilty in Investment Fraud Scheme - 8 News NOW (http://www.8newsnow.com/story/23127904/henderson-man-pleads-guilty-in-investment-fraud-scheme)

ribshaw
08-13-2013, 05:10 PM
Looks awesome and reportedly free.

Personal Finance: Software writer attacks robocalls
By Claudia Buck
cbuck@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013 - 12:00 am | Page 1D
Last Modified: Monday, Aug. 12, 2013 - 9:46 am

Robocalls: They're a plague upon us.

If you've ever jumped off the couch or interrupted your dinner hour to pick up the phone, you know what we're talking about: those unwanted calls pitching a product, asking for a donation or trying to sell you something.

Some are legal and legitimate. Most are not.

Every month, the Federal Trade Commission fields about 178,500 consumer complaints about robocalls and telemarketers. The FTC has pounced on some of the worst perpetrators of illegal calls, filing more than 100 lawsuits in the last 10 years. And for a decade, consumers can register their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call registry (www.donotcall.gov), which bans telemarketers from dialing your cell or landline.

But clearly it's not enough. When we wrote last month about annoying telemarketers and robocalls, a number of readers contacted The Sacramento Bee, sharing their frustration and inability to stop the calls.

The FTC is listening. In April, it announced the co-winners of a $50,000 "Robocall Challenge" contest, seeking solutions to kill off illegal robocalls. The solutions had to be inexpensive, work with existing telephone equipment and easy to implement.

One of the winners, Aaron Foss, is a Long Island computer programmer and entrepreneur, who calls his software solution "Nomorobo." (The other winner created similar call-filtering software.) Last week, we talked with Foss, 35, from his home office, where he's testing his robocall-blocker, which will be offered – free – to consumers in September. Here's an excerpt:

You've designed a dipping bowl for buffalo wings and a children's cancer treatment tool. Aside from the $50,000 prize, what attracted you to this competition?

I like solving interesting problems. I work with a lot of clients, but some of these projects are on my own, like the wing dipper. … All those things come from the same line of thinking: There are problems out there that nobody has taken time to solve. The answer becomes obvious.

The FTC says your product may be the first to market coming out of the Robocall Challenge. What kind of interest are you getting?

Since April, there have been 11,000 emails (to Nomorobo.com) that either said, "Put me on your list," or were people sending me (illegal) robocall numbers.

It blew me away. I didn't realize how big a problem these robocalls were. To get 11,000 emails before a product is even launched is amazing.

How does your solution work?

It uses a feature that's called "Simultaneous Ring," or some companies call it "Find Me" or "Follow Me." If you have a bunch of different phones, it can ring all of them at the same time so you can pick up all your calls from anywhere: your office line, your cellphone, your spouse's phone. It was built into all phone systems in the 1980s but most people don't know about it. It's usually free. You have to call your landline or wireless company to turn it on. I'm using that technology in a unique way to block these robocalls.

Tell us how it works.

If you have Simultaneous Ring on your phone and someone calls your number, that call is being split and goes first to a NoMoRobo number. In real time, it's analyzing the caller ID and caller frequency across multiple phone lines.

It's a red flag, for example, when the same phone number has made 5,000 calls to different numbers in the past hour. It's also a red flag when the same phone number is sequentially calling large blocks of phone numbers. Both scenarios indicate robocalling patterns.

If it detects a robocaller, the call is automatically disconnected … before the consumer's phone even rings.

Those numbers go onto a "blacklist." If an incoming number doesn't appear on the blacklist, the software asks the caller to type in a number. If it's a human telemarketer, they'd respond. If it's a robocaller, they can't respond and the call is terminated.

What about legitimate robocalls, such as your kid's school or an emergency alert? How do those calls go through?

The legal robocallers want a solution just as much as the average consumer. We'll have a "white list" of legal robocall service companies. Just before their voiceblast goes out, they'd send a message to Nomorobo so the system would know: Don't block that number.

If you're giving this service away free to consumers, how are you covering your costs and your investors?

I have some investors – a venture capital firm and angel investors – who've put up $100,000 (plus his $25,000 prize as an FTC contest co-winner.)

There's a big market on the business side in protecting businesses from these calls. For consumers, it's an annoyance. But for businesses, it's a real waste in time and resources answering robocalls. It costs them in real dollars.

My strategy is to get this basic version out free to consumers, then the (paid) pieces come on top of that.

Later, I'll make value-added services available, like blocking political calls. They're technically legal but bug the hell out of people. Or you could block a customized blacklist of people – robocallers or ex-girlfriends – that you don't want to hear from.

In testimony last month before a U.S. Senate committee, you said the federal Do Not Call registry is almost completely ineffective against illegal, mass-dialed robocallers. How so?

The DNC is great for legal robocallers, the legitimate companies trying to call you up. They respect that list. But the technology has changed so much that the new robocallers are akin to spammers. They don't care if you're on the list.

It's so cheap … less than a penny a call and they're calling large blocks of numbers. They're selling scams, dubious credit card offers, life-alert pendants to seniors. They're scamming people and don't care if your number is on the DNC or not. That list worked in the past. Now we need new products to push the fight forward.

Your company name sounds Japanese, but it's really a play on "No More Robo." How'd you come up with it?

For the competition, I was writing code and got to a point one day where I said, "No more of this." And then I realized, that's it. That's the name: "No More Robo." Two or three other people entered the competition with the same name. But I grabbed the dot-com domain before I even entered. It's resonated.

You plan to roll out the first service in September. How's the testing phase?

We have a few dozen beta-testers using Nomorobo on their phones. Just off the bat, the system is identifying and disconnecting 80 percent of illegal robocalls.

Putting a dent in these robocallers: I would love to put that business out of business. It'd be a huge win on so many levels.

For more details, go to: Stop robocalls with Nomorobo (http://www.Nomorobo.com).

ROBOCALL REVENGE: CONSUMERS FIGHT BACK

When the Federal Trade Commission announced its $50,000 "Robocall Challenge" contest to find ways to thwart illegal robocalls, it heard from dozens of everyday consumers, who shared what works for them. Here are some "practical suggestions" that consumers say have helped them reduce robocalls at home:

• Ask your phone carrier about blocking services. Some landline providers let you block calls from specific phone numbers. There may be a fee.

• Internet-based phone services – offered by major carriers like AT&T or numerous smaller companies – may have more sophisticated blocking tools. One consumer uses an Internet service that will tag unwanted incoming numbers. When a call from a tagged number comes in, the robocaller gets a "disconnected number" tone.

• Check online for "call blocker" devices sold for landlines. Some can be pricey, so do your research. Read reviews and compare options. Same with call-blocking apps for your smartphone. Many are free but check technology sites for user reviews.

• Try using "special information tones." They're a three-note sound that typically indicates a failed call or a disconnected number. Consumers can find free audio files online or buy a product like TeleZapper, which sells the tones. The three-note tone is added at the beginning of your voicemail or answering machine message. Some consumers say it reduces robocalls, presumably because auto-dialing software sees your number as non-working.

• Use a virtual phone line, like GoogleVoice, which has built-in call-screening features. When asked for your phone number, even by friends, give out the virtual number. Set it up with call forwarding so that incoming calls are screened first, then sent to your mobile or landline. One Portland, Ore., user said it's a "totally free" solution to block illegal calls.

What works for you?

Share your anti-robocall tips on the FTC's Facebook page at: facebook.com/federaltradecommission. Or contact The Sacramento Bee's Claudia Buck at cbuck@sacbee.com or (916) 321-1968. We'll post your tips on our business blog, Sacramento Bee -- Personal Finance: Ask the Experts (http://www.sacbee.com/personalfinanceblog).

Call The Bee's Claudia Buck, (916) 321-1968. Read her Personal Finance blog, Sacramento Bee -- Personal Finance: Ask the Experts (http://www.sacbee.com/personalfinanceblog). Follow her on Twitter @Claudia_Buck.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.



Read more here: Personal Finance: Software writer attacks robocalls - Personal Finance - Claudia Buck - The Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/11/5638502/personal-finance-software-writer.html#storylink=cpy)

PPBlog
08-13-2013, 09:52 PM
FBI agents arrested six of the defendants Tuesday in New York, Arizona, New Jersey, Florida and California. A seventh was being held in Canada and two were at large.

Hello ribshaw,

One of the indictees in this case is none other than Songkram Roy Shachaisere, whom some readers may remember as a sidebar figure in the AdSurfDaily Ponzi scheme story.

Back in 2008 -- while awaiting a key ruling from a federal judge on issues such as whether the court should free some cash for ASD while the Ponzi issues were decided -- ASD suddenly and bizarrely announced it was expecting a $200 million revenue infusion from Praebius Communications, a pinksheet stock that published no financials.

ASD members trumpeted the Praebius news far and wide, apparently with the belief Praebius was going to save ASD's bacon and with the corresponding belief the $200 million claim somehow would influence the judge.

The judge said no: ASD's cash would remain frozen.

In 2010, it emerged that Praebius allegedly was one of the stocks Shachaisere had used in a pump-and-dump scheme that was occurring at the same time ASD was touting Praebius on its Blog in 2008. It is possible that some ASD members were duped twice: first in Ponzi fashion by ASD, and later by purchasing Praebius stock that was being pumped and dumped even as ASD claimed Praebius was going to save the company. Although it is not known whether ASD members bought into Praebius, some could have on the theory they were helping rescue ASD from the Ponzi graveyard.

PPBlog

ribshaw
08-14-2013, 05:11 PM
Of course there are many variations of this, but I have no idea why a layperson would travel to Africa and think they could score a deal on gold. If you insist, here are some tips.

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http://photos.state.gov/libraries/sierraleone/452467/Political%20Affairs%20Section/ALL%20THAT%20GLITTERS%20IS%20NOT%20GOLD.pdf

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JUNGLE FEVER THE BRE-X SAGA IS THE GREATEST GOLD SCAM EVER. BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE ENORMITY OF THE FRAUD, YOU HAD TO BE THERE. OUR MAN IN BORNEO TELLS HIS STORY. - June 9, 1997 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1997/06/09/227519/)

Scam reading. :RpS_thumbsup::

ribshaw
08-14-2013, 08:03 PM
A tampering scam affecting TriMet ticket kiosks that started out small is steadily growing larger, TriMet officials said Tuesday.

TriMet released video of a man suspected of jamming cigarette butts or rolled up paper into a ticket machine at Pioneer Courthouse Square, then pocketing the bills that come out once he removes the paper.

The agency said it's an example of a common scam first detected at ticket machines in the Rose Quarter and now popping up in other areas.

Harry Saporta, TriMet executive director of safety, security and environmental services, demonstrated how the scheme works.
scamviddysuspect1.jpgView full sizeTriMet says the man in the blue shirt to the right of a ticket machine near Pioneer Courthouse Square, is suspected of tampering with one of the machines to get cash.Stuart Tomlinson/The Oregonian
The intake, known as a "bill acceptor" on a ticket machine, will reject bills that are overly wrinkled, spitting out the paper currency from a separate slot, Saporta explained at a news conference.

If a scammer has jammed the output slot, the machine will take the next wrinkled bill that it's fed and keep it -- leaving a frustrated customer with no ticket and no cash.

"All it takes is a small piece of paper," Saporta said. "If I wedge it in there, it prevents the bill from coming out. We want your money to be returned to you."

When the cigarette is removed a little later, the rejected bill shoots out into the scammer's waiting hand. Saporta said the scammers in most cases are only pocketing a few dollars.

Transit officials sought the public's help, saying the number of machines targeted by scammers is rising.

Saporta said TriMet technicians are working on several ways to prevent the tampering, including a cover that would fit over the bill slots to prevent someone from jamming it, and a software upgrade that would thwart potential scammers.
TICKET_SCAM_22559041.JPGView full sizeTriMet's executive director of security, Harry Saporta, said a small piece of paper or cigarette butt jammed into the bill acceptor return slot on ticket machines allows a would-be thief to then remove the paper and pocket the rejected bills. Stuart Tomlinson/The Oregonian
In June, TriMet received 97 complaints from customers about bills not being returned. The scam, however, doesn't affect people from getting change, Saporta said, just bills that are rejected by the machine.

TriMet said jamming anything into a ticket machine is an act of vandalism that interferes with public transportation, a Class A misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $6,200.

In July, Devin Anthony McDonald, 20, was arrested during an undercover surveillance detail at the Rose Quarter Transit Station.

Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman, said at the time that officers saw McDonald tampering with a ticket machine by jamming it with a cigarette butt. McDonald was booked on accusations of first-degree criminal mischief and carrying a concealed weapon.

"This is just another version of a street scam," said Kevin Modica, TriMet Transit Police commander. "As goes with street scams, if it's easy and accessible, those that are inclined towards that behavior many times will join in."

Modica said anyone who sees someone tampering with a TriMet ticket machine should call 911.

Angela Murphy, a TriMet spokeswoman, said anyone who believes a machine has been tampered with can look or feel for an obstruction in the output slot and remove it. Riders can also report a jammed machine by calling 503-238-7433.

--Stuart Tomlinson

TriMet ticket machine scam growing as would-be thieves spread the word | OregonLive.com (http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/08/trimet_ticket_machine_scam_gro.html)

ribshaw
08-14-2013, 08:13 PM
This is both an email rumor and a scam, no special ID card is needed to go with your Medicare Card. That is just for voting, Sudafed, and holding people up in line while you cash a check for $4.87

Medicare Users Targeted By Phone Scam
Wednesday August 14, 2013 4:42 PM
UPDATED: Wednesday August 14, 2013 6:17 PM
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - For Judy Billings and her husband, little interrupts their slow country life amongst the cornfields near London, Ohio.

But they recently received a phone call from a man with a foreign accent. Judy says he already knew the couple’s name and address.

He told her that he was calling with a warning. He claimed that there would soon be a medical card that they would have to have. The man went on to explain that Judy would have to keep this card with her Medicare card.

Then he said he needed more information to send it her way.

"And I said 'Wait a minute, before I give you any more information or verify any information, I need to know the name of your company, and your name, and your telephone number,’” said Judy.

She says he began to curse at her.

"And he went into, ‘Go to h-e- double-l’ and he went on and on and on with that phrase over and over and I said, kind of under my breath, but yet into the phone, I said, 'Well I'm not going there, but it sounds like you are.’ And I hung up,” said Judy.

Judy's a former senior center director who has seen many senior citizens get scammed over the years. She wasn't about to fall for this one.

"It irks me, it irritates me, it makes me think they're very low-class people that would do that, that would take advantage of people like us who worked hard all our lives and barely have enough to get by on,” she explained.

She reminds everyone that when it comes to dealing with phone scammers - you have all the power.

“Don't let them frighten you. And you shouldn't be afraid. It's your phone. You've got it in your hand - just hang up,” said Judy.

Medicare Users Targeted By Phone Scam | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio (http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/08/14/columbus-consumer-10-medicare-card-phone-scam.html)

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ribshaw
08-14-2013, 08:16 PM
Email scam targets U-M students, staff:fishing_can:



Posted: Aug 14, 2013 12:34 PM EST Updated: Aug 14, 2013 12:58 PM EST
By Alyssa Strickland-Keqaj, Fox 2 Producer - email

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WJBK) -

Online scammers are using email to prey on students and staff and the University of Michigan. U-M Police say there have been several recent spear phishing attacks, intended to trick people into revealing their UMICH passwords. At least two staffers fell for the scam, providing passwords that enabled suspects to re-direct the employee's direct deposits or snag their Social Security numbers.

Tips to avoid phishing scams from U-M Police:

Never use your UMICH password for non-U-M accounts.
Use a different strong password for each online account.
Never share your password with others.
Never respond to an email request for private personal information.


Read more: Email scam targets U-M students, staff - Fox 2 News Headlines (http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/23136185/email-scam-targets-u-m-students-staff#ixzz2bzpA00to)

littleroundman
08-15-2013, 06:23 AM
Nigerian man arrested over fake home sale in WA

AAP August 15, 2013 2:33PM

A MAN has been arrested in Nigeria over the attempted fraudulent sale of a house in Western Australia.
Ntuen Promise Ekenmini was arrested yesterday when he visited an international courier office and tried to collect settlement documents with a forged driver's licence in the name of the real South African home owner.

Ekenmini is expected to be charged with forgery and identity theft.

The arrest follows an eight-month investigation by WA Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and authorities in South Africa and Nigeria.

Police allege the attempted fraud began when Ekenmini contacted the property manager of a WA real estate agency in December 2012 claiming to own a home in Falcon, south of Perth, which was being managed by the agency.

He requested documents relating to the rented property and allegedly used a Yahoo email address in the name of one of the real owners, and requested future correspondence be forwarded to that email and phone calls to be made to a new mobile number.

In January, the agency received a request to sell the property and a sales agreement with false signatures was completed by the offenders and returned to the agent.

Copies of fake passports and a forged document purporting to be from the Australian High Commission in Pretoria confirming their identity were also sent.

However, suspicions were raised by staff at the agency, who worked with WA detectives to identify the offenders.

The AFP liaised with South African and Nigerian police, who monitored the controlled delivery of the fake settlement documents in Johannesburg and Nigeria.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dom Blackshaw said investigations were continuing into other possible offenders, and potential links between this case and two successful and five attempted frauds reported in WA in the past five years.

Six of the seven cases involved owners who lived in South Africa, had investment properties in Perth that were rented and had their identities stolen, he said.

Yahoo News (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/18516557/a-man-has-been-arrested-in-nigeria-over-attempted-real-estate-fraud-in-western-australia/)

littleroundman
08-15-2013, 06:32 AM
Don’t let your heart be blackmailed

July 2013: SCAMwatch is again warning those looking for love online to stay on the lookout for scammers.

SCAMwatch continues to receive complaints about scammers targeting the lonely hearted online, using fake profiles on genuine internet dating sites and online forums to form a relationship with an unsuspecting victim. Once trust is gained, the scammer quickly attempts to move the victim away from the site and its security to communicate and manipulate them into handing over money.

In a new twist, scammers are blackmailing victims by threatening to send potentially compromising photos or videos to their family and friends if money is not transferred immediately. Scammers will capture photos or videos from webcam chats with the victim and then threaten to post them on public sites. If the scammer has access to their victim’s social network profile, they will also threaten to send the link to the victim’s family and friends. If the victim pays, the scammer may demand further payment before removing the image or video.

Scammers have a cold heart and will not hesitate to blackmail those seeking love online. Avoid a broken heart, financial losses and embarrassment – don’t share intimate photos or videos with someone that you don’t know and trust.

How these scams work


You meet someone online, such as through a dating or social networking website, whom you seem to ‘connect’ with. The person may claim to have similar likes and dislikes or have gone through similar experiences.
Once they have built up trust and a rapport with you – which can take just a few weeks or several months – they profess to have strong feelings for you.
They invite you to communicate with them via a webcam. If you agree to chat, they may ask you to share or do something intimate.
After the video chat, the scammer informs you that they recorded the chat sessions without your knowledge. They then demand payment, threatening to share the footage with your family and friends via your social networking profile.
The scammer may have already posted the video live on public sites and will demand payment in order to remove the footage. The scammer may demand several payments before the footage is taken down.
If you don’t send money, the scammer may become more persistent or direct.

Protect yourself


Keep your personal details personal: Never share personal information or photos with someone you don’t know and trust. Be particularly wary if someone invites you to communicate via webcam – these days, it’s easy to record live footage.
Watch out: if an online admirer asks to communicate with you outside the dating website, such as through a private email address or over the phone, be wary – they could be a scammer.
Think twice: Never send money to a stranger via money order, wire transfer or international funds transfer – it’s rare to recover money sent this way.
Report: If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.


ScamWatch (http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1065071)

littleroundman
08-15-2013, 06:36 AM
Police scareware scam continues to target Australians

March 2013: SCAMwatch is urging people to continue to be alert to a scareware scam where scammers posing as the Australian Federal Police (AFP) try to scare you into handing over money to regain control of your computer.

A SCAMwatch alert on this scam was previously issued in October 2012, yet contacts to the ACCC have continued to increase since the beginning of the year.

This scam involves internet users finding that their computer has been frozen, with a pop-up alert appearing on their screen. The alert claims to be from the AFP and states that the user’s computer has been locked because they have visited an illegal website or breached various laws. The scammer claims that they will unlock the computer if a fee is paid.

The AFP does not solicit funds and this message is not associated with the AFP in any way.

Don’t let a scammer ransom you – if you pay, you are not guaranteed that you will regain control of your computer and there will likely be significant data losses once the virus is removed or computer unlocked.

How these scams work


You visit a website or receive an email that scammers have infected with scareware.
Out of the blue, your computer freezes and you receive a pop-up alert from what appears to be a reputable authority such as the Australian Federal Police. The alert may include a police logo to make it appear legitimate.
The alert states that your computer has been frozen because you have violated a law or visited an illegal website. Common claims made by the scammers are that you have violated laws around privacy, copyright or child pornography.
In order to unlock the computer, you are instructed to pay a ’fine’ – usually $100 or $199 – using a prepaid money service. These services involve you purchasing a money voucher from a store, which can then be used to make online payments.
If you pay, the scammers may or may not unlock your computer. Even if you do regain access to your computer, malware may continue to operate so that the scammers can use your personal and financial details to commit fraud.

Protect yourself


Be wary about which websites you visit and do not open emails from unknown senders – emails may contain malware and some sites may automatically download malicious software on your computer.
Before you download a file, make sure it is from a reputable source. If the file, is a program (for example, the file name ends with .exe) make sure you know exactly what it will do.
Always keep your computer security up to date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a good firewall. Only buy computer and anti-virus software from a reputable source.
Be careful what you store on your computer – if a scammer gains access to your personal data, they can use it to steal your identity and your money. If you think your computer has been infected, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and change your passwords.
If you receive a pop up alert and are unable to perform any functions on your computer, it may have been infected and you might need a computer specialist to remove the malware. If you are able to perform some security functions on your computer, use your security software to run a virus check.
If you have received this scam, unfortunately your computer’s security has been compromised. Even if you have managed to regain control of your computer – whether by your own means or by paying the scammer – it could still be infected with malware. Use your security software to run a virus check but if you have any doubts, contact your anti-virus software provider or a computer specialist.

ScamWatch (http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1026168)

ribshaw
08-15-2013, 04:42 PM
A squalid zoo in China has tried to fool visitors by pretending dogs are lions and rats are snakes.

The wildlife park in Luohe, Henan province has infuriated visitors by trying to say fluffy Tibetan mastiff dogs are "African lions".

There are also dogs pretending to be wolves and leopards, as well as sea cucumbers posing as pythons.

One visitor Liu Wen said: "I had my young son with me so I tried to play along and told him it was a special kind of lion. But then the dog barked and he knew straight away what it was and that I'd lied to him.

"How can they tell such dreadful tales and expect to get away with it?"

Another visitor complained: "I don't know how they've got the nerve to try it. They must think we are all stupid."

The zoo has sparked outrage, not only at the mix-up, but at the dank and miserable conditions the animals are kept in.

A spokesperson for the zoo admitted that they used domestic animals because they could not afford the real thing.

"We're doing our best in tough economic times," he said. "If anyone is unhappy with our displays we will give back their money."

The Chinese government has banned animal shows, only allowing them on a non-profit basis. Because of this, many zoos in the country are struggling to keep their animals.

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk Zoo in China tries to pass dogs off as LIONS - Mirror Online (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/zoo-china-tries-pass-dogs-2170823#ixzz2c4mNThHr)
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook


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ribshaw
08-15-2013, 04:51 PM
Business loses $18k in email intercept scam
By Lincoln Tan
8:20 AM Friday Aug 16, 2013

New Zealand companies are being warned of a new business to business email intercept scam after one Auckland business was defrauded of more than $18,000 in their payment for supplies to a South Korean company.

Michelle Millington, manager of Nuklear Limited, said fraudsters intercepted email correspondence between her company and its Korean suppliers and changed the banking instructions on the invoice.

An invoice for US$15,250 sent from the email address of the Korean-based supplier last month advised that payment should be made to a London-based bank instead of the usual Korean bank account.

"We have been dealing with the supplier mainly via email and we have no reason to believe that this instruction isn't genuine," said Millington, whose company manufactures mirror demisters.

"When the suppliers contacted us to say they did not receive the money when our goods were ready for dispatch, we realised we had been scammed."

Netsafe told Millington it was the fourth time the cyber security organisation had been made aware of hacked supplier communications from people dealing with overseas companies.

Chris Hails, cyber security manager said advised Millington to contact the bank for assistance to trace, restore and revoke the payment, and also make a police report.

"But given the cross-border nature and involvement of tecnology, it can be hard to get anything resolved," Hails said.

"We would recommend a full security audit of systems and email accounts to ensure no one retains access on your end."

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it was aware of scams involving scammers intercepting business to business emails.

However, it did not have records on how much money have been lost to such scams as its consumer affairs arm did not collect comprehensive statistics on scams.

"We recommend anyone looking to make purchases online does research into the company they are purchasing from," a ministry spokeswoman said.

"People should become suspicious if their supplier's details change, such as bank account details and they should contact the company directly to confirm any changes."

The ministry runs an online information service, called Scamwatch, aimed at educating people on how to avoid being scammed and what to do if they were victims.

Kenny Jeong, New Zealand representative of Korea's Small and Medium Business Administration, said the email intercept scam was not unique to just people dealing with businesses in South Korea.

"I had a similar experience with an Australian buyer two months ago after my email was attacked by a scammer and bank account details changed," said Jeong.

"The Korean company shouldn't be blamed here, but the lesson is that people have to take extra care when dealing with anyone overseas."

Jeong advised that email passwords should be changed at least once a month as a precaution.

Business loses $18k in email intercept scam - Business - NZ Herald News (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10913255)

ribshaw
08-15-2013, 04:54 PM
mart About Money: Red Flags of a Scam
By Nick Maffeo

Sometimes it seems as if there are people in the world who actually have nothing to do all day and all night but think up scams to steal money from complete strangers.

Besides being international criminals, these scammers are heartless in the way they target people with highly emotional appeals, which run the gamut from love of family to the dream of winning a life-changing fortune.

And in case you think a scammer could never “get” you, the reality is that there is some situation that has the potential to get almost anyone. What can you do to protect yourself, a family member or a friend?

While there are many common threads, scams come in every variety and permutation. But there are two red flags present in almost every scam.

If you simply decide in advance how you will act if you are confronted with either or both of these red flags, you may save yourself from ever becoming a victim.

The first red flag of a scam? Whatever the situation is, it’s unexpected.

An unexpected phone call about a family member in danger. An unexpected email about a large lottery win — especially for a lottery you’re pretty sure you never entered. An unexpected offer to make some easy money cashing a check for a stranger. An unexpected business opportunity. Unexpected is the key word.

Anything involving unexpected heightened emotions — especially with a complete stranger in the mix in any way — should be immediately suspect. And chances are very, very good that a call from someone claiming to be a family member in trouble is probably from a scammer, especially if your caller ID shows a phone number you don’t recognize.

The second red flag of a scam? You are told to keep something secret.

A local woman recently wrote a letter to this paper about her experience with a scammer. The caller claimed to be her grandson. He said he had been in a car accident in another country and needed money to pay the hospital. And here it comes: He told her not to call “his mother” because the news would “upset her.”

Luckily, this woman’s friend and a local Rite Aid employee convinced her to break that promise and call her daughter. She learned that her real grandson was safe and sound at work right in town. Keeping a cool head and being willing to take objective advice kept a thief from getting $2,800 of her savings.

If anyone, anytime, anywhere tries to get you to wire money quickly — without thinking and in secret — or if you feel threatened in any way, take a breath, take five minutes. Then call the local police fraud team. Or call the branch manager of your bank. Or both. If a scammer is trying to take advantage of you, the police and your bank will be delighted to help keep you from becoming a victim. Give them the chance!

Smart About Money: Red Flags of a Scam | Canton Citizen (http://www.thecantoncitizen.com/2013/08/15/smart-about-money-12/)

ribshaw
08-15-2013, 05:04 PM
A nationwide mystery shopper scam is misusing a North Carolina business name.

The Better Business Bureau says people are getting a letter asking them to be a mystery shopper for Bernhardt Company or BFC Produce and BFC." Bernhardt, a furniture manufacturer based out of Lenior, does not hire mystery shoppers. The letters include a bad check for around $2,000s, and they tell you to spend some of that money for shopping and send the rest back to them. David Dalrymple, President of the Northwest BBB, "its really very simple they are trying to get you to pass a bad check." The BBB says reputable mystery shopping companies are not going to randomly select someone to do work for them. In fact a mystery shopping company will actually interview you for the job, face to face, not through the mail or internet.

Read More at: Mystery Shopper Scam - WLOS News13 - Top Stories (http://www.wlos.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wlos_mystery-shopper-scam-12832.shtml)

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littleroundman
08-15-2013, 05:49 PM
Web blackmail boy killed himself: UK cops

AAP August 16, 2013, 5:42 am

A teenage boy in Scotland killed himself after being targeted by online blackmailers, British police say.

The 17-year-old, from Fife, is thought to have fallen victim to a scam where internet users are lured into online chats and then blackmailed with the footage.

The teenager is said to have believed he was talking to a girl and took his life on July 15 when he was told the conversations would be shared with friends and family unless he paid up.

It is understood he was sent a message which warned that his life would not be worth living unless he deposited money into a named account.

Police Scotland told the BBC the case was being investigated and urged anyone who feared they were being targeted to contact them.

The case follows that of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in Leicestershire who took her life after she was allegedly bullied online.

The operators of website Ask.fm have been criticised for not doing enough to prevent abuse.

ribshaw
08-15-2013, 07:37 PM
Sharjah police has arrested a man who has been posing as a female matchmaker offering to find husbands for women desperate to marry.

The man, who used the guise of ‘Umm Mansour’ (mother of Mansour) put out adverts via the Blackberry messaging service. When women said they were interested in finding a suitable husband he quickly switched from the motherly matchmaker and played the part of the perfect groom-to-be himself.

The GCC national, identified by detectives as Joseph MP, would lead the unsuspecting women on before disappearing with their Dhs500 deposits for the matchmaking service. A police spokesman said he would then move on to his next victims.

​Sharjah police has arrested a man who has been posing as a female matchmaker offering to find husbands for women desperate to marry\

Sharjah police has arrested a man who has been posing as a female matchmaker offering to find husbands for women desperate to marry

Umm Mansour’s true identity was revealed after a bride-to-be got suspicious and went to the police.

They traced the man through the bank account she paid cash into. The director of criminal investigation urged other victims to come forward.

He also warned young girls and their parents to be extra-vigilant and to think twice about using a matchmaker advertising online or through social media. He said: “These ads promise finding a perfect husband and girls who want to marry are easy victims of swindling and fraud.

“Anybody who is a victim or who sees such websites can call us and report them so we can bring these people to justice.”

Contact 800 151 or 999 or 065 632 222

Sharjah police has arrested a man who has been posing as a female matchmaker offering to find husbands for women desperate to marry | 7 Days Dubai (http://www.7daysindubai.com/Conman-posing-female-matchmaker-arrested-Sharjah/story-19656084-detail/story.html)

ribshaw
08-15-2013, 07:59 PM
Astrology-Based Investment Ponzi Scheme Lands Florida Man in Prison
by MainStreet.com Aug 15th 2013 12:50PM
Fortune Teller Looking Into Crystal Ball, Filled With Money. (Photo by Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)Education Images/UIG via Getty Images
By Hal M. Bundrick

Divining market movement on moon motion might not work. Gurudeo "Buddy" Persaud of Orlando gave it a go and is now facing three years in federal prison.

Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the ex-broker with defrauding investors through an astrology-based Ponzi scheme that bilked clients out of nearly $1 million. In a plea agreement, Persaud was sentenced to prison this week for mail fraud and ordered to pay $948,340.00 in restitution.

According to the plea agreement and the SEC's complaint, Persaud was working as a registered representative at a Florida-based broker-dealer but separately formed White Elephant Trading Company LLC in 2007. Persaud pitched investors a "safe" and guaranteed return of between 6% and 18% by investing in stocks, futures, real estate markets and notes.

He apparently failed to mention to clients that his trading strategy was based on lunar cycles and the gravitational pull between the moon and the Earth. According to the SEC, Persaud believed that the gravitational pull between the moon and Earth affects human behavior, which in turn impacts the stock markets. For example, Persaud believed that when the moon is positioned in a manner that exerts a greater gravitational pull on human beings, they feel down and are therefore more inclined to sell securities in the markets.

The SEC's investigation revealed that from no later than July 2007 until at least January 2011 Persaud raised more than $1 million from investors in Florida, Connecticut and New York, but invested only a portion, instead using the money from later investors to pay earlier investors in a classic Ponzi scheme. He also used nearly $415,000 of the money to support his and his family members' lifestyles. Persaud issued phony statements to conceal the fraud from investors.The celestial trading scheme was apparently unsuccessful. On the investments that Persaud did execute, he lost $400,000 -- with net losses on trades from the very first month he received investor contributions.

Astrology-Based Investment Ponzi Scheme Lands Florida Man in Prison - DailyFinance (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/08/15/astrology-based-investment-ponzi-scheme-florida-man-jailed/)

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ribshaw
08-15-2013, 08:05 PM
UH this nonsense again. These guys weren't even trading.

The pyramid scheme, as it was explained to investors, took advantage of temporary price differences between different stock markets using a computer algorithm. By buying and selling quickly, sometimes thousands of times per day, profits were guaranteed to grow through the volume of trades, according to court documents.


MOBILE, Alabama - Yaman Sencan and Stephen Merry, accused of running an elaborate pyramid scheme scamming nearly $5 million from investors, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud during a federal court arraignment Wednesday.

Sencan and Merry are two of four men involved in the scam, making false promises and then lying about fictitious profits to investors across the country, including at least three people in Mobile and Baldwin counties, according to a May 2013 indictment.

Both men were released on probationary conditions pending an October 2013 trial.

The pyramid scheme, as it was explained to investors, took advantage of temporary price differences between different stock markets using a computer algorithm. By buying and selling quickly, sometimes thousands of times per day, profits were guaranteed to grow through the volume of trades, according to court documents.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sonja Bivens read charges against the two men, a lengthy 20-count indictment detailing the ways in which money was taken, used to make “Ponzi” payments to other investors, drained for personal expenses, and then covered up through false account statements and emails.

Stephen Merry owned one of the companies behind the scheme, Ramco and Associates.

Federal prosecutors allege Merry lured clients to invest in Ramco, funneling their money into an investment pool called Westover Energy Trading Partners.

Beginning March 2010, Merry worked with two other defendants, David Petersen of Ramco and Timothy Durkin of Westover, soliciting and investing clients’ funds into the Westover pool.

Petersen and Durkin were not present in court Wednesday, but face similar fraud and conspiracy charges.

Yaman Sencan served as the main point of contact between the three other men, according to court documents, finding clients across the country to invest in Ramco and Westover.

In reality, no trades or transactions ever occurred, according to court documents, and all the supposed profits only existed on paper to appease investors.

The pyramid came tumbling down when investors began asking to withdraw their funds in January 2012, none of which were ever returned, according to court documents.

Sencan and Merry both sought publicly-appointed attorneys for the October trial and each testified they are currently unemployed.

Feds say 4 men misled Mobile and Baldwin investors in multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme | al.com (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/08/feds_say_4_men_misled_mobile_a.html)

littleroundman
08-16-2013, 06:57 AM
WA victims scammed out of $2m in a week

Gullible West Australians have reported being conned out of more than $2 million in just one week, including an elderly man who lost $1 million in a romance scam.

Despite repeated warnings, WA's Consumer Protection department said between August 5 and 9, 24 people reported losing money in various scams.

That included a man in his late 70s from WA's Great Southern region who admitted he handed over $1 million during a complex romance fraud, which started more than three years ago and has left him destitute.

The fraud was only discovered after the man sent a large sum of cash to Ghana.

Two others victims said they had lost $180,000 and $91,000 each in separate romance frauds.

Another victim has reported losing half a million dollars in an investment scam.

And yet another reported losing $18,000 in a 'help me' scam, after being duped into believing a Croatian relative needed the money to come to Australia for urgent health reasons.

Anne Driscoll, WA's Commissioner for Consumer Protection, said the financial losses suffered by scam victims were enormous.

"People who have fallen victim to the clever tactics of professional and well-organised criminals not only suffer huge financial losses, but their confidence, trust and self-esteem are seriously eroded as well," Ms Driscoll said.

"It's heart-breaking to hear the stories of victims who, in many cases, have lost their life savings and also suffer the emotional and psychological effects of their traumatic experience."

Late last year, 67-year-old WA woman Jette Jacobs was found dead in a rented villa after travelling to South Africa to visit a Nigerian love interest authorities believe was scamming her.

And earlier this week, a Nigerian man was arrested in his home country after attempting to sell a Perth property that was not his, using forged documents.

kschang
08-16-2013, 07:05 AM
UH this nonsense again. These guys weren't even trading.
The pyramid scheme, as it was explained to investors, took advantage of temporary price differences between different stock markets using a computer algorithm. By buying and selling quickly, sometimes thousands of times per day, profits were guaranteed to grow through the volume of trades, according to court documents.


You can't arbitrage different stock markets. It's not the *same stock* any way. The same company can list different stocks on different exchanges, but it's not the same stock. AFAIK, of course.

Though it sounds cool, it sounds like Forex and... Charles Ponzi. :)

ribshaw
08-16-2013, 11:52 AM
You can't arbitrage different stock markets. It's not the *same stock* any way. The same company can list different stocks on different exchanges, but it's not the same stock. AFAIK, of course.

This is an area I have followed with as much if not more enthusiasm than scams, partly I think because there is so much more information available. Stock could either be the same, or in the form of an ADR in the US. But largely the markets are so efficient that it is getting harder and harder for anyone to have a lock on arbitrage. And certainly the guys running the big high frequency trading operations have much more access and firepower than the "retail" guys ever will. Or if they truly have a viable system they can literally get billions to manage, without having to set foot in a Ramada conference room in Craptown USA.

You may enjoy some reading on this guy. Edward O. Thorp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_O._Thorp)

A lot of what he did was in the infancy of computers. Now even a retail trading platform will have a BEST routing system, so a small trader can see the National Best Bid and Offer on almost any product be it stock or option. And the option pricing models are built in so a small trader can at least get an idea of what an option should theoretically sell for.

I think Eagle had pointed out in his book that very successful money managers have returned on the order of 20% per YEAR, and that is the world class guys like Buffet, Soros, Cohen, Ichan, etc. So anyone promising much beyond that, especially risk free is either naive, or a flat out con.

ribshaw
08-16-2013, 12:27 PM
The one in orange claimed she new the checks were fake and was just trying to help out. Not so sure, but cashing bad checks leaves you liable no matter what.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJcfnkMrBh0&feature=youtu.be

ribshaw
08-16-2013, 12:50 PM
This is a great summary of scams that are used by people pretending to be military. Hopefully no one is still falling for the Osama Bin Laden scam, but the Trunk Box Scam is still live and well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wINxg12fGok&feature=youtu.be

ribshaw
08-17-2013, 10:20 AM
I saw a compliant on another site from a business owner about a shipping/invoice scam maybe later will dig up the business he is complaining about as the story was interesting.

Billing scams

Small businesses are often victimized by scam artists and may never even know they have been scammed. Here is one common scam and tips on how to protect your business.
Phony Billing Schemes

Kentucky businesses should be on the alert for invoices demanding payment for supplies, goods and services never ordered or never received. Every year, businesses lose substantial amounts of money because they fail to question or even recognize these phony demands for payment.
Yellow Page Advertising

The most common type of phony billing scheme involves solicitations for "yellow page" advertising. Consumer complaints filed with the Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division, indicate that a variety of firms send statements for "yellow page" directory advertisements that look very similar to invoices mailed by better-known directories. The solicitations even include the familiar "let your fingers do the walking" symbol. Sometimes businesses are contacted by telephone asking them to renew ads from last year, leaving the impression that the transaction is routine.

Since the solicitations and invoices appear to be identical to a normal billing, the invoice is often inadvertently paid with other routine bills. These invoices range in price from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. The directory publishers stay within the limitations of law by including a statement that says "this is not a bill and you are under no obligations to pay the amount stated." The directories may be published, but the independent promoters rarely provide details about how many directories are published and where they are distributed.
Office Supplies

Kentucky businesses also receive invoices for office supplies that look quite authentic. They are often personalized to include the name of the business or even the purchasing agent. Sometimes these are advertisements cleverly disguised to look like bills. Follow-up letters and invoices are often sent, to give the impression that you are late in making a payment. Some companies follows their solicitation with a letter threatening credit rating damage if the phony invoice is not paid. Other billers may assert that a tape recording has been made of the agreement to purchase goods or services and that collection procedures will begin in order to get the money.
Protect Your Business

Take the following precautions to protect your business against phony billing schemes:

Don't place orders over the telephone unless you are certain it is a reputable firm.
Be sure of the organization's name, address and phone number as well as the solicitor's name and his or her position with the company. Check records to confirm any claim of past business.
Read your mail carefully. Warn employees to be on the alert for any unusual invoices.
Check business records to determine if merchandise or services were authorized, ordered and delivered before paying invoices. It may be helpful to have one employee review and approve all invoices.
If the company claims to have a tape recording of the order, insist on hearing it.
Before placing any advertisements, verify that the publication exists. Make sure its circulation meets your needs.
When in doubt about yellow page directories, contact the directory you want to carry your advertisements to verify that renewal invoices have been mailed and clarify procedures for payment.
Report phony billings to postal authorities and alert other businesses in your area.

Office of the Attorney General : Billing scams (http://ag.ky.gov/civil/consumerprotection/business/pages/billingscams.aspx)

And this is the shipping variety. Scam alert | Glass Magazine (http://www.glassmagazine.com/article/retail/scam-alert)

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ribshaw
08-17-2013, 11:24 AM
UGH!!! What next, if someone motions you in to traffic better be sure, if not just give them the universal 1 finger no thanks and let them pass.

Motorists warned about 'flash and crash' insurance scam

Motorists have been warned of a new car accident insurance fraud known as “flash and crash”.
It involves drivers lying in wait for victims to pull out from shops, car parks or petrol forecourts.

The fraudsters flash their headlights to let the victim join a main road, but then speed up, hitting the other car side-on, according to APU, an automotive anti-fraud investigation specialist.

The phenomenon is believed to have emerged as a trend at the beginning of the year.

Neil Thomas, APU’s director of investigative services and a former detective inspector with West Midlands Police, said: “It is yet another example of how criminal gangs are becoming more sophisticated and attempting to stay one step ahead of suspicion.

“The adoption of flashing headlights and beckoning the driver results in a 'your word against mine’ situation when it comes to apportioning blame

Motorists warned about 'flash and crash' insurance scam - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10248570/Motorists-warned-about-flash-and-crash-insurance-scam.html)

ribshaw
08-17-2013, 11:29 AM
A virus typically used to steal credit card information has been repurposed to target Instagram, generating fake "likes" and followers, and selling them online. As Reuters reports, these fake "likes" are then sold in batches of 1,000 on online forums, and can fetch surprisingly high prices. According to security firm RSA, 1,000 Instagram followers sell for around $15 online, while 1,000 "likes" selling for $30. The same number of credit card numbers, by comparison, go for as little as $6.

Experts say this price discrepancy reflects the growing value of social media to businesses or individuals who want to promote their brands or products. Buying fake likes is an easy — if ethically nebulous — way to generate false hype around a brand, and companies are clearly willing to pay comparatively high prices for them.

""It's fine for the first 100, but I advise stopping after that.""

The malware, known as Zeus, first surfaced in 2007 as a botnet network to steal banking and credit card information, and has infected millions of computers. In its modified form, the virus forces infected users to follow or like specific accounts, or to download other viruses. It's not clear how many people have been targeted by the latest version of Zeus, but experts tell Reuters that it's the first malware created explicitly to generate fake "likes" on social media.

Online marketers say they sometimes advise clients to purchase social media followers to kickstart their campaigns, though relying too heavily on false buzz can soon backfire, making the brand look cheap or spammy. "It's fine to do for the first 100 [followers]," Will Mitchell, an online marketing consultant, told Reuters. "But I always advise stopping after that."

Instagram virus creates fake 'likes' and followers in lucrative marketing scam | The Verge (http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/17/4630532/instagram-virus-creates-fake-likes-and-followers-in-lucrative)

ribshaw
08-17-2013, 11:37 AM
Fake Bank Scam Targets Consumers Rebuilding Credit
BY Philip van Doorn | 08/16/13 - 08:59 PM EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- A scam being operated through an imaginary bank is being used to steal money from consumers seeking to rebuild their credit ratings by signing up for secured credit cards.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday in a letter directed to all executives of U.S. banks, as well as federal and state regulators warned that "entitled Freedom Gold Club is claiming to be associated with a national bank named Freedom 1st National Bank," which doesn't even exist.

The OCC is the primary regulator of nationally chartered U.S. banks and savings and loan associations.

The regulator said "Freedom 1st National Bank is a fictitious entity used as part of a scheme that involves soliciting consumers for semi-secured credit cards through the U.S. mail."

The fake bank targets consumers through direct mail offers of semi-secured credit cards, with customers required to make deposits of $500 to $900.

Legitimate secured credit cards do indeed require customers to make deposits, and in return provide actual credit lines, helping customers rebuild credit scores. Customers can eventually withdraw their deposits after their credit scores improve, or they can simply pay their credit balances to zero, close the accounts and get their deposits back.

But in the case of "Freedom 1st National Bank," consumers have been sending in checks and signing program agreements, only to see their deposits disappear.

"The checks are cashed by an individual using the name of Bradford C. Ege II, and the victims never receive the anticipated credit card," the OCC said.

The phony "Freedom 1st National Bank" has also been claiming to be affiliated with a real bank, Credit One Bank, N.A., of Las Vegas, which offers credit cards and is regulated by the OCC. The regulator took pains to make clear that "Credit One Bank, N.A., has no connection" with the "Freedom 1st National Bank" scam.

The regulator requested that anyone with information on the "fraudulent entity... purportedly located [at] 601 NE 11th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.," contact the OCC via email at occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov.

What can consumers seeking to rebuild credit do to protect themselves from this type of scam? For one thing, it is fairly easy to confirm whether or not a bank exists. The customer agreements should mention the actual name and address of the chartered depository institution taking the deposits. You can then go to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Web site and search for the institution's call report or thrift financial report, by clicking here.

Then, for report type, select "Call/TFR." Then type the institution's name to search for it. If no report comes up, and we are in the middle of the quarterly cycle when banks file their financial information with regulators, you may need to go back a quarter when selecting the report date.

The call report includes the bank's address right at the top.

The credit card offer should also include a customer service phone number. Call them and speak with a representative, to make sure you know which bank is involved.

And if they don't provide a customer service phone number, take your business elsewhere.

Fake Bank Scam Targets Consumers Rebuilding Credit - TheStreet (http://www.thestreet.com/story/12011326/1/fake-bank-scam-targets-consumers-rebuilding-credit.html)

ribshaw
08-17-2013, 11:39 AM
NEW MARKET, Ala. (WHNT) – Another day, another scam. Thursday afternoon, Joyce Bates was shocked to find an outstanding bill in her mailbox. The debt collector was asking for nearly $1100, due immediately.

But something didn’t quite seem right about the payment request, so Bates did some investigating.

“‘This notice has been sent to you by a collection agency the record of Dish Network shows your account balance of $1,083.68,” read Bates.

The letter was from Convergent Outsourcing, a company claiming to be a collection agency representing Dish Network. But there was a problem.

“I have never had dish network,” said Bates.

Bates called Dish Network, they had no record of an outstanding balance. She then called the collection agency, she says they gave her ‘the run around.’ Finally, Bates called the Better Business Bureau.

According to the BBB convergent outsourcing has had 584 complaints filed against them in just the past 3 years.

“We’re finding it to be very common and finding that a key element is they’ll say there’s a debt but if you act quickly they’ll negotiate with you,” said Michele Mason, with the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama. “In this case they’re offering to cut it in half if you settle with them.”

Bates’ notice offered just that, claiming if she paid immediately she would only owe $541.

When Bates spoke with a representative they even asked for her social security number.

It’s a scenario Mason has heard time and time again.

“When she answered ‘why do you need my social security number?’ they said fine we’ll just write it off. Which clearly indicates there is some sort of ploy here,” said Mason.

Mason says it’s easy to tell if a debt collection agency is legitimate. If you receive a suspicious debt collection call or letter, “don’t get in a panic.” Call the company supposedly owe money to directly to verify if you really owe a debt.

“If you really owe debt and they are contacting you for the first time, they’ll give you time to verify it,” said Mason.

You can contact the BBB of North Alabama at 256-850-0719 or the toll-free number 1-866-94-BBB-19.

Debt Collecting Scam Targets New Market Woman | WHNT.com (http://whnt.com/2013/08/16/debt-collecting-scam-targets-new-market-woman/)

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ribshaw
08-17-2013, 11:44 AM
Barbara Stephens wrote The Desk this week to warn others about a new twist on Medicare scams. Normally scammers pose as Medicare reps seeking financial or other personal information for billing or medical record issues.

But Stephens' 82-year-old mother received a call from "Medicare" offering a new service that makes sure she took her medication properly: They would send someone out to the house to check!?!?

"My mother recognized this to be a scam, told them she knows how to take her medication and hung up,” Stephens wrote.

Thanks for the heads-up Barbara and tell you mom, “Nice work!”

This reminds me a bit of another recent scam aimed directly at seniors, who are told in phone calls that a loved one has bought them the device to alert authorities if they need help. The pitch is that the service is free, but ultimately seniors end up paying for a monthly service that isn’t actually related to Life Alert, the company famous for its “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” campaign.

In other states seniors say they’ve sent off money to the scammers and never received any equipment at all.

As I looked around, I found a few other interesting sites -- the National Council on Aging and the Los Angeles arm of the BBB -- offering advice for senior citizens about other types of scams aimed directly at them.

The Desk: Reader warns of new Medicare scam | OregonLive.com (http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/the_desk_reader_warns_of_new_m.html)

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ribshaw
08-17-2013, 11:48 AM
UAE journalist falls victim to money-transfer scam
Sent money to cousin in Cyprus, but it was picked up by swindler
By

Staff

Published Saturday, August 17, 2013

A UAE-based journalist this week received an urgent email from his cousin in Abu Dhabi saying he was in Cyprus and needed money instantly after his bag was stolen while he was attending an engineering conference.

The journalist was given an address in the southern Cypriot town of Limassol and asked to remit 1,000 euros to his cousin through a well-known money exchange firm.

A few minutes after receiving the message, the journalist rushed to the exchange in Abu Dhabi and sent the money. Three hours later, the funds were collected.

“I later phoned my cousin and asked him to confirm receiving the money, but he was surprised and said he had no idea what I was talking about,” the journalist said.

“I told him about the email. When he checked his email, he discovered that it was hacked and that the one who asked for money was someone else.

“My cousin then asked me to rush to the exchange firm and get my money back.”

The journalist said that when he asked that company to cancel the remittance and give his money back, he was told that it has already been collected in Limassol.

“I told them that my cousin was not in Cyprus and that his email was hacked by someone, who also had access to the remittance number.

They said they would investigate the problem, but that this would take a few weeks.”

After insisting, one employee at that company told the journalist that the money could have been collected by a “swindler with a fake ID.”

“I then told them that we both were victims of a well-planned scam. I said that I made a mistake by sending the funds before ascertaining my cousin’s message, but that they also made a mistake by handing the money without verifying that ID,” the journalist said.

“They then asked me to submit a non-payment claim request and promised to investigate the problem. One employee said he was not sure if I could ever retrieve my funds on the grounds it has been collected, but I told him that the money was sent in my cousin’s name and it was not my cousin who really collected the money.

“Anyway, I am still waiting for their response and hope to recover even part of the money, it has to be a common responsibility as both of us were victims.”

UAE journalist falls victim to money-transfer scam - Emirates 24/7 (http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/uae-journalist-falls-victim-to-money-transfer-scam-2013-08-17-1.517854)

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ribshaw
08-19-2013, 08:53 AM
A ZILLION VARIATIONS OF THIS.

BBB warns of utility bill payment scam


The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers in North Carolina and South Carolina about a bill payment scam that is targeting utility customers. Scammers claiming to be from Duke Energy have been calling individuals and small businesses in the Southern Piedmont area and telling them that their electric bill is past due. The caller threatens that their electricity will be turned off within hours unless they make an immediate payment by a prepaid debit card, such as the Green Dot Money Card available at WalMart.

“Today, this scam is targeting Duke Energy customers, but scammers could target Time Warner Cable customers or Piedmont Natural Gas customers tomorrow,” said BBB President Tom Bartholomy. “It is important for utility customers to know what the red flags are so that they don’t become a victim of this scam.”

This wave of scam calls is the second round since November. The BBB has advice for utility customers:

• Be suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason.

• Never give out personal or financial information to anyone who calls or emails you.

• Never wire money or provide debit or credit card numbers to someone you do not know.

• Call the number on your utility company bill to find out if there is a problem with your account.

“Since November, these criminals have adopted new tactics,” said Tom Cunningham, Duke Energy payments manager. “Some use caller ID spoofing to replicate Duke Energy’s customer service number, or falsely claim to be with a third party collection agency representing Duke Energy. It’s very important that customers recognize the red flags.”

Duke Energy offers customers a number of payment options, including online, by phone, by automatic bank draft, by mail or in person.

According to Cunningham, Duke Energy never contacts customers to demand a prepaid debit card payment to avoid an immediate service disconnection. “We urge customers who suspect or experience fraud, or feel threatened during contact with one of these thieves, to hang up and call local police, then Duke Energy to get their current account balance,” added Cunningham.

Duke Energy contact numbers in N.C. and S.C. include:

• Duke Energy Carolinas Customers – 800-777-9898

• Progress Energy Carolinas Customers – 800-452-2777

BBB warns of utility bill payment scam | Salisbury Post (http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130819/SP01/130819693/1016)

ribshaw
08-19-2013, 08:58 AM
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the federal government and offering you a new health insurance card, it might be a scam. CORRECTION IT IS A SCAM

The Wisconsin Better Business says con artists are trying to take advantage of confusion over the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Ran Hoth, the agency's president, says the caller generally claims to be from the government and says the recipient has been selected to receive an insurance card. The caller then asks for the recipient's bank account and Social Security numbers for verification.

Hoth says the government rarely calls individuals. He advises residents who receive such calls to hang up.

In general, never give our bank account numbers, date of birth, credit card numbers or Social Security numbers.

Read more: Wis. residents warned about healthcare scam | Modern Healthcare Wis. residents warned about healthcare scam | Modern Healthcare (http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130817/INFO/308179899#ixzz2cQIu9un5)
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ribshaw
08-19-2013, 09:05 AM
LANSING, KS (KCTV) -

A Lansing woman wants to warn others about a computer scam that is spreading across Kansas.

Roberta Lough is ashamed to say she got swindled by one of the oldest tricks in the con artist's book.

It all started with a phone call.

Within minutes, Lough said conmen had taken over her computer and had access to everything she had.

She said the same scam artists have contacted other women in both Lansing and Leavenworth.

"When he started his phone call, he said, 'My name is Steve, badge No. 8025. I'm with the technical support with Microsoft. You're computer has been running very, very slow.' Which mine has," Lough said.

Lough is cautious, especially when it comes to her computer.

She told the caller she wasn't interested in his help. Then he mentioned he could fix the very problem she was having with her computer.

"Finally, he said the word that caught my attention, which is that I had a mediaplex spyware on our computer. I thought he must be from Microsoft to know that," Lough said.

She logged onto her computer and immediately regretted that decision.

"All the sudden these black boxes started coming up, and he started going into all these things saying they were viruses. I said, 'Wait, wait, wait. I don't want you doing all of that,'" Lough said.

Lough panicked as more and more boxes popped up before her eyes.

She turned off her computer, but it was too late. When she turned it back on, she was locked out of her own computer. She called her technician for help.

"I told him what I did and he said, 'Berta, you just fell for the biggest scam there is.' I started crying because I am very cautious when it comes to my computer, and I felt stupid because I fell for it. He talked so fast," she said.

That is why she is sharing her story. She has heard about similar things happening to others and thought how she would never fall for something like that, but she did.

"When they call you, just hang up. Don't give them time to say anything. If they put spyware on your computer, they know about you already. They know what websites you've been visiting," Lough said.

A spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau said this is a very common scam that comes and goes in waves.

The BBB said if you believe you have been scammed, contact your financial institutions and closely monitor all financial records to see if there is any suspicious activity.

LANSING, KS (KCTV) -

A Lansing woman wants to warn others about a computer scam that is spreading across Kansas.

Roberta Lough is ashamed to say she got swindled by one of the oldest tricks in the con artist's book.

It all started with a phone call.

Within minutes, Lough said conmen had taken over her computer and had access to everything she had.

She said the same scam artists have contacted other women in both Lansing and Leavenworth.

"When he started his phone call, he said, 'My name is Steve, badge No. 8025. I'm with the technical support with Microsoft. You're computer has been running very, very slow.' Which mine has," Lough said.

Lough is cautious, especially when it comes to her computer.

She told the caller she wasn't interested in his help. Then he mentioned he could fix the very problem she was having with her computer.

"Finally, he said the word that caught my attention, which is that I had a mediaplex spyware on our computer. I thought he must be from Microsoft to know that," Lough said.

She logged onto her computer and immediately regretted that decision.

"All the sudden these black boxes started coming up, and he started going into all these things saying they were viruses. I said, 'Wait, wait, wait. I don't want you doing all of that,'" Lough said.

Lough panicked as more and more boxes popped up before her eyes.

She turned off her computer, but it was too late. When she turned it back on, she was locked out of her own computer. She called her technician for help.

"I told him what I did and he said, 'Berta, you just fell for the biggest scam there is.' I started crying because I am very cautious when it comes to my computer, and I felt stupid because I fell for it. He talked so fast," she said.

That is why she is sharing her story. She has heard about similar things happening to others and thought how she would never fall for something like that, but she did.

"When they call you, just hang up. Don't give them time to say anything. If they put spyware on your computer, they know about you already. They know what websites you've been visiting," Lough said.

A spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau said this is a very common scam that comes and goes in waves.

Lansing woman warns about scam targeting computer owners - KCTV5 (http://www.kctv5.com/story/23166862/lansing-woman-warns-about-scam-targeting-computer-owners)