Thread: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

Don’t fall for these scams as you travel

From pickpockets to flirtatious new friends, there are many ways for unwary travelers to lose their money.

By Rick Steves



Smart travelers go worry-free by using a money belt for their valuables.
Enlarge this photo

The Louvre is Europe’s oldest, biggest, greatest and second-most-crowded museum (after the Vatican). It is home to Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Michelangelo statues and paintings by the greatest artists from the Renaissance to the Romantics. Lately it is also home to groups of pickpockets. It got so bad that last April the museum staff walked out in protest. The Louvre had to close for a day, and the management finally beefed up police patrols.

Europe is a surprisingly creative place when it comes to petty thievery and travel scams. Tourists, especially Americans, are an easy target. Be on guard — even at church. St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice attracts tourists and pickpockets alike. Loaded down with valuables, jet-lagged and bumbling around in a strange new environment, we stick out like jeweled thumbs. If I were a European thief, I’d specialize in Americans — my card would say “Yanks R Us.”

But scams can be avoided. Smart travelers are less likely to be victims, so be aware of these travel scams, which I’ve been tracking thanks to my readers and my European travel guides.

• Rotator Bluff: You’re going through a London subway turnstile and someone is pressing right behind you. You feel something in your pocket, but by the time you turn around, it’s already too late — the thief throws your wallet to his accomplice on the other side of the machines. You’re stuck on the wrong side of the turnstile, and both thieves have disappeared into the crowd.

• The Attractive Flirt or New “Friend”: You’re a single male traveler who is suddenly approached by a gorgeous woman on the street. After chatting for a while, she seductively invites you for a drink at a nearby nightclub. But when the bill arrives, it is several hundred dollars more than you expected. Only then do you notice the burly bouncers guarding the exits — so you have to pay up. There are several variations on this scam. Sometimes the scam artist is disguised as a lost tourist or a gregarious local who (seemingly) just wants to show you his city. Regardless, be suspicious when invited for a drink by someone you just met; if you want to go out together, suggest a bar (or cafe) of your choosing instead.

• Slow Count: Cashiers who deal with lots of tourists thrive on the “slow count.” Even in banks, they’ll count your change back with odd pauses in hopes that you’ll gather up the money early and say “Grazie.” Waiters seem to be arithmetically challenged. If you have to use a large bill to make a small payment, clearly state the value of the bill as you hand it over. Some waiters or cabbies will pretend to drop a large bill and pick up a hidden small one in order to shortchange a tourist. Get familiar with the currency and check the change you’re given.

• The Well-Dressed Thief: The sneakiest pickpockets look like well-dressed businesspeople, generally with something official-looking in their hand. Some pose as tourists with daypacks, cameras and even guidebooks. Don’t be fooled by looks, impressive uniforms, femme fatales or hard-luck stories. Don’t hand your wallet to anyone, especially not to fake police who want to “check it for counterfeit money.”

• The Shell Game: Avoid any gambling on the street. The classic shell game comes with a shill who wins money easily. Then it’s your turn. Believe it or not, there are enough idiots on the street to keep these con men in business.

• Good Luck and Good Love: In many countries, colorfully dressed women are notorious for aggressively approaching the unknowing tourist with friendship bracelets or sprigs of rosemary. They’ll tell you your fortune and promise you a wonderful love life. Then they’ll demand money and refuse coins (bad luck), so the confused tourist gives paper money. This can also lead to a commotion where their children will gather around and suddenly everyone’s gone and all your zippers are down. It’s best to just stay away from any seemingly spontaneous interaction like this on the streets.

• The Excuse Me Spill: A popular con is when someone squirts your shirt with gunk and then tells you it is bird poop. While she helps clean it up, an accomplice lifts your purse or backpack.

And the list goes on and on. Scams can be easy to avoid if you recognize them and stay aware. Assume any commotion is created by thief teams to create a cover for their work. Wear a money belt to protect yourself against pickpockets, and leave your fancy bling at home.

Above all, enjoy your trip. Don’t travel fearfully — travel smartly. Scam artists come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re cautious and not overly trusting, you’ll marvel at how easy it is to have a fun and hassle-free vacation.

Don’t fall for these scams as you travel | Travel | The Seattle Times

I just posted this on my romance scam thread, but it is relevant here as well, I got this from a friend on Facebook.

Scammers are very clever with their words and the crises they encounter. These are just some of the scenarios. If any of these sound familiar you are dealing with a scammer.

Scam Scenarios:

Counterfeit money orders and checks sent in the mail from the scammer to be deposited in the victim bank account and send back the cash by Western Union or Money Gram.

Asked to open a checking account to deposit checks form scammer.

Scammer claims they've been mugged, shot, in a auto accident, arrested or their money, passport, and id was stolen.

Need money for hotel/motel bill and manager has their ID and passport.

Lost the company money and cannot pay his employees.

Needs money to cover payroll or cash payroll checks.

Blank checks sent in the mail for victim to fill out and send out to scammer "clients" which in reality are other victims.

Scammer arranges for you to come to their country to meet and marry, you risk theft, rape, identify theft, and murder.

Scammer confesses what they are doing, claims to have "truly" fallen in love with you, but they continue to ask for money.

Scammer plans to come to your country to marry, but has an accident or other tragedy on the way to the airport.

Need money for plane ticket BTA (Basic Travel Allowance) this does not exists.

Scammer is on the way to the states to visit you but is held up in Customs and need money for his/her release.

Shipping packages to victim home to have them mailed to scammer.

Scammer sending counterfeit money through the mail to the victim.

Sending money to Canada or New Mexico.

Scammer sending a package filled with envelopes to victim to have the envelopes mailed to other victims. Checks or Money Orders are in the envelopes.

Doctor contacts victim to inform the scammer was in an accident but survived and needs his medical bills paid as the victim is the only one who can help.

Scammer or relative sick in the hospital needs money for the operation medication, and Dr. fees (Even when they are in the hospital they can IM with you because the doctor has a laptop and is so very generous to let them use it).

Catalogs sent to victim's home with scammers name on them.

Shipping packages to victim home to have them mailed to scammer.

Scammer is located in the States or UK, and is traveling to Nigeria for business.

Scammer has a business, but needs to have merchandise shipped to victim's house, and then have victim ship the merchandise to scammer.

Scammer needs money because doesn't have enough of her/his own money to get her/his newly acquired "merchandise" out of the country.

Scammer needs money because they can not cash a check at a Nigerian bank or use credit cards.

Scammer asks for money to give to her/his family as a promise to the family. They claim this is a "tradition" or a "wedding custom".

Scammer has a vision that he/she and the victim has to obey where God wants them to donate ½ of their monthly income for a month. The scammer went on a fast for 3 days and during that time God revealed to him/her where they would donate this money (sending it by WU) to some needy community Nigeria.

Working as an missionary in Nigeria and is shot, needs money for surgery, and medication.

Need money for child in an orphanage for his/her life saving operation or adoption of a child.

Business opportunities for victim.

Investment opportunities for victim.

Inheritance opportunities for victim.

Plans for the real estate business after they (the victim and scammer) receive the money in the trunks in the securities company in Holland, including legal looking documents.

In order to obtain funds, you are told to pay fees for attorneys, certificates, storage, bank transfers, bank releases, money laundering clearance, anti-terrorist clearances, courier services, storage (demurrage), etc.

Scammer claim to be buying a business. The business belonged to a "friend" of his who wanted to retire. This business was currently netting 30-40K each month in revenue claimed by the scammer. The scammer needed funds to complete the purchase of the business. Papers (fake papers) were provided for the purchase agreement which had the victim name on them included as the scammer's wife.

Scammer has 200 bars of 24K Ghanaian gold, left behind from her/his deceased Grandmother, each bar with a value of $16,000 dollars in the U.S. but had no value in Ghana. He/she (scammer) was to fly to the states with the gold and then the Immigration Customs Department at the Ghana airport called the victim. The (scammer) was arrested for trying to get out the country with undocumented gold. The victim was told the (scammer) would go to prison for life if the police came and the victim contact information would be forwarded over to Interpol and be traced to the local authorities here in the U.S.

The victim was told they would lose their job and be arrested. The (scammer) could be released if ($3000) was sent for the gold consignment and immigration papers. Two days later the victim was told the gold was sold to the Ghana bank and was worth 3.3 million U.S. dollars. Then was asked to give personal bank account information so the funds would be transferred into the victim bank account immediately (it never happened).

Scammer has funds belonging to Saddam Hussein's family in a consignment registered as Government Diplomatic Package and insured by the International Guarantee bond (IGB). Amount is $21 Million us dollars. They want to move this money to "victim" because Iraq is a war zone, so that the victim may invest it for scammer.

You are asked to help an orphan, banker, sick widow or widower, official, Zimbabwe farmer, minister, etc. transfer money out of the country - any country - to your account.

A scammer with a terminal illness wants to make charitable contributions from a vast fortune.

TOP

Threats from the Scammer:

Emails the victim with the victims Obituary.
Scammer threatening to turn in victim to the FBI and/or Secret Service.
Blackmail with "nude" photos of the victim.
Harassing emails and phone calls.
Threats are being made to you or to members of your family.

TOP

Negative Actions from the Scammer:

Internet business opened in victim name.
Merchandise ordered in victim name.
Credit card opened in victim name.
Scammer using victim name, profile, picture.

RS Types of Scams

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Sep 4, 2013 10:25 AM

Beware of an e-mail claiming to be from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and asking for confidential information to avoid prosecution: It’s a scam.

“It did look convincing, and it sounded like you needed to respond immediately,” said Doreen Sexton, a Mesa resident who got the e-mail.

The e-mail claims to be sent by Mark A. Morgan, identified as “regional director” of the FBI’s Field Intelligence Unit. The e-mail demands the recipient respond within 72 hours, or risk criminal prosecution for money laundering.

Sexton laughed it off, but realized there may be others who could take it seriously: “My mom would certainly go, ‘Oh my goodness, I have to do this.’ ”

Manuel Johnson, spokesman for the FBI’s Phoenix division, said the public can report such scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...tied-scam.html

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Crime Watch: Clever scammers warn against another scam

By Carmen Gonzalez Caldwell
Special to The Miami Herald

This week many of you sent me the email, and I also received one. Needless to say, it’s a scam! It’s funny that the way they word it, telling you about the FBI email warning you against that scam, and yet this is a bigger scam.

Some readers actually fell for this and gave the information they requested. So if you get this email, delete it immediately. It’s not from Homeland Security or Treasury Department. Here’s the email:

SECRET SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

WASHINGTON, DC 20528, USA.

Good day,

This is the Department of Homeland Security we have vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face as well as internet Fraud. This requires the dedication of more than 230,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, from cyber security analyst to chemical facility inspector. Our duties are wide-ranging, but our goal is clear — keeping America safe.

We are happy to inform you that your funds valued at US$10,700,000.00 (Ten million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) have been approved by the Treasury Department of the United States.

Kindly get back to us for further directives.

Note: Do not reply to any e-mail that comes from the FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. The FBI director does not e-mail people; He will rather send an agent to your door step in person. Do not fall a victim of scam again, a word is enough for the wise.

Thank you and have a good day.

Signed: Julia Pierson

Director, United States Secret Service

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20528, USA

An interesting side note: While the email is totally phony, Pierson is very much the real head of the Secret Service. She also is an Orlando native and former Orlando police officer, and spent time in the Secret Service’s Miami office during the 1980s. She became the agency’s first female director earlier this year.

Read more here: Crime Watch: Clever scammers warn against another scam - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

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During a routine cleanout of his e-mail inbox, Barry Mawson stopped suddenly when he saw an alert on his computer:

"It says FBI Cyber Crime Division,” Mawson said. “You almost have a heart attack yourself!

The emblem on the message looks official. The alert is very serious, indicating Barry was somehow involved in a child porn investigation. Then, Barry called the FBI, and finished reading the entire message.

"To get rid of this you send in $300 to ‘money-pay,’" Mawson said.

The whole thing is a scam, put out by criminals to scare people into paying up.

"If you pay money, don't these people realize if you pay money this is only the start?” wondered Barry. “Then it's another $300 and another $300."

Barry now has an alert of his own: don't be fooled if this shows up in your e-mail inbox. The FBI reports it's been seeing these kinds of scams using its logo and acronym for years and points out it would never send threatening letters to people demanding payments for internet crimes.

Barry says he's taken in his computer to have it inspected and cleaned out by an expert and installing new security software.

If you get a message like the one Barry got you can file a complaint with the FBI. Clink the link below for more information about filing a complaint.

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/C...222224391.html

Color me skeptical, but I do hope this has some teeth. There is noting stopping these crooks from operating anywhere in the world.

All those deposed princes, shady barristers and dying Christians who want our help hiding or distributing their billions may finally get theirs.

The Federal Trade Commission and its counterparts in Nigeria signed an agreement last week that will allow them to work together to combat cross-border frauds known as Nigerian or 419 scams.

These scams are a cottage industry in Nigeria, and you’ve no doubt encountered them in your email inbox or on your Facebook page.

The original scam, still a staple, involved a letter from some phony foreign general or deposed prince who, in the wake of some upheaval in a third-world nation, would ask you to temporarily house the old regime’s billions in your bank account in exchange for a cut of the money.

But over the years, scammers created American soldiers (usually in Afghanistan or Iraq) who need help hiding the cache of millions they stumbled upon during a tour of duty, the barrister who can’t quite find his wealthy clients’ heirs but would like you to step in and pretend to be one, dying cancer-ridden mothers who need you - a complete stranger — to hold their millions for their children or dying Christians or Muslims who have chosen you to distribute their wealth to worthy causes.

More recently, scammers have branched out to scam people on dating sites (usually by posing as a do-gooder traveling abroad) or hijacked victims’ Facebook pages to try to convince their friends they were robbed while traveling abroad and need a quick, wired loan to get back home. Some have run pet adoption scams, posing as missionaries whose darling pups can't stand the heat in their new African location.

The memorandum of understanding between the FTC and the and Nigerian Consumer Protection Council and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission calls for the agencies to share some information about complaints, to map out areas that call for collaboration and to assist each other in specific investigations.

FTC, Nigerians strike agreement on inbox scams: Plain Dealing | cleveland.com

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The author of the article also has some useful information here. Scamfinder! | cleveland.com

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So there is a bunch of this scam going on around the country right now. And am not without sympathy as people are truly victims in things like this, its not like they were trying to earn 2% per day with no risk, or help someone smuggle a million in gold from Iraq for a cut. However, I went to the Craigslist website on avoiding scams to see what their warnings were. I have underlined and bolded the ones I think apply.


DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.
NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is likely a scammer.
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON - BANKS WILL HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, provide escrow, "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.
DO NOT RENT HOUSING OR PURCHASE GOODS SIGHT-UNSEEN - that amazing rental or cheap item may not exist.
DO NOT SUBMIT TO CREDIT OR BACKGROUND CHECKS until you have met the job interviewer or landlord/agent in person.

craigslist | about > scams

A local family was without a home Tuesday after answering a Craigslist ad for a rental property in Riverside that turned out to be a scam.

craigslist-scamMark Ames, an above-the-knee amputee who walks with a prosthetic leg, and his wife Sharon, a disabled Navy veteran, rented a home on Aug. 20 through an ad they found on Craigslist.

“It was everything it was supposed to be, except it wasn’t,” Mark Ames said.

Ames told KTLA he dealt with the purported landlord entirely by email and was issued what he thought was a legitimate lease for a year.

“When someone gives you the lease you expect them to be the owner. Not someone make it up,” Ames said.

On Wednesday, a woman identifying herself as the real property manager showed up at the home with a police officer and told them they had to leave immediately because they were trespassing.

“We don’t know where to go or what to do at this point,” Ames said.

The couple went to a nearby Motel 6 where they are now staying with their three children.

“With our money gone it makes it very hard to get into someplace else,” Ames said.

Ames asked KTLA to share his personal contact information in case those who can help want to reach out. His email address is xmarkx71@gmail.com and his phone number is 310-406-7423.

Read more: Family of 5 Homeless After Craigslist Rental Scam | KTLA 5

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SCUMBAG WHO GOT CAUGHT..

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McMINNVILLE, Ore. (KOIN) — A known con artist accused of defrauding 14 potential rental applicants using the same McMinnville apartment was charged in Yamhill County Friday afternoon.

He faces nine counts of first-degree theft by deception.

Jerry Rosenstiel was arrested at his home in Aurora on Thursday. Investigators claim he duped people into putting down deposits for rental properties he posted on Craigslist that are not his properties.

According to McMinnville police, the investigation began July 23, when a woman contacted investigators to report that she had signed a lease for an apartment at 242 SW Manzanita St. She said she had responded to a rental posting and met with a man who identified himself as ‘Jerry Carpenter’. She agreed to rent the apartment, then signed a lease and paid Carpenter more than $1,000 in cash deposits. The woman said that during the transaction, she observed certain indicators that made her suspicious that this was a possible scam.

Later that day, a second victim contacted McMinnville police with a similar story, saying the suspect had also used the same name, Jerry Carpenter. Over the next two weeks, eight more people came forward, some of whom had responded to a Craigslist ad. In each case, the victim signed a lease and paid a deposit with the understanding that they could move in at the beginning of August.

Investigators eventually identified the suspect as Rosenstiel, a con artist who has been involved in numerous scams over the past several years.

His attorney said Rosenstiel is very sick and needs to be let out of jail.

“It looks to me like he’s got cancer,” the attorney said. “I’m not saying it’s a definitie diagnosis, but it sure looks like it to me.”

The judge wanted proof before even considering whether to release Rosenstiel.

At the hearing Friday, the court was packed with his alleged victims and Rosenstiel’s family members.

His attorney admitted Rosenstiel collected between $1,000 and $2500 in rent and security deposits from several different families after they responded to a Craigslist ad to rent a house on SW Manzanita Street in McMinnville.

Rosenstiel’s attorney then asked the judge to let Rosenstiel out if he offered to repay all the victims within seven days — about $16,000.

No one from his family would talk with KOIN 6 News about the case.

KOIN 6 News asked him, “Why can’t his wife just give the money back?”

“You’d have to ask her,” the attorney replied.

“She said to ask you.”

“You’ve come full circle then.”

Rosenstiel’s criminal record dates back to the 1970s and includes more than 120 charges.

Con man charged in McMinnville rent ruse | KOIN.com

One in ten have fallen victim to rental fraud

A new study by people and business finder 192.com reveals that one in ten people have been scammed by a landlord or lodger [3 September 2013]

One in ten have fallen victim to rental fraudRental fraud happens when would-be tenants are tricked into paying advance fee to rent a property. Last year The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau warned students to watch out for potential scams when looking for university rental accommodation at this time of year.

Fraudulent landlords are making are making £755 million a year from the scam, and costs individuals £2,394 per victim. 192.com has recently launched Background Reports, a service offering protection against deception and fraud.

Protect yourself with advice from the National Landlords Association:

Tenants should always visit the property with the landlord or letting agent before handing over a deposit.
Where possible, tenants should pay a deposit using a credit card or via a direct debit to gain some protection from the banks - never hand over cash.
Tenants should look for professional landlords who are members of a professional body such as the NLA.
If using a letting agent, tenants should look for tenants who are members of a trade body such as The UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA) or the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).
UKALA members are required to have Client Money Protection in place which means that all monies given to the agent are insured.
If the tenant is not sure about a letting agent, they should call trading standards before entering into any contracts.

Read more on the 192.com website.

Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on 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.

One in ten have fallen victim to rental fraud | Action Fraud

I tried this and was not able to see any information about myself, probably due to the credit freeze as indicated by Clark in the article. There is also an option on the site to opt out of tracking. The credit freeze I really believe is one of the most important things a consumer can do to protect their identity, opting out is just a matter of how much crap you want in your mail box.


See what marketers know about you



By Clark Howard

ClarkHoward.com


Marketing organizations that have been super secretive are now facing scrutiny in the aftermath of continuing revelations about government spying.

One called Acxiom that I've talked about in the past reportedly has massive documentation on who you are, what activities you like, what cars you own, what your mortgage is, what kind of ailments you have, etc.

This data can be continually crunched and packaged for sale thanks to the miracle of parallel computing technology. But now for the first time, you can get a peek at what's in your Acxiom file.

Just go to AboutTheData.com and you can answer a series of questions to fully verify that you are who you say you are. Then you can see the info they have on you that they believe is fact -- but may actually be fiction.

Out of a sample group of 4 people on my show staff, two were able to see their records and two weren't. The two of us who couldn't probably couldn't because we've frozen our credit.

My executive producer Christa was able to see her file. It contained incorrect info including the wrong age of her kids, the wrong number of children, and the wrong income. My associate producer Joel's file was even more radically wrong. It listed him as a blue collar craftsman who completed high school, but had no college education. Joel is, in fact, a graduate of Kennesaw State University and not a craftsman -- unless you count drinking craft beer as a qualifier!

So these data brokers are out marketing what they claim is a precisely fine-tuned dossier they have on you. And it many cases it's kerflooey! "All the inaccurate data, all the time." How's that for an advertising slogan, Acxiom?!

Fortunately, you have the option to go to www.AboutTheData.com and opt out so they can stop compiling data on you!

One caveat, though: There's been a lot of widespread suspicion that the opt out form may be a backdoor kind of way for Acxiom to collect further data on you. The company denies it, but that hasn't quelled the skeptics. Use your own best discretion before taking the leap.

See what marketers know about you | www.clarkhoward.com

So this is a hoax, but even if it wasn't who wants to spend 5 days vacation getting pulled by a tug boat?

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Carnival Cruise Free Vacation Packages Survey Scam

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Here's a good one:

Ocala Police warn of man scamming money to build bridge in Malaysia - MajorGeeks

Guy's tease is "he's a contractor building bridges in malaysia, and he hits up his "dates" for money to finish the job. Hahaha!

I hate to mother folks, but a credit freeze brings crap like this to a standstill. When they run the social, the phone store won't be able to get a report back and if they are smart they won't issue the phone. Let someone else spend their time fixing nonsense like this.

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By Brett Clarkson, Sun Sentinel

7:06 p.m. EDT, September 6, 2013

Call them the iPhony five.

A group arrested at a Boca Raton mall this week are the latest examples of an emerging iPhone scam targeting the U.S. east coast, say Boca Raton police.

The scheme plays out when swindlers obtain other peoples' personal data – for instance, Social Security numbers – and then use that information to buy iPhone 5s at discounted prices in malls in South Florida and along the eastern seaboard, police say.

The phones, paid for in cash at prices of $199 and $250, are then re-sold for a higher price.

In Boca, the five suspects, all of whom were from New York, were found Wednesday afternoon with 28 iPhones in the trunk of their Volkswagen Jetta, police said.

Five arrested at Boca Raton mall part of iPhone-buying scam, say police - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Whether the scam's a supposed sweepstakes, a grandchild stranded in a foreign country or a deposit on a house rental that doesn't exist, there's often a MoneyGram involved.

This fall, however, the Texas-based company is giving some of that cash back as part of a $100 million federal settlement.

The Oregon Department of Justice has identified at least 47 Oregonians who lost money on scams that used MoneyGrams to transfer the funds. Those consumers lost a total of $190,585.

Consumers who feel they lost money in scams using MoneyGram between Jan. 1, 2004, and Aug. 31, 2009, may be eligible for a refund. Contact the Oregon Attorney General's Office at 877-877-9392. Those complaints must be filed with any available evidence by Nov. 15.

As part of a federal settlement that helped it avoid prosecution, representatives of the company based in Dallas, Texas have admitted it failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and, in essence, helped con artists commit wire fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. MoneyGram will pay $100 million into a compensation fund for victims nationwide of various scams that involved MoneyGram payments.

The Desk: Refunds available for scam victims who used MoneyGram | OregonLive.com

The Pulaski County sheriff's office says some of its employees may have been scammed by a company that said it would produce yearbooks for the agency but never delivered the finished product.

Lt. Carl Minden said APL Imaging took photographs of sheriff's office employees about a year ago and also took orders for a yearbook in which the images would ultimately be compiled.

But the yearbook was never delivered and the company hasn't been returning phone calls, Minden said. It appears to have declared bankruptcy, leaving anyone who paid for the yearbook in advance seemingly out of luck.

Minden is among an unspecified number of employees who lost the money, which he said was about $60 per book.

"The company’s owner has a history of scamming consumers by taking their money, producing some of the product, not returning call, and then filing bankruptcy," the sheriff's office wrote in an email to employees Thursday. "The owner has scammed many agencies across the Southeast including law enforcement and at least one military readiness group."

Minden said the sheriff's office didn't lose any money since the orders were actually placed by individual employees. Because of that, Pulaski County "has no recourse for action," though individuals who lost money can try to get it back, the email said.

Minden said employees were required to have their pictures taken for the book, but that no one was required to buy it.

He said it's possible the bankruptcy was legitimate and the company intended to fulfill the orders before declaring bankruptcy. But, he said, online posts from other agencies suggest other agencies have encountered similar problems.

"To use the word scammed is a strong word," Minden said. "I don't want to put myself in a liable situation. We have not received our product yet, and I don't know if we will. Because we can't contact them. Nothing's valid anymore."

Minden said the agency has been in contact with the Better Business Bureau.

The email to sheriff's office employees included a phone number for APL Imaging. A call there Friday morning returned a message saying its mailbox was full.

Sheriff's office: Yearbook for employees possibly a scam

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Outsmarting investment fraud 1/3 Total of about 50 minutes in 3 videos.

Part II, this gets in to the meat.

Conclusion.

This USUALLY involves one of two situations, vacant property and people in financial trouble. For a buyer, always get title insurance and turn over bear minimum earnest money in a transaction, especially if a private seller. For someone in trouble paying your mortgage never sign your deed over to someone, or make payments to them in hopes they will work something out with the bank.



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This goes very well with the video and adds in reverse mortgages, which is one of those things that can be legitimate, but is an industry fraught with scammers.


By Polyana da Costa, Bankrate.com
Sep. 7, 2013

Thousands of homeowners are duped in mortgage scams each year.
Getty Images

A slow economy is ripe for scams

The sluggish economy and slowly recovering housing market create the perfect environment for mortgage scams, with desperate homeowners as easy prey for scammers. The crooks say what you want to hear. They make the deal sound attractive and legit. You are suspicious at first, but somewhere along the way, you give them money or sign documents you were not supposed to sign. Soon, you realize you've been scammed.

Thousands of homeowners are duped in mortgage scams each year, and con artists don't have to look far for victims, says Yolanda McGill, senior counsel for the Fair Housing & Fair Lending Project, an initiative by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.

Most of the victims reach out to the scammers themselves through Internet searches, she says. She bases her conclusion on thousands of complaints that her organization has received from mortgage scam victims.

"The people showing up in our databases are people who are looking for help on the Internet," she says.

Instead of finding help, they find a scam.

You should be aware of the following common mortgage scams.

1. A theft in-'deed'

Lured by promises of a better interest rates and lower mortgage payments, some borrowers end up signing away their houses.

Thieves pose as mortgage professionals or attorneys who pledge to modify or refinance the homeowner's mortgage. The borrower is asked to sign the supposed modification papers. One of the pages in the stack of documents is a deed that once signed, transfers ownership of the property to the perpetrators or a company related to them.

While many homeowners would be able to spot such an ingenious trick, others don't bother to read or simply don't understand the documents they sign, says Brian Sullivan, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spokesman.

Often, borrowers are so focused on the numbers, including the new, low interest rate and the monthly mortgage payment, that they forget to read the rest of the documents and the fine print. They rely on what the con artist explains to them, Sullivan says.

"If somebody is smiling at you and promising you the world, alarm bells should be going off," he says. Also known as bait and switch, this mortgage scam is specially a threat for borrowers who can't read English well.

2. Phantom of the loan mod

Do not pay upfront fees for a loan modification. Homeowners have been warned about this repeatedly through numerous education campaigns. Despite the warnings, scam stories of borrowers who paid $1,000 to $5,000 for a loan mod but received nothing in exchange are widespread.

"People are starting to pick up on the fact that an upfront fee is illegal," McGill says. "But the scammer will say 'we are not charging you for the services but for doc preparation,' or they'll offer you a 30-day money-back guarantee."

How to cope with higher mortgage rates

Many borrowers fall for the promises, especially when they are dealing with what sounds like a government program. Mortgage scams will use abbreviations and program names like HAMP, HARP, Hope Now, EHLP -- you name it and a scammer will most likely try to use it. Borrowers also are fooled by professional appearances, McGill says. As with all other professions, you will sometimes find there are unscrupulous lawyers and mortgage professionals.

"They think because they saw it on a TV commercial or (because) it sounds like a law firm it's legitimate, but that's not the case," she says.


3. Your mortgage has been sold – NOT

Banks often buy and sell residential mortgages, and con artists take advantage of that. They create fake companies, pretend they are the new owners of your loan and take your payments until you figure out it's a scam. Most borrowers don't learn about the mortgage scam until their actual lender notifies them that their mortgage is in default. Receiving a letter notifying you that your mortgage was sold from lender A to lender B doesn't always mean a scam. Often, when a mortgage is sold, lender A continues to service the loan and nothing changes for the borrower. But in some instances, the loan buyer becomes the new servicer and borrowers are required to send their payments to lender B instead.

Under federal rules, whenever the servicer on a loan changes, the borrower should be notified with a "Goodbye" letter from the current servicer and a "Hello" letter from the new servicer, Sullivan says.

Avoid these 6 mortgage relief scams

If you ever get a letter stating your loan was sold, verify it before you mail the payment. "Illegitimate people use legitimate channels," McGill says. "Call your servicer to check. Don't buy into the appearance of legitimacy."

And don't rely on the phone numbers listed on the letters, as it may lead back to the scammer.


4. Steer clear of reverse mortgage scams

Elderly homeowners are easy targets for scammers. They are more vulnerable and more likely to have equity in their homes.

Fraudsters engineer several types of reverse mortgage scams. Reverse mortgages allow homeowners who are 62 or older to borrow against the equity in their homes without having to make monthly mortgage payments. Normally, the scammer wants to steal the equity in the home or use the senior citizens as straw buyers and borrowers.

"They use sleek marketing campaigns," says Chris Moessner, formerly president of Moessner & Associates, a research firm in Washington, D.C. "They'll say 'we'll allow you to keep your house and you'll be able to pay your bills, but this is the easiest way for you to get cash when you need it.'"

In some cases, the victim may get a lump-sum payment in the mortgage scam but is then evicted by the scammer after signing the documents. In one scam, con artists recruit an innocent senior to be the fall guy in the fraud. The scammers buy a distressed property, then manipulate the senior into signing the deed, taking ownership of the house. Once the house is in the senior's name, the scammers use an inflated appraisal to get a reverse mortgage. They steal the money, and the senior and the lender get stuck with the loss.


5. Avoid lease/buy-back agreements

Thanks to public records, con artists in many states know when a home is in foreclosure. Once they identify distressed borrowers, they persuade them to sign a quitclaim deed, which transfers the property ownership into a land trust.

In lease/buy-back mortgage scams, the perpetrator promises the deed transfer is temporary and you'll be able to rent the home from the new owners and eventually repurchase the home after you get back on your feet.

You are told it is necessary to sign the document so the company can make the mortgage payments and stop the foreclosure process. In addition, the scammer presents a lease/buy-back agreement, which specifies how much the borrower will pay in rent and explains that the borrower has the option to buy back the property after a certain period.

Depending on how much you owe on the home, the scammer may simply collect the rent from you and let the bank throw you out on the street or lock you out and sell the house themselves.

"If people are coming to you asking you sign away your home so they can make payments for you, run for the hills," Sullivan says.

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MESQUITE (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- Mesquite police have arrested a 36-year-old woman for allegedly running a scam claiming her 7-year-old son had a rare liver cancer.

Detectives arrested Shawnanna Starr Flores on Friday evening.

Police said they believe Flores falsely represented her son as having a rare malignant liver cancer known as hepatoblastoma.

A benefit car wash held at a gas station on Aug. 24 raised $404.

A fund for the child was created at a Wells Fargo bank, and donation jars were placed in businesses around the city.

Flores was charged with felony fraud, obtaining money under false pretenses, felony child abuse and felony theft.

Child Protective Services is also investigating the case.I

If you have additional information on the case or donated to the Rodrigo Cancer Fund, you are asked to contact Mesquite Det. Ron Richmond at (702) 346-5262.

Mesquite mom arrested in alleged cancer fraud scam - Las Vegas MyNews3 - KSNV

Nelson police are sounding the alarm bells on a pyramid scheme making its rounds in the Heritage City under the disguise of a “women’s circle”.

The scheme, or “circle” as NPD Sgt. Paul Bayes describes, requires women to provide a $5,000 gift to another woman in the circle.

Bayes said eventually the first woman will move to a different level in the Circle and where she is promised a gift herself.

“This gift is anticipated to be much larger than the gift originally given,” Bayes explains.

“Although those behind the women’s circle claim it is not a hierarchy or pyramid, it is.”

“The only way for individuals to receive gifts greater than what they are contributing is through the loss of others in “circle”,’ Bayes adds.

Police said because there is no new money created in the circle, the scheme is simply a fraud that allows the original recruiters to take money from the new members.

Eventually, when no new recruits come into the circle, the gifters will have lost their money.

Pyramid schemes are illegal under section 206 (1) (e) of the Criminal Code and Competition’s Act.

“Income received from the scheme must also be declared with Canada Revenue and could result in tax evasion charges if not declared,” Bayes said.

Police want any victims to this fraud to contact Nelson RCMP or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

Police warn public of pyramid scheme making rounds in Nelson | The Castlegar Source

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For those who don't know who the Yahoo Boys are check out facebook they let them operate in the open.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Niger...32012743539533
https://www.facebook.com/groups/242458785871867/

Here is an excerpt

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/405581236161374/

And again, kitty photos are so yesterday.

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/477106165665718/

This is now a private group, but you can guess what they do.

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Spy Service Exposes Nigerian ‘Yahoo Boys’

A crude but effective online service that lets users deploy keystroke logging malware and then view the stolen data remotely was hacked recently. The information leaked from that service has revealed a network of several thousand Nigerian email scammers and offers a fascinating glimpse into an entire underground economy that is seldom explored.
The login page for the BestRecovery online keylog service.

The login page for the BestRecovery online keylog service.

At issue is a service named “BestRecovery” (recently renamed PrivateRecovery). When I first became aware of this business several months ago, I had a difficult time understanding why anyone would pay the $25 to $33 per month fee to use the service, which is visually quite amateurish and kludgy (see screenshot at right).

But that was before I shared a link to the site with a grey hat hacker friend, who replied in short order with the entire username and password database of more than 3,000 paying customers.

Initially, I assumed my source had unearthed the data via an SQL injection attack or some other database weakness. As it happens, the entire list of users is recoverable from the site using little more than a Web browser.

The first thing I noticed upon viewing the user list was that a majority of this service’s customers had signed up with yahoo.com emails, and appeared to have African-sounding usernames or email addresses. Also, running a simple online search for some of the user emails (dittoswiss@yahoo.com, for example) turned up complaints related to a variety of lottery, dating, reshipping and confidence scams.

The site was so poorly locked down that it also exposed the keylog records that customers kept on the service. Logs were indexed and archived each month, and most customers used the service to keep tabs on multiple computers in several countries. A closer look at the logs revealed that a huge number of the users appear to be Nigerian 419 scammers using computers with Internet addresses in Nigeria.
The seriously ghetto options page for BestRecovery web-based keylogger service.

Also known as “advance fee” and “Nigerian letter” scams, 419 schemes have been around for many years and are surprisingly effective at duping people. The schemes themselves violate Section 419 of the Nigerian criminal code, hence the name. Nigerian romance scammers often will troll online dating sites using stolen photos and posing as attractive U.S. or U.K. residents working in Nigeria or Ghana, asking for money to further their studies, care for sick relatives, or some such sob story.

More traditionally, these miscreants pretend to be an employee at a Nigerian bank or government institution and claim to need your help in spiriting away millions of dollars. Those who fall for the ruses are strung along and milked for increasingly large money transfers, supposedly to help cover taxes, bribes and legal fees. As the FBI notes, 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,” the FBI warns. “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.”

Oddly enough, a large percentage of the keylog data stored at BestRecovery indicates that many of those keylog victims are in fact Nigerian 419 scammers themselves. One explanation is that this is the result of scammer-on-scammer attacks. According to a study of 419ers published in the Dec. 2011 edition of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (available from the Library of Congress here or via this site for a fee), much of the 419 activity takes place in cybercafes, where “bulk tickets are sold for sending spam emails and some systems are dedicated to fraudsters for hacking and spamming.”

Spy Service Exposes Nigerian ‘Yahoo Boys’ — Krebs on Security

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UTAH COUNTY — Police from two Utah County agencies are looking for a trio of scam artists who used tricks by sleight of hand to swindle businesses out of money.

Orem Police Lt. Craig Martinez said Tuesday the two women and a man, dressed in ball caps and driving a minivan, hit Walmart stores in Orem as well as in Lindon on Sept. 4.

In the Orem case, detectives said the man distracted one worker at the customer service desk while the two women confused another employee. At one point, surveillance video showed one of the women reaching into the cash register and pulling out a stack of hundred dollar bills right under the confused worker's nose, siphoning away an undisclosed number of bills from the bottom of the stack.

"There's a lot of confusion going around," Martinez said. "You've got one or two cashiers against three people that know what they're doing. It's quite difficult."

At the center of the ruse was a simple scam police said they have seen many times in the past. Known as "short changing" or "change raising," the con first makes a legitimate purchase or money exchange. After that, however, the con will ask for more money exchanges until the issue of how much money is flowing from one party to another is confused enough that money can disappear without the victim immediately knowing.

The Orem Walmart surveillance video showed one woman passing a large bill in an apparent attempt to purchase a gift card. Martinez said the women were able to confuse the matter to the point that the worker seemed to simply watch as the women reached into the till and pulled out stacks of money two different times. Each time, the surveillance video showed one of the women spiriting money away.
Related Story
California women travel to Utah in fake check scam, police say
Cottonwood Heights police caught two women they said were using fake checks and stolen credit cards to steal from stores in the Salt Lake Valley Friday.

"This one is the first one I've seen where they actually reach over, grab the money from the cash drawer, and then steal some off the bottom," Martinez said. "It's almost like a card trick."

Martinez said the women told the worker they were a Swedish mother and daughter who didn't fully understand matters of currency.

"The cashiers and the employees at Walmart are always very customer oriented, so they try to be as friendly as possible," Martinez said. "These people prey on that as well."

Another man was caught on surveillance video at the customer service desk and then rendezvousing with the women in the parking lot is believed to be an accomplice, Martinez said. The three left in a minivan.

The trio similarly took advantage of workers at the Walmart in Lindon, Martinez said.

Lindon City Police Chief Cody Cullimore did not immediately return calls and emails Tuesday.

Orem investigators said it's possible the three suspects may be traveling across the country, perpetrating the same scam wherever they stop.

Regardless, police said the man and women could also be locals and they're urging retailers to watch for them.

Anybody with information about the individuals seen in the surveillance video or about what took place can call the Orem Department of Public Safety at (801) 229-7070.

Scam artists use sleight of hand, police say | ksl.com

Be on the lookout for fake exchanges. These scams are targeting both individuals and businesses. Many scams are targeting seniors telling them they need something else. In short, starting in October people without insurance will be able to buy insurance on exchanges. People with Medicare and Medicaid will see almost no change. No Obamacare cards are going to be mailed out, unsolicited phone calls are very likely a scam.

Here is a link to the government website. https://www.healthcare.gov/ GO HERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS!!

Using Obamacare as bait, scam artists target consumers and business owners

GASTON DE CARDENAS/REUTERS - Scammers in several states are trying to capi*tal*ize on confusion over the health care overhaul.


By J.D. Harrison, Published: September 10 E-mail the writer

A number of health insurance scams have emerged in recent months as crooks try to cash in on confusion over the health care reform law, and some officials say they are bracing for more in the months ahead.

Most of the schemes target uninsured individuals and employers, many of whom will soon be required to purchase a minimum level of health coverage or pay a tax penalty. In some cases, scammers have set up bogus Web sites intended to look like the law’s new health insurance exchanges, where individuals and small business owners will be allowed to shop for coverage starting on Oct. 1.

Sites using the domains washingtonhealthexchange.com and mdhealthexchange.com have already been reported and taken down.

“These exchanges are designed for both individual consumers and businesses, so by definition, these fake ones are trying to lure both consumers and business owners into a trap,” Jim Quiggle, a spokesman for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud in Washington, D.C., said in an interview.

So far, “scams specifically targeting businesses are in the minority,” Quiggle said, but he says he expects the incidence may pick up once the real health care exchanges open for enrollment next month — particularly because there is still so much confusion and misinformation surrounding the law.

In the last few months, several polls have shown that a large number of people still do not know exactly what the health law’s requirements entail, to whom they apply, or whether the legislation is still in effect. One by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that 42 percent of people did not know the law still stands, with many believing it had been repealed by Congress or overturned by the Supreme Court.

“When you go out into the neighborhoods, many people still have no idea what the law means for them,” Michael Flagg, director of communications for the District’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, said in an interview. “It leaves a lot of vulnerability.”

In threatening e-mails and phone calls, sometimes masquerading as government officials, some scam artists have offered to help individuals avoid tax penalties by signing them up for plans that meet the federal requirements.

Of course, in order to register, consumers and employers must hand over private health records and financial information.

In Maryland, scam artists have started calling residents claiming they need to verify Medicare ID and Social Security numbers for purposes associated with the health law, according to reports published by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

In New York and Florida, meanwhile, scammers have been traveling door-to-door, asking whether individuals currently have health insurance. If not, some individuals have reportedly been threatened with prison time if they do not sign up for coverage on the spot, according to the coalition.

“Home-based entrepreneurs especially need to be mindful of strangers knocking on their doors with these insurance schemes,” Quiggle said.

So far, similar schemes have been reported in more than 20 states.

“If somebody calls and offers to sign you up for $500, whether you’re a business owner or individual consumer, you just have to hang up,” Flagg said, noting that the actual health insurance exchanges are not open for business yet.

Cellphone shops hit by fancy phone scam

September 11 2013 at 01:30pm
By LEE RONDGANGER


Private investigators Seelan Pillay and Beaver Shanmogum of Bhopa Investigations were hired by the owner of a Cell C franchise to probe alleged fraudulent activity.

Durban - Cellphone shops across Durban may have been swindled out of millions by a syndicate that pays unemployed people cash for high-end handsets they fraudulently obtain.

The scam, in which bogus customers take out cellphone contracts using fake IDs, payslips and bank statements, came to light when a local Cell C store investigated why hundreds of people, who were contacted for falling behind with payments, denied taking out the contracts.

“These were people who had numerous contracts taken out on their names,” Seelan Pillay, a private investigator hired by the franchisee, said on Tuesday.

In the past month alone the Cell C franchise owner, who has about 30 shops, allegedly lost more than R1.5 million to the syndicate whose tentacles are believed to stretch across the province.

At the weekend, two women recruited by the syndicate were arrested by police with the help of private investigators.

The women, aged 25 and 22, were in the process of taking multiple contracts on fancy cellphones when their actions raised the suspicion of the store manager.

Pillay and his Bhopa Investigations colleague, Beaver Shanmogum, interviewed the women at the shop and said they established that both were lying about the details they submitted.

They were not the people in the ID books they presented, and not employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education as their salary slips purported to show, Pillay said.

Chatsworth police were called and the women were arrested.

One of the women, arrested on Saturday, appeared in court on Tuesday and the other, arrested on Sunday, was expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

The investigators said they had uncovered the details of at least 200 people whose IDs had been cloned by the syndicate and used to take out cellphone contracts.

Pillay said expensive cellphones such as the Samsung S3 and S4, BlackBerry Q10 and Apple iPhones were the preferred choice of the alleged con artists.

The phones retail from R8 500 to R9 400.

“A pattern emerged and we realised we were dealing with serious fraudsters.

“We have established that they made off with more than R1.5 million at one franchise and we think it may be much more if we had to count the other places which have been hit,” he said.

Pillay believes the syndicate may have struck stores across the province.

One victim had 11 cellphone contracts taken out in his name.

A retired a couple were dumbfounded when they were told that they had fallen behind on the payments of their eight cellphone contracts.

Pillay said from preliminary investigations it appeared that the recruits were given R1 000 for every cellphone they brought to the syndicate.

One of the suspects arrested at the weekend had said that she and others were recruited by a woman in uMlazi, he said.

Shanmogum said that after a recruit was given a fake identity document, payslip and bank statements, he or she would be sent to up to six cellphone shops in a day to apply for contracts.

All of the identity documents had the right ID numbers and names on them but fake pictures. The payslips all purport to be from the KZN education department.

“Depending on how much their payslips said they earned they could qualify for three contracts at one store,” Shanmogum said.

“They will then take those same papers to other stores and apply for more contracts and in no time they could make off with at least R60 000 to R100 000 in cellphones.”

After taking possession of the phones, the recruits would meet the syndicate members in the CBD where they would exchange them for cash.

It is not yet known from where the syndicate generates the fake IDs or the fraudulent payslips.

Dhurmalingam Subramoney said he and his wife Mary of Kharwastan, Chatsworth, were stunned when told that they were not up to date on the payments of eight cellphone contracts in their name.

Over one day in July, fraudsters were able to get contracts for three iPhones and five BlackBerrys worth nearly R60 000, and racked up thousands of rand in calls.

“When that woman called me to say I had all these phones I told her she was crazy,” Subramoney said.

“I do not have any accounts with any firms. Everything I have I pay cash for - always have and always will,” he said.

“Our phones are all cash phones and when we want airtime we go and buy airtime. I don’t know where they think we will take so many phones on contract.”

Cell C’s executive head of communications, Karin Fourie, said identity theft was a problem for all service-related industries and not only the mobile industry.

“The South African public must be aware of how easily their identities can be assumed. Criminals in this area spend months taking over someone’s identity and use it to perform criminal activities,” she said.

Richard Boorman, spokesman for Vodacom, said: “We’re not aware of organised fraud (along) these lines taking place in our stores.

We’ve got an active fraud prevention team and work with the authorities to prosecute the isolated cases that sometimes take place.”

Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, said police were investigating two charges of fraud against the arrested women. He said that while investigations were continuing, police believed the incident was isolated.

“We are not aware of any syndicate,” Zwane said.

However, Pillay showed the Daily News their case file with the bogus ID documents of 200 people, used to get contracts.

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to track them down because the addresses provided by the syndicates were incorrect or did not exist,” he said. “We want people to come forward so we can build a case around these people.”

Cellphone shops hit by fancy phone scam - Crime & Courts | IOL News | IOL.co.za

VEHICLE WRAPPING SCAM

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Scam Alert: Suspects offering to wrap vehicle with ads
Posted: Sep 10, 2013 10:03 PM EST Updated: Sep 10, 2013 10:08 PM EST
By Breann Bierman - email

(Source: CBS 5 News) (Source: CBS 5 News)
QUEEN CREEK, AZ (CBS5) -

Authorities are warning of a scam where victims get a bogus check and end up wiring money out of their own account.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said it has received multiple reports of an email circulating with an offer to wrap a vehicle with advertising graphics for well-known companies.

In the email, the victim is told they will receive between $300 and $400 per week to drive around with advertising graphics wrapped around their cars.

The victim is asked to provide their contact information and then the scammer offers to send them a check for a larger amount of money, such as $1,800.

The email instructs the victim to deposit the check, take out the first week's pay and wire transfer the rest to a graphic company which will customize the advertising wrap for the victim's vehicles.

Once the bogus checks are deposited, the victims end up wiring money from their account to the scammer. When the check bounces, the victim has lost whatever money was wired.

If you have been a victim of this scam or would like more information, call the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at 602-876-1011.

Scam Alert: Suspects offering to wrap vehicle with ads - CBS 5 - KPHO

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PHOENIX -- A Valley woman thought she had come across a great job opportunity . But then she found out that it was a scam.

Like many of us, Lea Rogers is looking for ways to make a little extra cash. So, she turned to the internet. "I had signed up for a bunch of survey offers. You know, like surveys at home," Rogers tells 3 On Your Side.

And that's when Lea receive an email offer from Monster Energy Drink, which is a huge company.

Monster asked Rogers, "Would you wrap your car with our ad for $300 weekly?" Of course, Rogers said absolutely, because it was easy money.

"If you're getting $1,200 a month, I mean, who wouldn't think that's a great idea especially since I have three jobs, and that would cut out one, maybe two, so I wouldn't have to work as hard. Very appealing,"she says.

Wrapping your car is fairly popular these days. It means putting a plastic coating with a company's business and logo around your entire vehicle. As you drive around on your daily errands, your vehicle automatically as a driving billboard.

Rogers accepted the offer and then, she received a Fed Ex package with a check for $2,330.

"Wow," Rogers thought. $2,330 in advance. She thought this gig was going to be better than she had first imagined.

However, she couldn't keep all the money. She was instructed to keep just $300 for her first week and then forward the rest to the graphic artist who would make the plastic coating to wrap her car.

"This is supposedly the first payment with the $300 I'm supposed to take out and the rest is supposed to cover the auto body wrap."

Rogers went on to say, "They were asking that I MoneyGram or wire this to their headquarters."

But, Rogers was suspicious, and wondered why a company would send her so much money and actually trust her with that much in advance.

So, she contacted 3 On Your Side. "I can't afford to do anything that's going to take away money. I need to be putting money in my account, not taking out," she says.

3 On Your Side has exposed this scam numerous times. Consumers like Rogers would deposit the check, wire money to the so-called graphic artist, and by the time her bank discovers the check is worthless 3 days later, the scammer has already received the money. The bank then holds Rogers accountable, meaning she is out the entire $2,330.

Monster sent 3 On Your Side an email when we told them about Rogers. The email confirmed: "This is in fact a scam."

Rogers says she's thankful she didn't fall for it, and hopes this story helps others who are looking to make a little extra money.

"That would make me feel really good that not only did I stop the stupid idiots from doing this to somebody else but I really want to humiliate the crap out of these people!" she says.

3 On Your Side always advises to never wire money to someone you don't know. Remember our motto: "If they ask you to wire, then they're a liar." That means if you're ever asked to wire or transfer money, you're being scammed.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/consume...222996951.html

Two Indicted in $275 Million Investment Fraud Scheme Involving the Sale of Medical Accounts Receivable to Hedge Funds and Other Investors
Guilty Pleas of Two Conspirators Also Unsealed Today
U.S. Attorney’s Office September 05, 2013

District of Maryland (410) 209-4800

BALTIMORE—A federal grand jury has indicted Richard Shusterman, age 50, of Highland Beach, Florida, and Jonathan E. Rosenberg, age 44, of West Orange, New Jersey, on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud equity investors and asset-based lenders in medical accounts receivable of more than $275 million. The indictment was returned on September 4, 2013, and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants.

The guilty pleas of Robert Feldman, age 65, of Beach Haven, New Jersey, and Douglas A. Kuber, age 53, of Livingston, New Jersey, were also unsealed today. Feldman and Kuber pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on September 3, 2013 and October 11, 2012, respectively.

The indictment and guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“The indictment alleges that the defendants perpetrated a brazen and complex Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $275 million,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the 10-count indictment, Richard Shusterman was a shareholder and president of International Portfolio Inc. (IPI). Robert Feldman was part owner of IPI and was also the president of United Consulting Inc. Shusterman and Feldman represented that IPI was a company that had experience in the field of medical accounts receivable, including their purchase, valuation, collection, and resale. Beginning on June 21, 2006, Shusterman and Feldman, through United Consulting and IPI, engaged in the business of buying and selling consumer debt, including medical debt portfolios.

According to the indictment, Jonathan E. Rosenberg and Douglas A. Kuber operated Account Receivable Services LLC (ARS). ARS invested in medical accounts receivable purchased from IPI using funds borrowed from investors interested in asset-based lending. Rosenberg was also president of two other companies that recruited investors for medical accounts receivable portfolios purchased from IPI.

From December 2006 through June 2008, IPI paid more than $25 million to purchase over $4.1 billion in medical accounts receivable, comprising more than 3,872,514 past due patient accounts that the hospitals and other entities selling the accounts had been unsuccessful in collecting. Beginning in June 2007, Shusterman, Rosenberg, Feldman, and Kuber began promoting an investment model to individual investors and investment fund managers.

To implement the investment model, the conspirators allegedly agreed that Shusterman, through IPI, would batch accounts receivable from IPI’s inventory into discrete debt portfolios with specified total outstanding account balances. These portfolios would then be offered for sale to investors. In addition, Shusterman and IPI would manage all the collection efforts for each debt portfolio IPI sold.

The indictment alleges that Shusterman, Rosenberg, Kuber, and Feldman made fraudulent representations and omissions regarding purchase prices, collection results, and resale values of IPI medical debt portfolios in order to persuade investors to invest in those portfolios. The indictment alleges that Shusterman, Rosenberg, Kuber, and Feldman negotiated and agreed upon two different purchase prices for each IPI debt portfolio that hedge funds and other investors financed on behalf of ARS. The conspirators set higher purchase prices for the IPI debt portfolios ARS financed through hedge funds and other investors. IPI agreed to kickback the loan proceeds in excess of the true purchase prices to Rosenberg and Kuber. The defendants allegedly characterized the kickbacks as a refund for any unqualified accounts in the portfolio, such as when a debtor was deceased or bankrupt. The indictment alleges that between June 2007 and March 2009, Shusterman paid Kuber and Rosenberg kickbacks totaling approximately $8,318,718.

Further, the indictment alleges that in order to induce existing investors to maintain and increase their participation in the investment scheme and to persuade new investors to join, Shusterman, Rosenberg, Feldman, and Kuber falsely represented the actual amount of collections and rates of liquidation of IPI debt portfolios. In fact, because IPI debt portfolios did not generate sufficient collections to meet the minimum debt service payments due to the investors, Shusterman, Rosenberg, Feldman, and Kuber allegedly caused IPI to wire money disguised as “direct payments” to ARS entities to fund interest payments owed to hedge funds and other investors who loaned money for the acquisition of IPI debt portfolios. Specifically, the indictment alleges that between July 2008 and March 2010, the defendants made false and misleading collection reports stating that a total of approximately $56,180,158 in “direct payments” were collected during the liquidation of IPI debt portfolios, in order to deceive hedge funds such as Platinum Partners and other investors. The indictment alleges that in February 2010, Shusterman, Rosenberg, Feldman, and Kuber attempted to induce Eton Park Capital Management to invest by portraying four portfolios financed by Platinum as receiving approximately $28.7 million in collections. In fact, the total net collections were approximately $2 million.

Finally, in order to induce investors to buy and/or maintain their investment positions in IPI debt portfolios, and to further conceal substantially lower than projected collection results, Shusterman, Rosenberg, Feldman, and Kuber fraudulently repurchased and resold investors’ IPI debt portfolios at artificially inflated prices that neither corresponded to a particular debt portfolio’s actual collection results, nor to an asking price from a purchaser in the debt-buying industry. According to the indictment, Shusterman, Rosenberg, Feldman, and Kuber represented to investors that the IPI debt portfolios sold to them or used as collateral were comprised of medical accounts receivable that IPI had purchased directly from hospitals and medical providers after those institutions had exhausted their efforts to collect from their debtor patients. In fact, the indictment alleges that Shusterman and Feldman intentionally sold to some investors IPI debt portfolios that IPI had previously sold to and repurchased from a different investor, and sometimes multiple investors.

The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $278,105,193, alleged to be the proceeds of the scheme.

Shusterman and Rosenberg each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and for each of nine counts of wire fraud. Shusterman was arrested in Baltimore and is scheduled to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 3:30 p.m. Rosenberg was arrested in Newark, New Jersey, and is expected to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court there today.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

Robert Feldman and Douglas Kuber each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Feldman is scheduled for sentencing on December 3, 2013. No sentencing date has been set for Kuber.

Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit StopFraud.gov - Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the FBI and HSI Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein praised Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Joyce K. McDonald, who are prosecuting the case.

FBI — Two Indicted in $275 Million Investment Fraud Scheme Involving the Sale of Medical Accounts Receivable to Hedge Funds and Other Investors

Edmonton man charged with 15 child exploitation offences

The Internet Child Exploitation unit (ICE) of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) has laid 15 child exploitation charges against a 38-year-old Edmonton man.

Michael John Patterson has been charged with six counts of luring, five counts of criminal harassment, two counts of distributing child pornography, and two counts of extortion.

The charges come after a lengthy investigation following complaints about a man believed to be involved in inappropriate communication with five alleged victims, between the age of 13 to 17.

The suspect was arrested and charged Monday. ICE seized several electronic devices for forensic examination.

Patterson appeared in court Tuesday and was released on bail. Bail conditions included: not having contact with any of the victims or anyone under 16 and not possessing or using any electronic devices with access to the Internet.

Patterson is scheduled to appear again in court Friday, September 13.

Edmonton CTV news