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Thread: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

  1. #351
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    I see these boxes but have never used them, today I was digging in my car visor and found my Block Buster card and thought I don't even know if there is a BB around anymore.

    Alex Martinez, who rents video games from Redbox at a Walgreens in Waukegan, has twice opened game cases that only had a piece of paper with a bar code inside.

    “I thought I was going to be charged for the full price of the game, but Redbox was pretty cool about everything,” said Martinez, 39, who rents games for his 9-year-old son. “I just worry that if it happens two or three more times, that [Redbox] is going to think it’s me stealing the games.”
    Ads by Google

    Bill Orechia found himself in a similar situation after renting a video game from a Redbox kiosk in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. His copy of “Street Fighter” was empty.

    “I got scared when I called [Redbox] because I thought I’d be charged the full $60 for the game,” said Orechia, 27.

    As it turns out, Orechia said, “It was routine business for them. The whole call took 10 minutes, and they even gave me codes for two free rentals.”

    That’s because Orechia and Martinez fell victim to a scam that’s been brewing since Redbox, based in Oakbrook Terrace, introduced game rentals in 2011.
    Ads by Google

    Each Redbox disc has a bar code sticker that tracks customer credit card information and date of rental, among other things. But when unscrupulous users photocopy the bar code — or simply peel off the sticker and place back it in the case — the kiosks are duped into thinking it is the actual game.

    “If you’re renter No. 1, then it’s obvious,” said Joel Resnik, vice president and general manager of video games at Redbox. “The problem is [the thefts] are not clear-cut.”

    Redbox declined to say what percentage of customers have been affected by the scam, and Resnik wouldn’t elaborate on steps the company might be taking to combat this kind of theft. “If the problem was widespread it wouldn’t be a profitable business for us — nothing is full profit — but we are constantly looking at new ways to address these challenges,” he added.

    Scammers might get away with a $60 video game as long as they’re not greedy and stealing dozens of games at a time, but Resnik views the thefts as a cost of doing business. Redbox charges customers $2 a day for each video game rented.

    “I draw this comparison to retail,” Resnik said. “All retailers deal with shrink. There is always a risk to doing business. ... It has grown and more people are aware of the scam.”

    The awareness Resnik is referring to are various consumer complaints left on sites like Yelp!, Reddit and gaming forums such as Gamefaqs.

    Redbox, which is operated by the publicly traded company Outerwall, closed Friday at $46.43 a share, up from roughly $45 a year ago. On Tuesday, the company hit a nine-month low after management lowered future revenue expectations. The company has rented more than 3 billion DVDs or video games since Redbox kiosks were introduced in 2002.

    Meanwhile, the company recently increased the cost of renting DVDs by 20 cents, stating the “increase is a result of rising operational costs, including increased debit card fees.”

    “We are constantly looking at new ways to address these challenges and make sure people don’t make a tremendous impact on our customer’s experience,” Resnik said. “That’s what’s really important to us — overall experience.”

    Redbox scam hits Waukegan kiosk - Lake County News-Sun
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  2. #352
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    National Do Not Call Registry scam is back!
    by Susan Salisbury

    Be aware that an old scam is back.

    Scammers are again making phone calls posing as representatives of the National Do Not Call Registry. The callers claim to provide an opportunity to register your phone number, but it’s a trick, says the Better Business Bureau.

    How the scam works:

    Someone calls you claiming to represent the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry or Canada’s National Do Not Call List. The “representative” says he is offering you the chance to register your phone number in order to limit telemarketing calls. Several versions of this exist. In one, scammers ask for personal information, such as your name, address and Social Security number. In another, scammers try to charge a fee to join the registry.

    Either way, just hang up the phone. The call is a scam. The registry is a free service, and sharing personal information with the caller will put you at risk for identity theft.

    How to protect yourself from Do Not Call Registry scams:

    • You never need to pay. National Do Not Call Registry is a free service of the federal government.
    • Don’t share your personal information if someone calls you claiming to represent the National Do Not Call Registry.
    • Private businesses cannot register phone numbers. Consumers may register directly, or through some state governments, but never through private companies. If someone claims otherwise, it’s a scam.
    • Remember that your participation in the National Do Not Call Registry does not expire.
    • To add your number to the Do Not Call Registry, go to Donotcall.gov or call 888-382-1222 from the phone you wish to register. If you want to verify your number, use this feature on the registry’s website.
    • Canadians have their own National Do Not Call List.

    Subscription to the Florida Do Not Call list is now being offered free of charge for residential and mobile telephone numbers. Your number will remain on the Florida Do Not Call list for five years.

    To register to be on the Florida list, go to fldnc.com

    For frequently asked questions about the Do Not Call Registry, check the FTC website at ftc.gov.
    - See more at: Protecting Your Pocket Blog Archive National Do Not Call Registry scam is back!
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    THE Financial Services Board (FSB) on Friday asked the public to refrain from investing funds or conducting business with any of the Ledimar financial services entities, as there was a "strong indication" the companies were running a pyramid scheme.

    The regulator has established that these entities offer investment products to members of the public and then falsely purport to be authorised financial services providers in terms of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002.

    The FSB says none of these entities are authorised in terms of the act to provide financial services and, specifically, to sell any investment products to the public or to receive or hold investment funds from the public.

    The three companies are Ledimar Financial Services, Ledimar Stock Trading and Ledimar Investment Holdings.

    While the main operations are in Rivonia and the Johannesburg central business district, the FSB said there were also branches in Welkom, Klerksdorp, Rustenburg and Mahikeng.

    The FSB is conducting an inspection, which it said was "continuing".

    http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/fin...pyramid-scheme
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    what a nice name "FSB", just like new russian ex-KGB now called FSB :)

    when someone will say FSB is onto you, russians are scared the most..

  5. #355
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Report: Pistons' Charlie Villanueva lost $250,000 in alleged Ponzi scheme

    The Detroit News

    Charlie Villanueva will earn $8.5 million in salary with the Pistons this season. (Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)

    Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva testified Tuesday in federal court in Trenton, N.J., that he lost $250,000 in investments with former University of Connecticut basketball player Tate George, according to the Trentonian.

    Villanueva also played for the Huskies.

    George is on trial for wire fraud for his involvement in an alleged Ponzi scheme as CEO of The George Group.

    Villanueva invested the $250,000 for a George project called Seaview Plaza in Bridgeport, Conn. The Trentonian said Villanueva was promised the return of his $250,000 with a $37,500 profit, and 2 percent earnings annually on his investment.

    Villanueva told the Trentonian that it hurt him personally to be conned by a fellow UConn alum.

    “And it’s $250,000! That could have gone to my son’s education,” Villanueva said.

    From The Detroit News: Report: Pistons' Charlie Villanueva lost $250,000 in alleged Ponzi scheme | The Detroit News
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Six arrested in City of London boiler room scam
    Author: Laura Miller
    IFAonline | 23 Sep 2013 | 10:41

    Categories: Investment

    Topics: fraud

    City of London Police detectives have arrested six men as part of an investigation into a suspected ‘boiler room' operating from the Square Mile selling carbon credits.

    It is believed that the boiler room has already accumulated approximately a million pounds from cold calling people across the UK. Using high pressurised sales tactics, carbons credits are sold for over inflated prices that are not capable of generating the returns promised, the police said.

    The morning operation saw fraud squad detectives descend on a City office. Searches were later carried out in properties across the south east.

    Detective Inspector Teresa Russell, who is leading the investigation, said: "In 2013 the City of London Police has targeted a number of City offices housing what we believe are criminal operations intent on defrauding elderly and vulnerable people out of large sums of money, some of whom have parted with their life savings.

    "We will take action against criminals involved in this type of scam,close down their operations, holding those responsible to account."

    The City of London Police advises people not to accept cold calls and always seek independent advice before committing to any financial investment.
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

  7. #357
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    There are a ton of these scams going around, make sure your friends and family are aware.

    If someone calls and claims to be from, let's say, a utility company or a government agency and wants you to send money using pre-paid cards, what should you do?

    City police are investigating two recent incidents involving Green Dot Money Pack cards, one from a caller who claimed to be from the IRS and another from a man who said he worked for United Illuminating Co. and needed an outstanding balance paid immediately.

    Legitimate businesses don't operate that way, said Officer Jeff Nielsen, the department spokesman. "Once the scammer gets the numbers from the back of the card, they can use it to reload the funds onto a prepaid Green Dot Visa or Mastercard, add money to a PayPal account without using a bank account or make same-day payments to major companies,'' Nielsen said.

    A Milford woman was bilked out of $2,000 on Sept. 16 and on Friday a local business owner lost $800 in the scam when a caller claiming to be from UI said the company was switching meters and needed the customer's balance settled immediately.

    Green Dot cards are sold in several local stores and police are asking merchants to monitor their sales of the cards and to report anything suspicious, Nielsen said.

    Anyone receiving such calls should notify police, he said. Before sending money, always check with the agency the caller claims to be from, using a phone number or e-mail address from the agency's web site or a telephone directory.

    The woman in the first case became suspicious after giving access to half the $4,000 demanded by a man who called himself "Marshall from the IRS.'' He told the woman that if she didn't pay the purported tax bill within 30 minutes she would be arrested, Nielsen said.

    The business owner was called by a man who said he was "Mike Lopez'' from UI, who told the business owner that the utility was changing electrical meters and that the business needed to pay off its bill or the power would be cut off.

    The scam works by having victims purchase the Green Dot Money Pack cards, load the money on them and call back with the transaction number on the rear of the card, Nielsen said. That number gives access to the funds on the card without the card itself, police said.

    Green Dot has a fraud reporting number to contact, (800) GREEN DOT and the company web site, www.greendot.com has information on how to avoid common scams.

    The site says that cardholders have access to more than 20,000 ATMs and that the reloadable card may be used as cash wherever Mastercard or Visa debit cards are accepted.

    Police warn of scam using pre-paid cards - Connecticut Post
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Tips for Steering Clear of Health Insurance Scams

    By Carole Moore
    Published September 23, 2013

    Medical and health insurance scams are rampant. Both government and private initiatives have renewed their focus on preventing health insurance fraud and abuse. Michael Williams, director of communications and membership of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, says new and better technology, improved awareness, and more widely available information combine to combat fraud. Williams adds that while the majority of physicians run honest practices, consumers must also step up to the plate to prevent fraud.

    "Pay attention, do your research, read your EOBs (explanations of benefits) and beware of free offers," he says.

    Read on to discover some of the most common health insurance scams making the rounds and ways experts like Williams say you can guard against becoming another victim.

    Fake insurance policies

    Like counterfeit money, bogus health insurance is not only circulating, but it's becoming increasingly common. James Quiggle, communications director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, says fake policies are particularly virulent.

    "These crooks come out of the woodwork and promise affordable premiums, no medical exams and guaranteed acceptance," Quiggle says, adding that the criminals who offer worthless policies often operate through sophisticated networks with strong marketing arms and money-laundering components. Many times they can be tied to organized crime.

    Often, these con artists target small businesses, unions and associations. It's only when a policyholder needs the insurance that the game's up.

    How to spot the scam: Use common sense, says Quiggle. Check with your state's department of insurance to see if the company is properly licensed. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is.

    What to do: If your policy is through an organization, report fraud to someone within the organization. Also, report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov and your state's department of insurance.

    Bogus Obamacare policies

    With the phased-in implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known more commonly as Obamacare, hucksters by the thousands have surfaced. Reports of program-related scams have flooded in from all over the country, according to Thomas M. Devlin, chief deputy attorney general for the Health Care section of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office.One prominent health insurance scam involves the criminals calling victims and trying to con them out of personal information.

    "They're trying to tell people they're going to be issued a national health card and they need their Social Security numbers and bank account numbers; essentially, it's an identity theft type of scam," Devlin says.

    "Be aware that the government is not going to solicit information over the phone or through email," he warns.

    How to spot the scam: Any effort to solicit information from you for national health care should be regarded as suspicious. Don't respond to emails, and hang up on the callers.

    What to do: Report your complaint to the Federal Trade Commission.

    Medicare and Medicaid fraud

    The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud says that in 2007 alone, Medicare and Medicaid made an estimated $23.7 billion in improper payments. Medicare accounted for $10.8 billion of that amount. However, as baby boomers get older, the number of seniors joining the program is expected to grow, so those numbers are expected to rapidly expand.

    Jeff Young, vice president of fraud control at Verisk Health, says Medicare and Medicaid fraud generally begin at a practitioner's office. The staff members may order tests the patient's condition doesn't warrant, "upcode" or falsify what procedure the patient receives, or bill for nonexistent hours -- "double bill" -- among other illegal practices.

    Although these don't necessarily impact the patient out of pocket, it can come back to haunt patients who really do need a medical procedure at some future point, and who could be denied the service based on false evidence. And, of course, there is also the moral issue of ripping off taxpayers.

    "Ask questions as a consumer: 'Why do I need this (procedure)?' Get the answers upfront," says Young.

    How to spot the scam: While explanations of benefits, or EOBs, can be complicated, always read through them.

    What to do: If you spot an error, contact your insurer, either Medicare or Medicaid.

    Medical discount card scams

    A few years ago, the state of California joined Massachusetts in taking on the sellers of unscrupulous medical discount cards. Presented as a substitute for health insurance or a way to obtain discounts for everything from eye exams to dental work, the cards target mostly poor communities and are often useless. Experts say they expect to see more of these offers in the future.

    These cards provide fake lists of providers, phony discounts, and high fees that aren't readily apparent and often mimic health insurance but provide no actual benefits. Ads for them can be found all over the Internet and in print and televised media. Dr. Deborah C. Peel, a physician and founder of the nonprofit Patient Privacy Rights, says beware when those selling such cards try and get you to divulge personal information, like your Social Security number.

    "Always question why someone needs that information," Peel warns.

    How to spot the scam: If you find a discount card you like, research it. If you discover complaints, hidden fees, false or overblown promises, or exorbitant costs, run fast in the opposite direction.

    What to do: If you've already signed on with a company that's sold you a bogus discount card, contact your local state department of insurance.

    Employers without workers' comp

    Most workers don't think about having workers' compensation insurance until they need it, but an on-the-job injury could leave them in a financial bind. And, some employers don't carry workers' compensation coverage even though they are mandated to do so by law. This year, North Carolina state auditor Beth Wood reported that more than 11,000 businesses in her state canceled coverage or let it lapse. That meant about 30,000 employers required to carry workers' compensation insurance were without it.

    Quiggle says lack of workers' compensation coverage is particularly rampant in certain industries, such as construction.

    "When a worker falls off the roof and wakes up in the hospital, he ends up finding he's not covered by workers' comp," Quiggle says. It's a rude awakening to a health insurance scam in which the employer is the culprit.

    How to spot the scam: Your employer should be happy to provide copies of its policies and procedures for on-the-job injuries. If it hasn't or if another worker has an accident and finds he or she isn't covered, then you probably aren't covered, either.

    What to do: Report this health insurance scam to your state department of insurance.

    Tips for Steering Clear of Health Insurance Scams | Fox Business
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    This is one of those areas that can be rife with fraud. Know what you are getting when you prepay.

    Prison term will be sought for ex-Mechanicsburg funeral director in massive fraud, prosecutor says

    Matt Miller | mmiller@pennlive.com By Matt Miller | mmiller@pennlive.com
    Email the author | Follow on Twitter
    on September 13, 2013 at 12:59 PM, updated September 13, 2013 at 10:05 PM


    The damage from a massive fraud by former Mechanicsburg funeral director Boyd L. Myers Jr. is still being tallied, even after Myers pleaded guilty to 558 criminal charges for diverting payments clients made for pre-arranged funeral services.

    The only thing certain at this point is that prosecutors will ask for a jail sentence when a Cumberland County judge sentences Myers, 52, later this year.

    "I don't know yet how much (prison) time I'll ask for," First Assistant District Attorney Jaime Keating said Friday. "There has got to be some. Otherwise, where's the incentive for anyone else not to do this?"

    "This was worse than a Ponzi scheme," Keating added. "He gambled with peoples' peace of mind."

    The idea of Myers going to prison was fine with Linda Sieber, whose late mother was one of the victims of the fraud, which is estimated to have involved about 100 victims and more than $600,000.

    "I think he should have to serve jail time, and be responsible to pay back as much as they can get out of him," Sieber said. "He needs to realize what he did to people. I think he needs to feel some of that himself."

    She said the only bright spot from the ordeal is that Bob Buhrig, who owns what is now the Myers-Buhrig Funeral Home and Crematory, has been "absolutely wonderful" in working to make victims whole.

    Buhrig said he discovered financial inconsistencies in the funeral home's accounts while preparing to buying the assets of the long-standing business, then known as the Myers Funeral Home, in 2011. It was his discovery that triggered the criminal probe.
    "This was worse than a Ponzi scheme. He gambled with peoples' peace of mind." - Prosecutor Jaime Keating

    Keating said victims of the fraud, one of the largest in scope that he has encountered, include not only clients whose pre-planned funeral payments were diverted, but also insurers. Investigators claim Myers violated state law by not placing clients' pre-paid fees in insurance trusts and escrow accounts.

    Myers' lawyer, Karl Rominger, has claimed that Myers diverted the payments to prop up his faltering business.

    Buhrig, whose new corporation has no connection to the old Myers Funeral Home, said that even though he had no legal duty to do so, he set up a $600,000 "rescue package" to make the victims of the fraud financially whole.

    The fund gave those families credits for the full principal amounts they had paid for their pre-planned funerals, plus 2 percent interest, good for services at his new operation, he said.

    Buhrig estimated that 96 percent of the victims had been identified by the time Myers was charged in 2011, and a handful of others came forward after the arrest. "We feel comfortable that we have identified all of the families affected," he said, adding that the rescue package has proven adequate to its task.

    His firm also organized one town hall meeting for prosecutors to meet with the victims and has been asked by the DA's office to set up another, he said.

    "Legally, we are not asserting that we are victims in this case," Buhrig said. "We want the law to focus on the families of the victims who were affected."

    Authorities are still sifting through the wreckage left by the fraud, trying to make sure all the losses have been identified, Keating said.

    He said he plans to meet with victims before Myers is sentenced to ensure no element of the fraud remains undiscovered. "I want to talk to as many victims as I can to see how this affected them," Keating said.

    The case is so complex and there is still so much to be done that he said he could not rule out the possibility that Myers' sentencing, which is scheduled for November before President Judge Kevin A. Hess, could be delayed.

    "We will take whatever time is necessary to get it right," Keating said.

    He said Myers had no plea agreement with prosecutors when he entered his guilty pleas on Thursday. That means it will be up to Hess to determine how much, if any, time that Myers should spend behind bars and/or on probation, and how much restitution he must pay.

    Prison term will be sought for ex-Mechanicsburg funeral director in massive fraud, prosecutor says | PennLive.com
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    This is a good article for anyone with employees.

    1 in 5 Employees Will Open Suspicious Email and Fail to Notify IT, Says Courion Research


    Many also fail to understand basic password principles

    WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — You receive a strange email. It looks shady. You’re probably being phished – a hacker is attempting to gain access to your enterprise. They must want to hijack your user name, password or credit card number. You … click on the email anyway?

    That’s the case for the nearly 1 in 5 (19%) U.S. employees working in an office setting who admit they have opened an email at work they suspected to be fake or a phishing scam – without notifying the IT department – according to the results of a survey conducted online in May and June in the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Courion Corporation.

    This ignorant and self-destructive behavior, which puts the entire enterprise in jeopardy, points to a critical need for organizations to better educate staffers who don’t understand the risks their actions can pose. Want more evidence employees need better education? Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) office workers don’t understand why their employer makes them change passwords so often.

    “These are otherwise intelligent people who, if informed about the potential consequences of their actions, would do the right thing,” said Chris Sullivan, vice president, advanced intelligence solutions at Courion, a leading authority in intelligent identity and access management (IAM). “Any employee may succumb to natural curiosity. Before curiosity kills the cat, organizations need to get their arms around this behavior. They need to educate their employees and use systems that eliminate risky activities.”

    Courion software verifies that only authorized users have appropriate access to computing resources based on their roles and company policies. While only better education may prevent employees from falling prey to a phishing attempt, real-time monitoring capabilities built into Courion’s provisioning and governance solutions may enable organizations to detect a hacker once they have infiltrated, should they escalate access rights or suddenly begin accessing company critical resources that don’t match the legitimate user’s role definition. In fact, with 17 years of experience, the company is helping more than 500 organizations safely protect their critical IT assets from unwanted access, complementing security tools like firewalls, antivirus software and intrusion detection systems.

    Analyzing petabytes of data related to identities, access rights, information resources, access policies and computing activities, Courion’s software identifies risks, anomalies, and potential and actual breaches, often catching what slipped through a company’s perimeter defenses. The software also continuously monitors the IAM environment, making compliance audits quicker, easier and less painful than ever.

    “It’s worrisome that despite years of software development and awareness-building, many organizations still lack control and insight into the growing access risk within their own walls,” said Sullivan. “It’s time for companies to get serious about real-time, intelligent identity and access management and address the risk before it evolves into an incident causing irreversible damage.”

    Survey Methodology

    The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Courion between May 31 and June 4, 2013, among 2,084 adults ages 18 and older, among which 552 work in an office setting. This online survey is not based on a probability sample, and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Michelle Dillon at mdillon@brodeur.com.

    About Courion

    With deep experience and more than 10 million users at nearly 600 corporations, Courion is the market leader in Identity and Access Management (IAM), from provisioning to governance to Identity and Access Intelligence (IAI). Courion provides insight from analyzing the big data generated from an organization’s identity and access relationships so users can efficiently and accurately provision, identify and minimize risks, and maintain continuous compliance. As a result, IT costs are reduced and audits expedited. With Courion, you can confidently provide open and compliant access to all while also protecting critical company data and assets from unauthorized access.

    For more information, please visit Identity Access Management Software Solutions | Courion or read www.blog.courion.com.

    To read this release online, go to: 1 in 5 employees will open suspicious email and fail to notify IT, says Courion research

    Courion is a registered trademark of Courion Corporation. All rights reserved. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.


    Read more here: WESTBOROUGH, Mass.: 1 in 5 Employees Will Open Suspicious Email and Fail to Notify IT, Says Courion Research | Business Wire | Rock Hill Herald Online
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Apple is a tempting phishing target for scammers
    24 September, 2013 by Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

    Spam volumes took a usual seasonal drop in August, but phishing spiked, including a noticeable interest in hijacking Apple accounts.

    Spam averaged 67.6 percent of all emails in August, down 3.6 percentage points compared to July, wrote Kaspersky Lab analysts Tatyana Shcherbakova and Maria Vergelis in a blog post. But 5.6 percent of those spam emails contained malicious attachments, an increase of 3.4 percentage points over a month prior.

    The most prevalent malware program was ‘Trojan-Spy-html.Fraud.gen’, which was in 8.1 percent of the emails containing malicious attachments. It’s a very old piece of malware, first detected by Kaspersky Lab in 2004.

    The malware is lodged inside a bogus HTML page that imitates a registration form for banks or payment services. It asks a victim for account information or personal information, which is then sent to a hacker.

    The top 10 most common malicious attachments for August included four ‘ransomware’ programs, which aim to extract money by locking victims’ files or falsely warning they’ve been viewing illegal material.

    The ransomware programs block “the work of the operating system and display a banner that gives instructions on how to unblock the computer. For example, the user is told to send a text message with a specific text to a premium-rate number,” the analysts wrote.

    Two other very old email worms, Bagle and Mydoom, also made the top 10. After infecting a computer, Bagle infiltrates a person’s email contact list and sends itself out repeatedly. It was the third most common malware in August even though it was also discovered in 2004.

    Two variations of Mydoom took the eighth and tenth places. Like Bagle, Mydoom also collects email addresses from infected computers and emails itself.

    Phishing attacks rose tenfold, Kaspersky said, but still only amounted to a tiny fraction of overall spam, at .013 percent. Apple was one of the main phishing targets.

    “We frequently came across emails that supposedly came from the official address of the company, but which in fact were phishing messages designed to deceive users and steal their logins and passwords,” Kaspersky wrote.

    Some of the phishing emails, which purported to come from the ‘Apple Security Center’, warned users that their accounts had been frozen and that they have 48 hours to confirm their details.

    Users are instructed to click on a link in the fraudulent email. “However, both the request to confirm the account information on third-party sites and the absence of a personal address should alert users to the risk of fraud,” according to the post.

    by Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

    http://www.macworld.com.au/news/appl.../#.UkGVEz-TXSk
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
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    Rip-Off Alert: Gold coin investment fizzles in scam

    Rip-Off Alert: Gold coin investment fizzles in scam

    Reported by: Marie Mortera
    Email: mmortera@mynews3.com


    LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- Some investors were promised big returns when they decided to invest thousands of dollars in the gold coin business. In this Rip-Off Alert from Minneapolis, none of it was real.

    Nearly 500 victims lost almost $3 million after sinking his money into the International Rarities Corporation, only to learn it was a scam.

    It was “complete economic devastation,” said U.S. Postal Inspector Robert Strande. “It wiped out their retirement savings, their complete savings.”

    In 2008, when the banking industry was on shaky ground and Wall Street was experiencing a meltdown, opportunistic con men began touting the safety of the precious metals market.

    “These victims that are elderly, they come from a generation that believes in the validity and value of coins and precious metals,” Strande said.

    Postal inspectors say con men focused on the victims’ fear of an uncertain economic future to get them to buy in, and they did.

    “Most people lost a tremendous amount of money -- college savings for their children and grandchildren -- anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 each transaction.”

    Law enforcers say the gold industry had been growing quickly, but it is always important for investors to do their homework.

    “Before you get started, you should have an idea yourself for what the coins are worth and then you consult a number of different dealers before you settle on who you are going to deal with,” said assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Schommer.

    “Don't turn over your coins to anyone else without a deal in place and have it in writing. Don't just have a verbal agreement.”

    David Laurence Marion, 52, the founder of the International Rarities Corporation, was indicted for defrauding clients and still awaits sentencing.

    The indictment says Marion laundered his customers’ money to gamble, live large, support his ex-wife and prop up his coin firm.

    Rip-Off Alert: Gold coin investment fizzles in scam - Las Vegas MyNews3 - KSNV

    Gold Scam.JPG
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
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    Protect Your Parents From Scams
    Here's how to talk to Mom and Dad about steering clear of fraudsters

    by Sid Kirchheimer, AARP, August 20, 2013



    Have you ever had your personal data compromised? Do you have tips other readers could use to avoid these risks? Speak out on our Scams & Fraud message board.

    Consider setting up online access to your parents' bank and credit card accounts. This will let you watch over their finances from afar. Look for unusual monthly charges, big and small.

    Know the risks. The most common scams against the elderly include phony lottery and sweepstakes seeking upfront fees to enter or collect; government impostors posing as reps from Social Security and Medicare; the grandparents scam, in which a grandchild is supposedly in deep trouble; offers for free or discount medications (including anti-aging drugs) or medical equipment; and credit card fraud and investment schemes.

    Women are twice as likely as men to fall for elder financial abuse, especially when they're in their 80s and when living alone. Either gender with a Type A personality — used to making quick decisions — most frequently falls for "act now!" scams like fake lotteries. For any scam, an especially vulnerable time is the three years after some major stress, such as the loss of a spouse or a change in health or housing.
    Other steps to consider

    • Unlist your parents' phone number so scammers can't get it. Consider replacing the landline with a cellphone, where scam calls are less frequent.

    • Put your parents' addresses on opt-out lists with the Direct Marketing Association. Once done, legitimate vendors won't send junk mail, and parents will know that what arrives is likely from scammers. That mail should be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    • Check their credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com to ensure that fraudulent new accounts haven't been opened in their names.

    • If Mom and Dad won't heed your warnings, AARP can help. You or they can call the AARP Fraud Fighter Call Center at 800-646-2283 toll-free. Expect a voicemail greeting, but messages are usually returned within 48 hours. Says program director Jean Mathisen: "We get a lot of calls from children asking that we contact their parents" about possible scams, and even more from elders suspecting that they have been caught in a scam. "But I don't want to tell my children," they say.

    Sid Kirchheimer writes about consumer issues for AARP Media.

    Protecting Your Elderly Parents and Their Money From Scams and Fraud - AARP
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
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    YICK!!!

    rat scam.JPG


    A conman called Errol Flynn carried a dead rodent with him as he posed as a rat catcher to fleece people out of thousands of pounds.

    Together with his brother, Timothy, Flynn duped pensioners out of at least 50,000, a court heard.

    During their nine-month crime spree, the brothers, who worked with an unnamed 16-year-old, would pose as pest control officers and inform residents of a rat infestation in their homes.

    One of them would clamber into the loft and emerge with a dead rodent they carried with them.

    They would charge up to 25,000 to rid the property of rats.

    They were found guilty of two counts of fraud by false misrepresentation at Birmingham crown court.

    Errol Flynn, 47, was jailed for four years and six months, while Timothy, 36, got five years and four months.

    The teenager was detained for eight months.

    It is not clear how many people across Birmingham had been duped.

    Detective Constable Deborah Simmonds from West Midlands Police admitted none of the money stolen by the fraudsters had ever been recovered.

    Unfortunately, we may never know the true extent of the trios offending and it is quite possible that there are other people out there who have been conned in a similar way and not realised it, she said.

    I hope that the victims have some closure knowing that the Flynn brothers and the teenager have been put behind bars where they cannot harm other elderly people.

    Errol Flynn rat catcher scam: Con artist who carried dead rat jailed along with brother Timothy Flynn | Metro News
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
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    (KMOV) –A News 4 Investigation uncovered a felon with a long criminal past targeting financially-strapped residents in St. Louis and five other states.

    Rhonda Jenkins of Centerville didn’t know about Chrisheena McGee’s checkered past when she got roped into a program called “Ride 2 Freedom.”

    “They said they work with local car dealers to get vehicles,” said Jenkins.

    She is not out an $85 application fee but she’s not alone, a woman in Florida also fell victim to McGee.

    A male victim said he gave $800 up front as an application fee. The program targeted the poor people who desperately needed cars and they all had faith because of the way the program was sold.

    “Ride 2 Freedom” is registered in Florida, with one of the listed directors being Rosia Duncan.

    News 4’s Chris Nagus travelled to Hammond Louisiana to find her at a house of prayer and ministry.

    She said it all got started on her computer and McGee was the brains behind the operation but she used Duncan’s name and ministry to rip off victims.

    McGee used a fake name dealing with her customers calling herself Malachi

    “I told her why you are using the name Chris Malachi, that’s not your real name,” Duncan said.

    McGee is also accused of using the name Sondra Clark based on a character from the 80’s sitcom 227.

    Duncan filed a police report claiming McGee stole her identity and racked up thousands in debt to the run the phony business. The Louisiana Attorney General is familiar with McGee’s antics.

    Steve Martin prosecuted McGee in 2004 when she created a bogus online university targeted at stay-at-home mothers.

    Martin said the victims paid for training but never received it. “We know one bank here lost right at $90,000 in charge backs, FBI agents who worked the case with our office estimate between one and two million dollars.”

    Even after pleading guilty to theft, she did it again. Martin said she was busted for another internet fraud a few weeks after getting out of prison for the first crime.

    Nagus went to McGee’s home but found her mother was the only one home. Nagus then went to the Louisiana Sheriff’s Office to inform them of what she was allegedly up to.

    A couple weeks after Nagus returned to St. Louis, the sheriff called to say McGee was arrested and discovered evidence of more internet businesses tied to our computer guru.

    Her probation was revoked and she is facing charges of identity theft and computer fraud.

    Con artist charged with using religion to scam parishioners across 5 states | khou.com Houston

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

    While the stories and characters change, the cons almost never do.

    The miracle cars scam was an advance fee fraud that ran from 1997 to 2002. It was one of the largest advance fee frauds in world history, as well as the largest automobile fraud in American history. In its run of just over four years, over 4,000 people were tricked into paying an "advance fee"; in order to receive the “chartable bequest” of a motor vehicle, as required by a "Decedent’s", “Last Will and Testament”. Neither the deceased; his alleged will; or an estate of any kind, ever existed. While over 7,000 "cars", were to be "gifted" and transferred to new owners; no cars existed either. In the process the victims were taken for over $21 million.

    Miracle cars scam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
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    SCAMMER dornchyke@gmail.com
    SCAMMER donaldmoore@worldonline.co.za

    Emails about diamonds, gold, black money, Spanish Prisoners, trust funds, and sending cash Western Union, Green Dot, or Moneygram.

    3.JPG

    Seriously.



    Was sent to a friend of mine
    Forwarded message ----------
    From: "donaldmoore@worldonline.co.za" <donaldmoore@worldonline.co.za>
    Date: Sep 12, 2013 9:57 AM
    Subject: business partnership
    To:


    Dear Sir,Madam


    I am Mr. Donald Dosi moore from ivory coast,I am here with my cash for investment purposes,
    I am contacting you for your kind assistance for investment in south africa.


    I really want to invest towards real estate properties, Hotel and construction as the case may be.
    But if their is any other investment you think that will be profitable for me, please let me know.
    i am in South Africa for now and i shall be waiting to hear from you soonest.


    Do forward me with your direct contact number for further telephone conversations for better understanding.or you can contact me direct to my mobile number 0730218995 or email me on dornchyke@gmail.com


    Awaiting for your urgent response.


    Regards


    Mr. Donald Moore
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    This was sent to me from someone in South America asking about it. Previously I had written about this guy as part of another set of scammers.

    BS RESPONDER / NOTIFICACIN.

    SCAMMER stave.robson@consultant.com (stave.robson@consultant.com) Agregar a contactos 18/09/2013

    BANCA Y FINANZAS.
    SEDE /: No. 36 ST ANDREWS CUADRADO
    Edimburgo EH2 2YB Escocia.
    POSTE LIBRE: P O Box 1527
    Tel.: +447 012 960 148
    Fax: +447 031 889 559


    Por su amable atencin,

    Sir,

    En realidad antes han dicho sobre usted por la joven seorita Sylvia Moyor que es (los familiares) que desea que seas su administrador / representante para la reclamacin del depsito de su difunto padre con este banco. Su difunto padre Mr.Wagane Moyor es uno de nuestros ltimos clientes con suma importante cantidad de dinero que deposite con nosotros.
    De ah que haya sido realmente nombrado un fiduciario para representar a los familiares. Sin embargo antes de que nuestro banco transacciones comerciales relativas a la transferencia de los fondos a su banco, nos gustara que usted enve lo siguiente de inmediato a nuestro banco.

    1.A poder notarial que permita a reclamar y transferir los fondos a su cuenta bancaria en su nombre.

    Nota: un abogado senegals residente debe apoyar este Poder ya que el dinero se origina de frica.

    2.El certificado de defuncin de su padre fallecido confirmar su muerte.

    3.A copia del estado de cuenta emitido a su padre fallecido por nuestro banco.

    Declaracin jurada 4.An de apoyo por parte de Senegal alto tribunal en frica.

    Nota: Los anteriores son obligatorias, y son necesarias para proteger nuestros intereses, el suyo y los familiares despus de haber realizado la transferencia.

    Para los documentos y la informacin arriba es parte de los protocolos de seguridad para evitar las reclamaciones fraudulentas o un tomar ventaja indebida de su absencecy. En los recibos de los documentos / informacin anterior, vamos a verificarlas y una vez que se hayan satisfecho, vamos a procesar su reclamo y efectuar la transferencia.

    Le saluda atentamente,
    Sir.Steve Robson.
    Jefe del departamento de transferencia.

    NOTA: Este mensaje est sujeto a la Royal Bank of Scotland renuncia

    El Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Registrado en Escocia con N 90312. Domicilio social: 36 St Andrew Square, Edimburgo EH2 2YB
    Autorizada y regulada por la Financial Services Authority.
    Este mensaje de correo electrnico es confidencial y para uso exclusivo de su destinatario. Si el mensaje es recibido por alguien que no sea el destinatario, por favor devolver el mensaje al remitente respondiendo al mismo y luego borre el mensaje de su computadora. Internet de los correos electrnicos no son necesariamente seguras. El Royal Bank of Scotland plc no acepta responsabilidad por los cambios realizados en este mensaje despus de haber sido enviado.
    Si bien todas las precauciones razonables se han tomado para evitar la transmisin del virus, es la responsabilidad del receptor para asegurar que la transmisin posterior, la apertura o utilizacin de este mensaje y cualquier archivo adjunto no afectarn negativamente a sus sistemas o datos. No se acepta responsabilidad por el Royal Bank of Scotland plc en este sentido y el destinatario debe llevar a cabo dicho virus y otras comprobaciones que estime oportunas.


    NO SEND NOTHING.
    ANYTHING YOU SEND WILL BE STOLEN. THESE ARE THEIVES.

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

    NO ENVIAR NADA.
    NADA DE ENVIAR ser robado. ESTAS SON ladrones.

    +4470 numbers are a major red flag when it comes to scams!

    Personal forwarding phone numbers (also called "UK global redirects") are easily recognized, and they are a major red flag when it comes to identifying scams or scammers. The number is often given in the format +447024013818. The country code, (the +44) seemingly indicates that the number is UK-based number. The 70 prefix, however, identifies it as a personal forwarding number

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

    4470 nmeros son una seal de advertencia importante cuando se trata de estafas!

    Nmeros de telfono de reenvo de personal (tambin llamado "Reino Unido redirecciones globales") se reconocen fcilmente, y son una gran bandera roja cuando se trata de identificar las estafas o estafadores. El nmero se da a menudo en el formato 447024013818. El cdigo de pas, (el 44) al parecer indica que el nmero es el nmero del Reino Unido. El prefijo 70, sin embargo, lo identifica como un nmero de reenvo de personal.

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

    Nigerian scam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Nigerian scam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    en.wikipedia.org
    There are many variations on this type of scam, including advance fee fraud, Nigerian Letter, Fifo's Fraud, Spanish Prisoner Scam, black money scam. The number "419" refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud.[1] The scam has been used with fax and traditional mail, and i...
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    E-mail phishing scam hides behind known company names
    By Irma Widjojo/Times-Herald staff writer


    Maureen "Barbi" McGlynn said she immediately knew it was too good to be true.

    McGlynn said she received an email about a week ago from what appears to be the shipping company FedEx letting her know she had a package from India waiting for her, and asking for a response.

    When she responded, it said that she had won $1.5 million in a British lottery, but to claim it she was told to send $221 for "taxes and shipping fees" and her personal information, including her Social Security number, for "verification."

    "I knew it was a scam immediately," McGlynn said. The 72-year-old woman even called FedEx to verify, she said.

    In essence, McGlynn's experience is similar to the now-familiar Nigerian letter fraud, which usually offers the recipient millions of dollars from a "Nigerian government official" but asks for personal identification and financial information.

    Solano County Deputy District Attorney Mary Smith, of the consumer fraud unit, stressed how important it is to never give any sensitive personal information to anyone, or give money for something that "you never asked for."

    "Do not, under any circumstance, respond (to such requests)," Smith said.

    She added the best thing to do after receiving such email is to forward it to the email service providers, and report it to Federal Trade Commission, under consumer protection.

    Smith's unit will investigate a fraud if or when it has become a pattern in the area.

    "If people contact us, we keep records of them," Smith said. "If we get several complaints about the same company, or see a pattern violation from a single company, then we get involved."

    Though McGlynn said she was quick not to fall for the recent email, she's afraid that some people might be more willing to trust it because it was using the name of an established company.

    "Let's face it, some people can barely make it," McGlynn said. "So I can see how some people might (believe the email). There are people, older people, who may fall for it. I don't want them to lose everything because of something like this."

    Contact staff writer Irma Widjojo at (707) 553-6835 or iwidjojo@timesheraldonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @IrmaVTH.

    https://news.google.com/news/section...376652a&ict=ln
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    'iOS 7 makes your iPhone waterproof' ad a scam dunk

    A fake ad circulating on the Web appears to have fooled some into believing that Apple's new operating system waterproofs their phones.
    Chris Matyszczyk
    by Chris Matyszczyk
    September 24, 2013 7:19 AM PDT

    Follow @ChrisMatyszczyk
    Get email alerts

    In the same category as these fine tips is "download iOS 7 and your iPhone will be waterproof."

    There are people in the world who may have bought this breakthrough hook, line, and sunken iPhone.

    As Sky News reports, the cause was an ad that wafted about the Web.

    The hoax ad looks like an Apple ad. However, the promises it makes are more extreme than any Apple ad you've ever seen.

    For it teased: "Upgrade to iOS 7 and become waterproof."

    The mere syntax there might have caused some to stop and wonder. However, the ad goes on to claim: "In an emergency, a smart switch will shut off the phone's power supply and corresponding components to prevent any damage to your iPhone's delicate circuitry."

    Some people tweeted as if they believed every word.
    More Technically Incorrect


    For example a tweeter called Joe shrieked: "Ok whoever said IOS7 is waterproof GO F*** YOURSELF."

    Another tweeter with the handle wihe raged: "wtf #iOS7 isnt waterproof!!! now my phones at the bottom of the river #f***."

    I suspect these people might not have been as fooled as they imply.

    However, someone called Matthew Ecton offered a tweet: "Woah, iOS7 makes your phone waterproof."

    Sometime later, he offered another tweet, which may have been related: "Wow, I'm a dumbass."

    These things can swiftly become painful legends.

    One can only hope that no one actually decided to experiment, in good faith, to see just what a wonderful feature iOS 7 offered.

    This ad, you see, includes one further temptation: "Waterproofing covered by Apple's warranty policy."

    'iOS 7 makes your iPhone waterproof' ad a scam dunk | Technically Incorrect - CNET News
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    A law student fears she could be attacked after hackers stole her identity and started using it to make money in an ‘e-whoring’ scam.

    Jazmine Jones said cyber bullies had threatened to set up bank accounts in her name after emailing a picture of her driving licence which they had stolen from her personal email account.

    The 23-year-old’s Facebook was also hacked and pictures and information used to set up fake accounts advertising her as a prostitute.

    ‘These accounts have been messaging guys on Facebook asking them to borrow money and saying I’m an escort to get money,’ she said. ‘It’s basically identity theft. It’s getting to the point that I feel I could get attacked.’

    Ms Jones, of Beckenham, south-east London, said, one man called James had handed over 250 after an account in her name messaged him saying she was stranded and needed money.

    Despite repeated calls to the police, Ms Jones said she was told that ‘unless it is a terrorism threat there is nothing they can do about it’.

    A police spokesman said it was up to Facebook to sort Ms Jones’s issues out, while the site said it took such cases ‘very seriously’.

    Jazmine Jones: Hackers steal student's identity in Facebook 'e-whoring' scam | Metro News
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    Internet visa scam strands family

    On her 35th birthday, Agne Jogisalu arrived in Perth with her three daughters filled with hope.

    Promised a work visa, the kindergarten teacher believed she could build a new life in Australia free from the grinding poverty of her native Estonia.

    But a month after arriving, the family found themselves stranded and homeless after being told they were the likely victims of a cruel and elaborate visa scam.

    "After I realised it was a fraud, I started panicking,"
    Ms Jogisalu said.

    She was surfing the web in Estonia when an advertisement popped up spruiking the benefits of working in Australia.

    She filled in details and half an hour later a woman calling herself Laura phoned saying she was with the migration firm Ausfis.

    "Laura" told her it would cost 308 euro to arrange a visa for herself and three children - a month's salary," Ms Jogisalu said.

    "At that point I never knew anyone who had done it, had applied for a visa, so I had no idea how long it could take," she said.

    She paid for the work visa with a loan and got tourist visas for Australia, believing she would get the working visa soon after arriving.

    The family flew to Australia via Singapore and stayed in hostels before running out of money and moving to Salvation Army crisis accommodation.

    Visitors to Ausfis.com are greeted with a slick video of a woman claiming she can cut through red tape and increase the chances of working in Australia.

    The site was registered in 2009 through an anonymous Canadian domain service. Its address is listed as a post box in London.

    Travel and scam-related online message boards carry many stories of others who say they lost money to Ausfis after the company used hard-sell tactics to get their credit card details.

    A man calling himself Eric Smith answered the 1800 contact number on the website.

    "Mr Smith" claimed Ausfis offered pre-assessment services to tell people if they were eligible for an Australian visa.

    Its "legal team" then handled visa applications if the "pre-assessment" was accepted, he said.

    He claimed to be based at the London address but cut the call when told _The West Australian _knew it was just a post box.

    Federal Migration Agents Registration Authority chief executive Stephen Wood said Ausfis did not have a registered migration agent in Australia.

    He said an internet search would reveal many stories of people who had been scammed.

    Immigration Department spokesman Sandi Logan did not respond to requests for comment.
    The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

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    Several sources, speaking under condition of anonymity, have told Xpress that groups known as “Women's Wisdom Circle,” “Women's Gifting Circle,” and similar names are present in the Asheville area.

    According to the sources, as well as reports from other states, the model asks women to give $5,000 to the group in expectation of receiving $40,000 as more people join the groups and donate their $5,000. The groups also meet to talk about their lives, concerns, etc. As the financial part of the model requires ever-increasing numbers of new members if it's going to pay back others, it meets the definition of a pyramid scheme under several states' laws, specifically resembling the so-called Eight Ball scheme.

    One of the women, a local business owner who refused to join the group, wrote to Xpress that the issue is “causing division among women in the community and conflicts when those approached do not want to join.”

    State departments of justice in Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Colorado, and California, among others, have all targeted the practice as an illegal pyramid scheme, resulting in prosecutions or lawsuits. As far back as 2003, a Reader's Digest article noted the spread of the practice nationwide. It's even cropped up overseas, where the United Kingdom banned it in 2001.

    'Women's gifting circle' pyramid scheme reportedly in Asheville | Mountain Xpress | Asheville, NC

    pyramid.JPG
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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    There are some good tips in this article that go beyond just start ups. It never ceases to amaze me how many people pitching investments have very questionable pasts, and just a little checking can save a ton of cash.

    How To Avoid Investment Scams In The Startup World
    Martin Zwilling, Startup Professionals Musings Sep. 22, 2013, 9:30 AM 26

    Martin Zwilling is a veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, author, tech professional, and angel investor



    After you have heard a few startup success stories, like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, you may be tempted to invest some money yourself, maybe by pooling your funds with other investors who claim to have a great track record. My advice is to leave the investing in startups to the professionals (or friends and fools).

    First of all, despite a few visible blowout successes, the odds of a payback from investing in startups is very low (that€™s why VCs look for 10X returns to cover failures). Most investors agree the odds are better buying traditional public stocks, or even commodities. Even the hot new €œcrowdsourcing€ companies springing up have yet to show any significant returns to investors.

    Secondly, there are many scammers out there who look and act just like Bernie Madoff, even though he is safely tucked away in prison for the next 150 years. Most frauds are not on the scale set by Bernie, but even a few thousand dollars lost would hurt you and me as much as a few million did for some of his victims.

    So what can you do, and what are the €œred flags€ to look for as you do your due diligence before pooling your money with other investors, or accepting money for your startup from investors? Here are some common sense tips:

    Get financial statements and verify. Every reputable investment firm is registered with FINRA and files regular reports with the SEC. Look for these and investigate thoroughly to check the truth of every statement about the company. Ask for references, and call or visit previous €œsuccesses€ of the company to verify experience and satisfaction.

    Avoid €œinsider deals.€ The Internet has just made it easier and faster for vultures to feed on entrepreneurs tempted by the possibility of an €œinside deal.€ Someone you don€™t know promises you an €œinside€ deal. Why would a stranger pick you out to make rich? Does that make any sense?

    Listen for €œunnamed sources.€ Run away if all current investments are with €œsensitive€ clients, who are unnamed or unable to be contacted. Remember the old newspaper publishing rule of €œAll facts must be verified by two independent sources.€ People claiming to be unbiased may actually be paid promoters or company insiders.

    Any mention of €œoffshore.€ Watch out if someone has a complex plan involving offshore bank financing or gemstones or oil leases in Iran to make you rich. Why get involved in a complicated scheme you don€™t understand, when there are plenty of opportunities that are legal and you can understand?

    Sounds too good to be true. The age-old wisdom here is that if it sounds too good to be true, it€™s probably not true. I continue to be amazed at the fact that the Secret Service still gets 100 calls per day from victims of the Nigerian unclaimed cash scam alone. What are these people thinking?

    Here are a few questions you should ask that might allay any remaining qualms, or convince you to run immediately:

    How much am I paying in commission or fees?
    Has your source been involved in any arbitration cases or lawsuits?
    How do they get paid? By commission? Amount of assets managed? Another method?
    Has the firm ever been disciplined by the SEC or a state regulator?

    Unfortunately, in the startup and investment business, we are trained to rely on networking, connections, and professional integrity for many decisions. Remember that people who run scams may be highly polished and sophisticated, and can wrap their con games in such an air of legitimacy it may be hard to see the truth.

    Don€™t assume you are safe now that Bernie is out of the picture. If you have evidence of fraud, don€™t be too embarrassed to contact the Securities and Exchange Commission. If others had done this sooner, his clones wouldn€™t be out there today looking to help you out (of your money).

    Marty Zwilling

    Read more: Startup Professionals Musings: How To Avoid Investment Scams In The Startup World
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    Watch out for the 'wobbly wheel' scam targeting drivers for robberies
    Thursday, September 26, 2013


    HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Police Department wants to make citizens aware of a scam gaining popularity in the Houston area, dubbed the "wobbly wheel" scam.

    Related Content
    More: Turn in suspects for cash rewards

    In this scam, conmen tell victims one of their vehicle's wheels is loose or damaged, and then force the victim to pay for an unneeded repair.

    Police say the scam begins when the suspects approach the victim in a parking lot or attempt to motion the citizen over while driving. In most cases, the suspects then represent themselves as AAA employees or mechanics and offer to address the issue for the victim.

    One suspect then pretends to fix the victim's tire while other suspects distract the victim(s). The suspect typically does not receive approval from the victim prior to "working" on the vehicle and the services are not discussed until after the "repair." When the victim protests payment, the suspects pressure the victim into payment by using a large number of suspects as a show of force. Additionally, victims report articles missing from their vehicle after the suspects leave the scene.

    HPD officers caution anyone who is told there might be an issue with a vehicle to take it to a licensed mechanic to be examined or to contact AAA or another roadside service directly. Citizens are also cautioned not to pull over when motioned to by an unknown driver. If you feel there is a problem with your vehicle, police advise you to pull over in a well-lighted, populated area to examine the issue.

    Recent reported cases include:

    600 Southwest Freeway - August 28 at 3pm
    1000 Studemont - August 21 at 1:20pm
    2106 Swift - February 1 at 1pm
    409 Tabor - May 20 at 10:30am

    Anyone victimized in this scam is urged to report it to the HPD Major Offenders Division at 713-308-3100.

    Watch out for the 'wobbly wheel' scam targeting drivers for robberies | abc13.com
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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    Re: Cut and paste snippets about scams.

    This is a pretty common ruse scammers use to gain social proof. Either use some of the money for pictures with politicians or donations to charity, when its not your money it is easy to be generous.

    Why does a scam artist with multiple identities want to subpoena John Boehner in a fraud case in Ohio that involves a prominent charity for Army veterans and a suitcase full of cash?

    Meet Bobby Thompson, a scam artist accused of defrauding people out of more than a $100 million that they thought was being donated to a fake charity, the United States Navy Veterans Association. Authorities have also Thompson identified as Harvard-trained lawyer and former military intelligence officer John Donald Cody. Investigations into the charity by the St. Petersburg Times in 2010 revealed that it was nothing more than an elaborate lie. Thompson was arrested in May 2012, finally, after this slight hiccup in the investigation:

    [Thompson] disappeared for almost two years after his 2010 indictment on theft, money laundering and other charges tied to his Tampa, Fla.-based charity. He was tracked and arrested last year in Portland, Ore., where agents and deputy marshals found him with fake IDs and a suitcase containing $980,000 in cash.

    Thompson's trial starts on Monday in Cleveland, and the defense has subpoenaed Boehner and two former Ohio attorney generals, Jim Petro and Betty Montgomery. Why, you ask? Because the defense wants to show that, despite his other faults, Thompson's multiple donations to prominent Republicans were all legal. Other Republican names you may recognize that received donations from this guy:

    Former President George W. Bush
    Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney
    Former Republican presidential nominee John McCain
    Former Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani.

    That's a whole lot of prominent Republicans. But Boehner doesn't have anything to fear as long as Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is here. DeWine, who led the investigation into Thompson's fraudulent activity, wants to make sure the subpoenas go away because they aren't instrumental to the case against Thompson. He described Thompson's political generosity as "kind of a sidebar to the scam" that's "not really an essential part of proving the elements of the crime of him taking this money." The donations are at least somewhat relevant, though, because DeWine said he believes Thompson used photos of himself standing next to all those important political big shots to solicit money for his fake charity.

    Why a Scam Artist Wants to Subpoena John Boehner - Connor Simpson - The Atlantic Wire
    "It's virtually impossible to violate rules ... but it's impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time." Bernie Madoff
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scam-...98399986981403

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