Had a few interesting articles/blogs about scammy stuff cross my news feed over on Facebook. Thought I would drop them here for fellow scambuster reading.
Internet Scammers Plans
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Printable View
Had a few interesting articles/blogs about scammy stuff cross my news feed over on Facebook. Thought I would drop them here for fellow scambuster reading.
Internet Scammers Plans
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Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scam
Two businessmen have been jailed after making thousands from selling fake British Gas insurance policies from their offices in South London [31 May 2013]
Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scamThe pair scammed victims under the company name of Feature Me Ltd based in Purely, South London.
The businessmen gave their telesales staff a list of British Gas customers to call, to try to sell to them British Gas Homecare insurance products. The innocent employees believed they were selling genuine insurance policies.
Once a product was 'sold' to victims over the phone the operators would take their payment details, and file their contact details and product they had bought.
Their offices were raided after British Gas investigated a number of complaints. The men were jailed for a total of 33 months and were ordered to pay victims back.
For further information visit the Croydon Guardian website.
Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
Fraudsters jailed for British Gas scam | Action Fraud
Alert – fraudster claiming to be from Action Fraud
Our contact centre has received reports of a fraudster cold calling people claiming to be from Action Fraud [31 May 2013]
Alert – fraudster claiming to be from Action FraudThe man called one potential victim claiming to be the “Birmingham office” of Action Fraud. He told her that she was in big trouble because £2,000 had been transferred from her bank to India and he thought it was money laundering.
He then tried to give her a number to call back and verify his identify, but she refused to take it and called us directly. If you receive one of these phone calls, end the conversation immediately and report it to us.
If you want to verify the identity of a caller claiming to be from Action Fraud you can call 0300 123 2040 or email action.fraud@nfa.gsi.gov.uk.
When using a landline make sure there is a dialling tone before you call. Some fraudsters who call victims on landlines don’t hang up the phone - keeping the line open. So when you try to make another call you are connected straight back to the fraudster. This is a trick used in the courier scam.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
Alert
This is absolutely horrifying. I use British Gas Insurance for gas safety, plumbing and drains, electrical wiring and if one of their reps rings me up to suggest a new policy or amendment to my policy, I always listen and I sometimes buy what their reps recommend.
How on earth did they get a list of British Gas customers? I won't buy from a phone call in future!
British Gas customers should pass this news onto radio and TV stations.
Hit the feed from CID on military images and FAKE DOCUMENTS being used in scams. CID romance scam information
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$100,000,000 estimated to be lost in Australia each year. This is a 60 minutes video about something called the Black Money Scam. Lucifer is the name of one of the scammers, touching I know. It is a bit like the scams the Alchemists used to push, in this case the "Money" is Colored black and you are charged for "Special Chemicals" that will remove the dye.
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/videoindex.aspx
So this is a twist on a marriage scam, can't even fall in love on vacation safely these days. Tourists, beware of bezness | Radio Netherlands Worldwide
"Warn Dutch tourists about bezness!" Radio Netherlands Worldwide received this heartfelt plea from Egypt. 'Love criminals' who prey on naïve Westerners are a flourishing phenomenon in Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia.
'Bezness' is simply a corruption of the word 'business', but in fact it's an organised crime involving big money. Marjolein – not her real name, it's too risky to reveal it, she says – has been living in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the past four years. She sees it happening time and again, she says.
"Young men who pretend to be in love start up a romance with a tourist. For these people it's usually about four things: money, a visa for the West, sex, and the opportunity to avoid military service by marrying a foreign woman."
"I see Dutch women who go home a wreck when their marriage or relationship finishes. They're intimidated or isolated, abused, threatened. Sometimes they lose contact with family and friends and all the money goes to their lover. It's real crime, with big returns."
Young women
Bezness is certainly nothing new, but the methods – and the victims – have changed in the past couple of decades. The targets are no longer older women on the lookout for a toy boy. Increasingly they're young women and men. The perpetrators are expert at working out who's ready for a flirt and who's got money. The requests for cash only come later, says Marjolein.
Fantastic liars
"It happens hundreds of times a year. Not just in Egypt, but also in Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey. They're fantastic liars and actors. I think many Western women aren't used to all that attention and romance. They get swept off their feet."
"Just go to an internet café, you'll see all these guys sitting there. They're calling their sweetheart in the Netherlands. 'Hi love, how are you? My father's ill and we can't pay the doctor's bill.' Or he's going to build a house for their future together. 'Please transfer money quickly.'"
Blind trust
Marjolein's helped out destitute Dutch women in the past. The tourists who get swept away by romance are sometimes naïve, she says. She has little confidence at all in marriages between Dutch women and Egyptian men.
"If five percent of them work out normally – in other words without deceit, exploitation, imprisonment or a second, Egyptian wife – I'd say it was a lot. These women are so naïve they take tens of thousands of euros out of their bank accounts to pay for all sorts of wonderful plans."
"I sometimes ask them, would you do that in the Netherlands without a contract? Recently there was a woman who signed away nearly 30,000 euros. She didn't understand a word of the Arabic, but she trusted her lover blindly."
Egyptian law
Marjolein's advice: make sure you know your rights and take your own translator. But even then your position might not be strong enough. An Egyptian husband can forbid his wife from travelling. And after a divorce, in principle the children go to the man or his family.
And another tip: many people involved in 'bezness' work in tourism themselves. If a man approaches you in the street and he drinks alcohol, watch out, people often say. But Marjolein says the most important thing for women is that they keep their feet on the ground. Don't stop thinking, no matter how much in love you are.
You have been a very busy person getting all this information together!! Plus all your 'dating'. Thanks for all the hard work and we can already see results from much of it.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...snflowersb.gif
Thanks Scratchy. While I have a little extra time, it is a great way to spend it.
FBI — Preliminary 2012 Crime Statistics
Preliminary 2012 Crime Statistics
Violent Crime Up, Property Crime Down
06/03/13
UCR 2012 graphicThe new preliminary Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics for 2012 indicate that when compared to data for 2011, the number of violent crimes reported by law enforcement agencies around the country increased 1.2 percent during 2012, while the number of property crimes decreased 0.8 percent.
The final UCR statistics—submitted by approximately 18,000 local, state, campus, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies from around the nation—will be released later this year in the Crime in the United States 2012 report.
Among the highlights of the preliminary report:
Overall, when compared to 2011 figures, the West experienced the largest increase in reported violent crime (up 3.3 percent), and the Northeast experienced the only decrease (down 0.6 percent).
The Northeast was the only part of the country where the four violent crime categories saw decreases across the board—murder (down 4.4 percent), forcible rapes (down 0.2 percent), robberies (down 1.4 percent), and aggravated assaults (down 0.1 percent).
The largest rise in reported violent crime (up 3.7 percent) was in cities with populations of 500,000-999,999.
The West experienced the only increase in reported property crime (up 5.2 percent), while the number of property crimes dropped 1.6 percent in the Northeast, 2.1 percent in the Midwest, and 3.5 percent in the South.
The number of reported motor vehicle thefts grew by 10.6 percent in the West while showing declines in the Northeast (down 7.9 percent), the Midwest (down 3.1 percent), and the South (down 2.9 percent).
The number of arson incidents—tallied separately from other property crimes because of various levels of participation by reporting agencies—fell 1.2 percent.
The UCR Program is a nationwide cooperative statistical effort of law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on crimes brought to their attention.
The idea for the program began in the 1920s, when the International Association of Chiefs of Police—recognizing a need for national crime statistics—formed the Committee on Uniform Crime Records to develop a system. After studying state criminal codes and evaluating the recordkeeping practices in use, the committee completed a plan for crime reporting that became the foundation of the UCR Program in 1929. In January 1930, 400 cities in 43 states began participating in the program. That same year, Congress authorized the attorney general to gather crime data; the FBI was designated to serve as the national clearinghouse for the collected information.
The UCR Program’s primary objective is to generate reliable statistics for use in law enforcement administration, operation, and management. Over the years, however, these statistics have become one of the country’s leading social indicators and are used by criminologists, sociologists, legislators, municipal planners, the media, and other students of criminal justice for research and planning purposes.
A word of warning, though—don’t draw conclusions from the data by making direct comparisons between cities or individual agencies. Valid assessments are only possible with careful study and analysis of the unique conditions that affect each law enforcement jurisdiction.
Once again, the final Crime in the United States, 2012 report will be available later this year.
Scammers always think of new ways to part people from their money. URGENT: Romance Scammers Now Using Fake Webcam Footage to Deceive Victims - Online Dating Magazine
URGENT: Romance Scammers Now Using Fake Webcam Footage to Deceive Victims
8
A new online romance scam uses fake Webcam footage to get new victims...(Press Release – February 23, 2012) A new evolution in romance scams is about to create tens of thousands of new victims. Online Dating Magazine reports that scammers are now using fake Webcam footage to deceive victims.
Here’s how it works:
First, the scammer spends weeks inside Webcam chat rooms recording footage of an unsuspecting person on different days. The person being recorded doesn’t know they are communicating with a scammer.
The scammer then tries to deceptively obtain photos of the unsuspecting person by email. The scammer may also find photos on Facebook or via online searches.
Finally, armed with photos and multiple days of Webcam footage of the unsuspecting person, the scammer creates a fake online dating profile to lure victims.
“Up until now scams would consist of communication via an online dating service followed by emails and phone calls,” says Joe Tracy, publisher of Online Dating Magazine at Online Dating Magazine - Dating Service Reviews, News and Articles. “Now scammers can initiate fake Webcam chats with you to further make you believe the lie. They have full control over the footage. They can pause it, make it jump to a point where the person is laughing, type when the person is typing, etc. It comes off as very realistic and impressive.”
Tracy says that this new scam is creating two types of victims: the person being scammed, and the person who was recorded by Webcam and doesn’t realize their footage is being used in scams.
Imagine a guy named Andrew having a Webcam chat with someone he believes is a 28-year-old traveling businesswoman. The scammer memorizes the illicit video and bookmarks, in advance, certain parts of the video for quick access. So Andrew may see a woman in the Webcam typing while the scammer types, “Andrew, look at this new dress I got today.” The video of the woman in the Webcam then stands up to show off the dress. There’s now no doubt in Andrew’s mind that the person he is chatting with is real when in reality it is someone completely different. It’s possible to have a Webcam chat with the “person” on 18 different occasions and they are wearing 18 different outfits. That’s how elaborate this new scam has become.
Tracy warns that the scam can be taken further, with scammers using recorded Webcam sessions of their victim to scam someone else after they’ve gotten the victim’s money.
“This has taken the romance scam to an entirely new level,” says Tracy. “Word needs to get out quickly to warn people about this new development.”
Tracy says that the best way to test whether you are Webcam chatting with a scammer is to innocently ask them to do something and see if they react. For example, type, “What’s that crawling on the wall behind you?” If the person “pauses” or doesn’t look, then that’s a major red flag. When asked to do something they don’t have footage recorded of, scammers will pause the Webcam video and attribute it to a communication problem while answering your question in the chat window.
Online Dating Magazine is asking people to help spread the word about this new scam. Online romance scams are the most successful of all online scams, costing victims worldwide hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
“Some of these scam organizations are making more money that the big online dating services,” says Tracy. “It’s important to warn people so that they don’t fall prey to these elaborate schemes.”
About Online Dating Magazine
Online Dating Magazine is a free online publication and watchdog group for online daters and singles. The publication was launched in 2003 and has served millions of online daters since then with tips, reviews, warnings, and experiences. You can visit Online Dating Magazine at Online Dating Magazine - Dating Service Reviews, News and Articles
Online Dating Magazine is also on Twitter (onlinedatingweb), YouTube (onlinedatingweb), Facebook (onlinedatingmagazine) and Pinterest (onlinedating).
About Online Dating Safety Awareness Month
Online Dating Safety Awareness Month was first launched by Online Dating Magazine in 2011 and occurs every February. During this time, sites are encouraged to publish information that educates online daters and singles on how to have a safe and fun online dating experience.
Vodaphone Phishing Scam. Vodafone System Update Phishing Scam
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Always be careful with attachments that you get in your email. Fedex Email Scams
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So I got this lovely email from a poor dying lady. :crying_2: Who actually looks like 3 different people??? On a dating site, what is she thinking, no time to date. Sheesh.
Attachment 4229Attachment 4230Attachment 4231
Mrs.Rose Micheal James
2:12 PM (6 hours ago)
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ......... MY FAKE NAME WAS HERE.
Your mail have been received with lots thanks. I am glad hearing that you have the good heart for the less privilege one. Forwarded your contact information to my lawyer, who will be assisting you to receive the fund through the bank where the fund is lodged in. The lawyer will commence on getting all the relevant documents at the judiciary Department to show as a prove that I have willingly transfer right of Inheritance to you as the Beneficiary/ Next of Kin to receive my fund.
Barrister Dauda Issah
Equity Law Firm & Associates.
Jerron Quarshie Building, Castle Road,
P. O. Box AD23, Adabraka, Accra, Ghana
Phone No:00233 267069161
EMail : equitylawfirm@hotmail.com,info_equit...m@lawye r.com
This lawyer will be working with you. Please try to follow up with him so that the fund will be rightfully transferred immediately. The doctor has warned that I should not answer or dial calls. They further advised that I should avoid any kind of work. It was in their absence that I am passing on the information to you as I may not understand my condition of living tomorrow. I believe that you will do my entire wish as I have previously stated in my first mail. May God reward all your effort in this transaction .You can as well as to call the Lawyer or write mail to the lawyer?
The lawyer will sent a letter of recognition/Authorization to the bank on your behalf for you to receive the fund under my instruction.
Send the following Information Immediately to my lawyer to enable him prepared / processed the entire vital document for claiming of the fund in your favour as the beneficiary as he need speaking with you as a matter of fact.
Your Phone Number/ Mobile Number ( International passport )
Your Legal Occupation if Any....
Your Age.....
Your Full Name....
Home Address.....
Waiting to hearing from you asap. Do contact the lawyer and send the requested information required to him.
Also find my picture attached while on the hospital Bed.
Remain blessed.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Rose Micheal James
================================================== ================================================== ====================================
Unfortunately I will not be about to help poor Mrs. James, but I did let her know with a brief email and some nice attachments.
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Botnets 101 FBI — Botnets 101: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
What They Are and How to Avoid Them
06/05/13
Last month, the head of an international securities fraud ring was sentenced to federal prison for manipulating stock prices by using botnets to distribute spam promoting those stocks. And several months ago, 10 members of an international cyber crime ring were arrested for using botnets to steal more than $850 million after obtaining personal financial information from compromised computers.
Protecting Your Computer
- Make sure you have updated antivirus software on your computer.
- Enable automated patches for your operating system.
- Have strong passwords, and don’t use the same one or two passwords for everything.
- Download free software only from sites you know and trust (malware can also come in downloadable games, file-sharing programs, and customized toolbars).
- Don’t open e-mail attachments in unsolicited e-mails, even if it comes from people in your contact list, and never click on a URL contained in an e-mail, even if you think it looks safe. Instead, close out the e-mail and go to the organization’s website directly.
- Use antivirus software on your smartphone. Criminals are already stealing personally identifiable information from smartphones after owners unknowingly download malware, and it won’t be long before we see the emergence of mobile botnets undertaking DDoS attacks and other criminal activities (unless users protect their smartphones now).
For more cyber security information, go to our Cyber Crimes webpage or to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team’s website.
The use of botnets is on the rise. And industry experts estimate that botnet attacks have resulted in the overall loss of millions of dollars from financial institutions and other major U.S. businesses. They’ve also affected universities, hospitals, defense contractors, law enforcement, and all levels of government.
What exactly is a botnet? A bot, or web robot, is an automated malware program that scans blocks of network addresses and infects vulnerable computers. A network of these infected computers—numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions—is called a botnet (robot network), and each computer becomes connected to a command-and-control server operated by the criminal.
Once the botnet is in place, it can be used in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, proxy and spam services, malware distribution, and other organized criminal activity. Botnets can also be used for covert intelligence collection, and terrorists or state-sponsored actors could use a botnet to attack Internet-based critical infrastructure. And, they can be used as weapons in ideology campaigns against their target to instigate fear, intimidation, or public embarrassment.
Your personal computer could become part of a botnet—it only takes one wrong click for you to download malicious code. For example, you might get an unsolicited e-mail promoting a dating website or a work-at-home arrangement or an e-mail that appears to come from your bank containing a seemingly harmless link. You could be sent a link by a friend asking you to view a great video (which was actually sent because the friend’s computer is already infected). You could see a link on a webpage that seems to be soliciting donations for a recent tragedy. And you might even visit a fraudulent website—or a legitimate one that’s been compromised—and download video, pictures, or a document containing malicious code.
Multiple Botnets Targeting
Financial Information Disrupted
On June 5, 2013, Microsoft—along with financial services leaders, other industry partners, and law enforcement—announced actions taken to disrupt a global cyber crime operation involving more than 1,000 botnets. Microsoft Press Release | FBI Statement on Botnet Operation
Once the malware is on your computer, it’s hard to detect. And in addition to your computer being commanded to link up with other compromised computers to facilitate criminal activity, the bot can also collect and send out your personal identifiable information—like credit card numbers, banking information, and passwords—to the criminals running it. Those criminals will take advantage of the information themselves or offer it for sale on cyber criminal forums, and you could find yourself being victimized…again.
The FBI—with its law enforcement and private sector partners—has had success in taking down a number of large botnets, most notably Coreflood. But our work is never done, and by combining the resources of government and the private sector—and with the support of the public (see sidebar on protecting your own computer)—we will continue to improve cyber security by identifying and catching those who threaten it.
If you think your computer may be part of a botnet, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and/or contact the cyber task force at your local FBI office.
2 Nigerians arrested with US $100M, someone posted this today, but I just realized it was from 2012. Interesting though they said the fake gold nuggets made with spray were hard to test even with a gold testing machine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WGkpOSjmgc
SCAMMER officefile47@cantv.net
Of course this email is a scam, money doesn't just "show up' in your email any more than a nice wooden horse will be built outside your castle walls.
this was received out of the blue trying to get details to use to scam no doubt: -----Original Message-----
From: Mrs.Helena James, <officefile47@cantv.net>
To: LUCKIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD IF THIS WAS NOT A LOAD OF CRAP @BS_SCAMMER.COM
Sent: Fri, May 31, 2013 7:42 am
Subject: YOUR ATM CARD?
Attention please!!!
We have registered Your ATM CARD of (US $3.7) with Dhl Express Courier
Company with registration code of ( 9665776).please Contact with your
delivery information
Dhl office
Name :Dr.Douglas water
Tel:00229,990.150.82
E-mail: ( dhl_service01dhl@ws-loei.ac.th )
We have paid for the Insurance & Delivery fee.The only fee you have to
pay is their Security fee only.Please indicate the registration Number
of ( 9665776 )and ask Him how much is their Security fee so that you
can pay it and have your ATM Card.get back to me as soon as you receive
it,
Best Regards.
Mrs.Helena James,
And as a quick tip, you can always put an email in google and see what comes up. It does not always work, but sometimes:
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Timeshares, watch out for scams. This was a good article in that it was informative and I did not have to write it. Certainly go to Ebay before you even consider buying, and it may be one of the few legitimate places to sell. Timeshare Temptation Can Lead To Trouble : CONSUMERMOJO.COM
by Barbara Nevins Taylor
Vacation temptation time is here. You take a trip to Florida, Mexico, California, Arizona. Wherever. You love the sun, the beach, the sea, the golf course and start to dream about what it would be like to visit often. If you’re in a place with a lot of tourists, you’re likely to run into a timeshare sales person. We suggest you take a very deep breath before you do anything. 0
Timeshares may be a good idea for you, and they may not. The reality is that timeshares are often very difficult to resell and there’s an industry of shady characters charging hefty fees to help timeshare owners unload their investments.
First come the high pressure sales tactics to buy.
In Cancun, not long ago, we met a woman at the car rental office who didn’t seem like a sales person. She stepped out from behind a counter that made it seems as though she worked at the office. She came to chat me up on the sidewalk while I was waiting for my husband to get the car. She was charming and gave great directions to Playa del Carmen. But she also suggested we stop at a timeshare resort and have lunch for free. I said, “We’re not interested. But thanks for all of your help.” She persisted. “Why not? What do you have to lose? It’s a free lunch,” she said. 0
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
The time share might have been okay, but my husband and I really weren’t interested and I’d heard enough horror stories to keep me driving right past the resort.
Federal crackdown.
The Federal Trade Commission and Florida consumer protection agencies are cracking down on companies that take advantage of timeshare owners who are desperate to sell.
The FTC says Resolution Trust, Resort Property, and Vacation Communication took more than $18 million from consumers throughout the country who tried to sell their timeshares. The FTC and Florida officials went to federal court to stop the companies’ alleged illegal practices.
Charles A. Harwood, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, “Con artists take advantage of timeshare owners who have been in tough financial straits and are desperate to sell their timeshares. They persuade owners to pay fat up-front fees by saying they have someone ready to buy the property, but that’s a lie”
Beware of these sales tactics.
Scammers say they have interested buyers.
They ask for upfront fees-$300-$3,000.
They offer deceptive travel prizes that don’t exist.
They advertise via email, telemarketing, radio, TV and online.
The FTC has more information at: ftc.gov/travel including a travel fraud game.
Popped over to Ebay, this auction just ended. As they say a picture is worth a 1000 words.
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From FBI:
Civil Rights in the ‘60s FBI — Civil Rights in the
Part 1: Justice for Medgar Evers
06/11/13
The tumultuous 1960s were a pivotal time in our nation’s march toward equal rights for all Americans. The following is the first in a series of stories over the next few years about landmark civil rights investigations five decades ago.
About half past midnight, a shot rang out.
It was June 12, 1963—50 years ago tomorrow—in a suburban neighborhood of Jackson, Mississippi. A 37-year-old civil rights activist named Medgar Evers had just come home after a meeting of the NAACP.
As he began the short walk up to his single-story rambler, the bullet struck Evers in the back. He staggered up to the steps of the house, then collapsed.
Byron de la Beckwith
Byron De La Beckwith (left) is escorted into the Jackson Police station by FBI agents on June 23, 1963. (AP)
Across the street on a lightly wooded hill, another man jumped up in pain. The recoil from the Enfield rifle he had just fired drove the scope into his eye, badly bruising him. He dropped the weapon and fled.
Meanwhile, Evers’ wife and three children—still awake after watching an important civil rights speech by President John F. Kennedy—heard the shot and quickly came outside. They were soon joined by neighbors and police. His wounds severe, Evers died within the hour.
Leading the investigation, the local police immediately found the rifle and determined that it had been recently fired. Back at the station, a fingerprint was recovered from the scope and submitted to the FBI. We connected it to a man named Byron De La Beckwith based on its similarity to his military service prints. He was arrested several days later. Beckwith, a known white supremacist and segregationist, had been asking around to find out the location of Evers’ home for some time prior to the shooting.
With the obvious motive, his fingerprint on the weapon, the injury around his eye, his planning, and other factors, Beckwith clearly appeared to be the killer. In two separate trials, local prosecutors presented a strong case. A number of police, FBI experts, and others testified on different parts of the evidence against Beckwith.
But this was the 1960s, and in both trials, all-white juries did not reach a verdict. Beckwith went free.
By the early 1990s, however, the time was ripe to revisit the case. Evers’ widow Myrlie—a formidable civil rights organizer in her own right—asked local prosecutors to reopen the investigation and see if other evidence could be found. The FBI again provided its assistance. In December 1990, a new grand jury returned an indictment against Beckwith based on witnesses finally willing to tell their stories, including hearing the white supremacist brag how he had killed Medgar Evers.
This time, justice was done. Beckwith was convicted in 1994 and sentenced to life in prison.
The murder of Medgar Ever was a loss to his family, the community, and the nation. Evers was a devoted husband and father, a distinguished World War II veteran, and a pioneering civil rights leader. He served as the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi—organizing protests and voter registration drives, recruiting new workers into the civil rights movement, and pushing for school integration.
But his death in 1963 was not in vain. The brutal, senseless murder helped galvanize the nation in its steady march towards equality and justice. More on that later…
Resources:
- FBI files on the Medgar Evers investigation
As if there is not enough crime on line. Facebook friends are just that unless you really know them don't send money or personal information.
Facebook cloning scam escalating | eNCA
Johannesburg - Reports that South African Facebook users' accounts have been cloned have flooded in over the past five days.
According to the reports, the perpetrators create fake accounts using the same photo and name as the victim. The victim's Facebook account is also mimicked.
Then, using the victim's details, a friendship request is sent to friends.
Once those requests are accepted, the fake user asks for money or private information.
A Facebook user who spoke to eNCA.com said he received a friendship request from his sister while she was sitting next to him.
Another Facebook user said that it even spread across two platforms from Facebook to Myspace.
"I had someone create a Myspace account very similar to my Facebook account, but with a few very strange changes that embarrassed me. It's still up. I emailed, but they won't get rid of it," the user said.
"I have no idea who the [cloner] is, or why they did it. There are bits taken from my biography, but then the movies and music and a bunch of other stuff is way off...
"Not sure what they are trying to promote, and apparently I only have one friend. I hate that it's there, but I can't seem to get it taken down [and there's] no response from Myspace," he added.
This exemplifies the fact that it is not just a person's finances at risk, but also their reputation.
Meanwhile Dominic White, an internet security expert at SensePost, told eNCA.com that "it is wrong to think that Facebook cannot be hacked".
"The fault often lies with users who have poor privacy settings on their profiles which would make it easier for outsiders to access one's account," he said.
"Cloning Facebook pages can be automated, and these hackers rely on mass scale of access," White said.
Steven Ambrose, managing Director at Stratey Worx – a business technology consultancy – said that the only thing one could do to protect oneself against cloning, was to be aware and vigilant.
According to Ambrose cloning accounts on Facebook is known as "social engineering".
He said it was impossible to report the crime to local police as the act is based on an international platform in the US.
“Allowing apps to have access to your information without understanding what the app is, is another issue that users should be cautious of.
"Individuals wanting to clone your account might use apps and games to get to you.
“People shouldn’t be scared of social media, they should simply be aware,” said Ambrose.
White's advice is to look at the combination of information one puts onto the web as a whole.
"When you put something up online, be it Facebook, Twitter or blogs, look at how it is adding to the total pool of information that is online about you," he said.
Scam installation letter Scam installation letter | Action Fraud
Derbyshire County Council has warned residents of a scam letter circulating using their name and demanding payment for an internet installation line [12 June 2013]
Scam installation letterA convincing letter has been posted by fraudsters into residents’ houses using the council’s official logo and crest. It demands part payment for a fibre optic line allegedly needed by a neighbour to enable home working from a computer.
The fake letter claims that the addressee is liable for part of the bill with the rest to be paid by the council and the employer of the unnamed neighbour. The scam letter says that the work will take place in November and will involve digging at the front of the addressee's property.
The recipient is told to pay a specific sum to Derbyshire County Council by bank transfer, credit card or cheque by October 2013. An option to pay in four instalments is also provided.
Councillor Dave Allen, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: This letter isn't from us and we're not in the business of commissioning telecommunications work for private companies and their employees.
"There's no way we'd ask a householder to pay for something that inconvenienced them, disrupted their property and was of no benefit to them.
For further information visit the Derbyshire County Council website.
Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
This is weird, but what in scam world isn't. https://www.facebook.com/actionfraud
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This crossed the feed today, a few months old apparently but trick none the less.
Police scareware scam continues to target Australians Police scareware scam continues to target Australians
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March 2013: SCAMwatch is urging people to continue to be alert to a scareware scam where scammers posing as the Australian Federal Police (AFP) try to scare you into handing over money to regain control of your computer.
A SCAMwatch alert on this scam was previously issued in October 2012, yet contacts to the ACCC have continued to increase since the beginning of the year.
This scam involves internet users finding that their computer has been frozen, with a pop-up alert appearing on their screen. The alert claims to be from the AFP and states that the user’s computer has been locked because they have visited an illegal website or breached various laws. The scammer claims that they will unlock the computer if a fee is paid.
The AFP does not solicit funds and this message is not associated with the AFP in any way.
Don’t let a scammer ransom you – if you pay, you are not guaranteed that you will regain control of your computer and there will likely be significant data losses once the virus is removed or computer unlocked.
How these scams work
You visit a website or receive an email that scammers have infected with scareware.
Out of the blue, your computer freezes and you receive a pop-up alert from what appears to be a reputable authority such as the Australian Federal Police. The alert may include a police logo to make it appear legitimate.
The alert states that your computer has been frozen because you have violated a law or visited an illegal website. Common claims made by the scammers are that you have violated laws around privacy, copyright or child pornography.
In order to unlock the computer, you are instructed to pay a ’fine’ – usually $100 or $199 – using a prepaid money service. These services involve you purchasing a money voucher from a store, which can then be used to make online payments.
If you pay, the scammers may or may not unlock your computer. Even if you do regain access to your computer, malware may continue to operate so that the scammers can use your personal and financial details to commit fraud.
Protect yourself
Be wary about which websites you visit and do not open emails from unknown senders – emails may contain malware and some sites may automatically download malicious software on your computer.
Before you download a file, make sure it is from a reputable source. If the file, is a program (for example, the file name ends with .exe) make sure you know exactly what it will do.
Always keep your computer security up to date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a good firewall. Only buy computer and anti-virus software from a reputable source.
Be careful what you store on your computer – if a scammer gains access to your personal data, they can use it to steal your identity and your money. If you think your computer has been infected, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and change your passwords.
If you receive a pop up alert and are unable to perform any functions on your computer, it may have been infected and you might need a computer specialist to remove the malware. If you are able to perform some security functions on your computer, use your security software to run a virus check.
If you have received this scam, unfortunately your computer’s security has been compromised. Even if you have managed to regain control of your computer – whether by your own means or by paying the scammer – it could still be infected with malware. Use your security software to run a virus check but if you have any doubts, contact your anti-virus software provider or a computer specialist.
Report
You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.
More information
In October 2012, the AFP and the ACCC issued a media release and SCAMwatch radar respectively about this scam.
For more information on malware, spyware and key-logging scams, check out SCAMwatch’s online scams section.
Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.
Prize alerts hitting New Zealand cell phones. No you did not win, but will likely get a virus or be asked to spend money to activate your prize.
Scam Alert
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This came across as well today and for many is a well known scam, but it can't be that well known as it is still happening. There are several variations and Mundorf had referenced one here http://www.realscam.com/f16/scammers...industry-2386/. The basic set up is you are given a check to cash for more than you are asking for the item. The "buyer" will tell you that the difference is to be sent to their "shipping" company or some variation. After you cash the check, you will be asked to wire the difference back to the scammer. Of course the check will bounce and you will be held personally and possibly criminally liable. :NO:
The other two versions of this are the "Mystery Shopper" or "Personal Assistant" and it works the same, you are given a fake check to deposit and end up sending your own money or the goods you purchased to the scammer and the check will bounce.
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This is a cut and paste blog however, so here it is. 8 Vile Craigslist Scams to Watch Out For | Wise Bread
8 Vile Craigslist Scams to Watch Out For
by Paul Michael on 25 March 2013
Photo: Rooftop Mind
Wise Bread Picks
Craigslist is great. Really, I love it for buying and selling, finding services, and even posting jobs. But for the 99% of ads that are completely legit, you'll find postings designed to con you. That's a sad reality of life, and of Craigslist, but if you know what to look out for you can avoid the pitfalls of an otherwise awesome service. (See also: How Safe Is Craigslist?)
1. Lured to a Mugging
This is a really nasty scam, and we could all fall for it quite easily. It's also known as "robbery by appointment."
As a Craigslist seller, you will know that cash is the only way to go. You don't want to deal with bounced checks. Of course, as a buyer you have to abide by those same rules. Craigslist scammers will place an ad for something like a car, high-end electronics, or anoter product of significant value. You'll arrange to meet the seller (with a nice wad of cash in your pocket), and that's when you'll be jumped and the money taken from you. Some people have even been killed in the robbery attempt.
This "lure" scenario has happened many times over the years, and as always Craigslist advises you to meet in a safe, secure location, go with a friend (or two), and if in doubt, back out.
2. Receiving an Overpayment on ANYTHING
Another common scam is that your prospective buyer will send you a check (regular check, money order, or a cashier's check) that is for much more than the agreed price. There will usually be an excuse, like "oh, I sent a down payment for two months rent instead of one, can you wire me the difference?" Of course, the check they have sent you is fake, but the bank will often cash it and then discover the fraud later. By that time, you're out of pocket, and the scammer's pockets are full of your money.
Never wire funds, always deal with people locally, and beware of anything other than cash. Even then, cash can be counterfeit. It doesn't hurt to have a counterfeit detector pen on hand (they're less than $10) for larger transactions. And be wary of bills bigger than $20; you can easily be handed a fake $100 bill, give the buyer the item and change, and be out of pocket twice.
3. The Rental Robbery
Back in 2009 I wrote a detailed post on this scam, and it appears it is still going on. In fact, it's more widespread than ever, and the reason is that it is very easy to pull off, and almost impossible to track down the scammer.
The basic premise is this. You scour the Craigslist ads for a rental home and find one that is both beautiful and very, very affordable. Almost too affordable. You contact the address in the ad and are told that the owner had to leave the country (usually for something like missionary work) and needs money to cover the mortgage. You then are told to fill out a background check (which gives ID thieves a ton of personal info) and wire them money for one month's rent and deposit. Most of us would drop out at that point.
However, if you think "well, I'd never send money to someone I'd never met" you should also know there is a variant of the scam that involves people actually showing homes to you and collecting the money there and then. They'll even give you a set of keys (not that they'll work) and a signed agreement. They gain access to the home through various means, including getting the keys legitimately from a home that's on the market, and then renting it out to dozens of people in a single day. Watch out for this one, and if you receive an email that references leaving the country and low rent because money is needed fast, add it to your spam filter.
4. Fake or Canceled Tickets
It's bad enough that scalpers use Craigslist, buying tickets for $50 and when the concert is sold out, selling them to you for $200. But there are also scams involving tickets. These scams won't just leave you paying a steep markup, but also without the tickets you thought you were buying.
Sophisticated scammers have found ways to replicate tickets to major events that look and feel legit. They even have holograms and watermarks. But these tickets are worthless, and when you buy them, you'll lose out twice. First with the money, and second when you get turned away from the event.
A similar scam involves genuine tickets that get canceled after you buy them. A common scam involves airline tickets. You purchase the tickets for less than face value, thinking you have a bargain. The scammer will tell you they bought the tickets but cannot use them due to a family emergency. However, the tickets have been canceled and cost the scammer nothing. They will cost you dearly.
To avoid this, purchase tickets direct from the venue, from a legitimate site like Ticketmaster, or from trusted resources like Hotwire, Travelocity and so on. It's just not worth the risk to buy tickets off Craigslist.
5. The Online Escrow Service
You see an ad on Craigslist for something like a car, boat, expensive electronics, that kind of thing. When you contact the seller, they will reply that they want to use an escrow service for their protection and yours, and send you to a site.
However, unlike escrow.com, which is a legitimate site endorsed by eBay, they will recommend one that sounds just as plausible. Perhaps something like EscrowProtectionPlan.org or EscrowPaymentGuardian.net, and ask you to set up an account. But this is a fraudulent site set up by the seller, and as soon as you deposit the money, you've lost it. Be wary of any seller that recommends an escrow service to you, and if one does, take steps to verify its legitimacy.
6. The Cell Phone Swindle
This one can take a bite out of your monthly income, and if you're not monitoring your finances closely, you may not even notice it.
In this scam, someone will respond to your for sale ad saying they are interested, but cannot talk right then. Usually they're at work or otherwise indisposed. However, instead of giving an email address or phone number, they'll ask you to put your cell phone number into a website that "stores" information for them. In reality, it's a site that is signing you up for a monthly charge of $10 or more per month, and there is no way to cancel the service. The only way out, when you spot it, is to cancel your credit card. And forget about getting a refund.
Another cell phone swindle is to provide you with a call back number that appears to be an answering service, but is in fact a pay-per-call number. Although you won't be out thousands of dollars like some warnings of these numbers claim (specifically the 809 code scam), you could be charged $25-$30 to make the call. And if enough people do it, that's a tidy sum for the scammer.
7. The Job Bait
With unemployment as high as it is, people out there are desperate for work. And when jobs are in such high demand, scammers come out of the woodwork.
Here's the scam. You will see a job offer that sounds wonderful, with great salary and benefits. But when you apply, you could face any number of potential cons. They include: fake background check services and credit report sites that steal your information, being reimbursed to sign up for "free" offers, fee-based training for the potential job, and bogus focus group and survey sites.
Your best bet is to thoroughly research any company offering a job. Use the BBB, make sure they have a phone number you can call for information, and run from any posting asking for fees up front.
8. Revenge of the Free Stuff
Sometimes you will see ads in the free section that advertise a massive house clearance. Basically, the renter or homeowner is moving out the next day (perhaps even leaving the country) and needs everything to be gone. Seems legit, right? But often, this is a scammer who is setting up an innocent victim to be burglarized.
There have been news reports of people returning home to discover that their home is being stripped bare by dozens of people. The scammer is often one of these, who will be helping himself to bigger items and blending in with the crowd. The people who take the stuff, who are usually innocent themselves, can be prosecuted. The victim will rarely be able to get back any of the missing items. And the scammer gets away free and clear.
99.9% of the time, free stuff will be put out on the curb for you to take, or somewhere else outside of the home. If it's inviting you to just walk into the home and take whatever you like, it's bogus.
SCAMMER winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com lawchambers@live.com (925) 526-4918
I got this from a Face Book friend who received it earlier this year. The email address links to another scam site so it has been out for a bit Anti-Scam-Forum-NL There is a different phone number and area code in the thread, but other details seem the same. And of course anything with a free email account should immediately raise red flags, as much as a phone number that can't be traced back to Facebook. The pitch for money was the transaction was held up for VAT, which is always a lie and sending $400 Western Union to Nigeria never a good idea.
Two documents were provided, google images helped on this one.
Attachment 4394
Attachment 4395
Of note is the above picture can be found here, originally for $50,000. CBT Supports the development of community foundations | Kootenay Business
Attachment 4396
Email Body:
Graham Tarris
You are a Lucky Winner In The End Of The Year Facebook Promotion.. For More Details and To Claim Your Prize.. Contact ; (Fund Manager) Dr. Graham. Email; winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com
Thank you
January 10
11:03pm
NAME DELETED
really what did i win
...
January 22
Graham Tarris
You won the sum amount of $250, 000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars) Send an email message to the Claim Department and get your Won Prize. Contact ; (Fund Manager) Dr. Graham. Email; winnerspromotiondepartment@gmail.com.
This is to notify NAME DELETED that the transaction process batch #FLNL/009842/04 and REF # FLNL/107654/04 have been legally authorized and approved and all transaction and funds transferring remains valid. And content of this mail has to be kept safe for further authorization when the delivery of your Money takes place as soon as the Terms of Policy attached to the Lottery is made by Australian Federation Law Enforcement.
Thus DELETED, is the bonafide winner of the 2012 Facebook Lottery Promotions.
All funds written certificate and documents will be remitted to the said name and address and The won prize will be transferred to your Bank Account as soon as you meet up with the Demand of your Country's rules and regulations.
We will like to inform you that we just receive a message from your Country Custom and Tax Force that they have held your Money because, and we have really work hard to know what is the problem, and we are told you need a custom clearance and Tax VAT before you can carry such huge amount in your Bank Account according to the Order of DELETED Code of conduct.
The custom clearance fee is $400, and you are to pay it to before your delivery can be made to TODAY :
Name : OJO OLAMIDE
City : LAGOS
State : LAGOS
Zip Codes : 23401
Country : NIGERIA
And get back to us with the MTCN so that your Money can be delivered to you TODAY. We have done our best for you and Our services have been so helpful to you.
Thank you
Facebook Team
Mr Donald.
================================================== ================================================== =====================================
You are to contact a Legal adviser (Lawyer) on this Email : (Barrister Micheal) lawchambers@live.com Here's the address also for the lawyer as he says
SCAMMER mrs.habibbabdul@yahoo.fr
Another one on her deathbed that wants to give money to a complete stranger. The only thing that would make this any more fake is one of the three photos being used by every dying scammer in the world. How this lady has any time to be on a dating site I will never know.
Dearest One,
Thanks, for your prompt reply to my message to you. May Almighty Allah bless you and your entire families for accepting to help me accomplish my heart desire before I go for eternity though I knew very well that Allah will give me a better place even if I die today and that was why I am donating this funds for the helpless ones and for Gods work.
Though I just tried to check my mail box now because it is not all the time that I do have the power to write. Please the most important thing you will do for me is to assure me that you are going to make use of the funds according to my desire because my spirit will be at rest there after I have died seeing that the helpless and poor ones are benefiting from the funds I am donating through you.
I would like you to get back to me urgently in receipt of this message to enable me know if i will draft a letter you will submit to the bank for the processing of the transfer to your account.
Again, I would like you to keep this offer as a top secret, because there are many people in the World today but Almighty Allah chooses only you, so exposing this to people may make them to be envy you or give you some kind of advice that may not allow you to conclude this project perfectly as God wants it.
I would like the bank to make the transferring of the funds to your bank account before I will be going for a blood remission in Canada by next week according to my doctors advice. So do forward the below information’s to me to enable me draft and send to you a letter you will be sending to the bank where the funds is deposited with other important documents to back up the claim.
I have attached here some of my pictures for your view and will like you to send to me urgently in receipt of this message the information’s as I write below
1. Your Full Name:
2. Your complete address:
3. Your age
4. Your occupation and position
5. A scan copy of your international passport/ ID CARD
6. Your direct telephone number
I need this information’s to draft a written letter that you will submit to the bank where I deposited the funds
You can call my doctor at +22998916850 at any time immediately you sent those information’s so that I will check my mail. Please it is not all the time that I do have the power to write. And it is important for you to keep this transaction as utmost secrete until the funds enter into your account to avoid bad people working against it as many things use to happened in the world today.
Do always pray for me.
I wait for your urgently reply.
Thanks and God Bless you.
If someone says you won and then asks you for money, you did not win. Scam Alert
Attachment 4454
FBI adds two to the 10 most wanted, if you know them and get a reward throw a little cash Ribshaw's way. FBI — Top Ten at 500: Two New Fugitives Added to List
Attachment 4455
Ten tips to stay safe online. 10 Tips to Protect Yourself Online
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Ten tips to stay safe online. 10 Tips to Protect Yourself Online
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This was posted by someone in a group I was in before Facebook closed my account. I always like to link my work and give credit but can't right now, but this is a scam even without the proper link.
Scam Scam Scam, prizeclaimdesk@live.com
This was found in my Zorpia Inbox,
MICROSOFT45
MICROSOFT ONLINE PROMOTIONS 2013
Congratulations! Congratulations!! Congratulations!!!
Your profile has been selected among the 50 Lucky Winners in Microsoft Online
Promotions of which your profile has won you the grand sum of (£500,000.00 (Five
Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds sterlings) The selection was carried out
through a computer random selection system on Zorpia - The People Meeting Network and your Prodile emerge as one of the lucky for this year. You are advise to contact the Claims Manager within seven(7) Business days of this notification. Winners are advised to
keep their winning details/information from the public to avoid Fraudulent claim.
Your Winning details below:
Batch number…………………MP09102ZP
Ref number…………………..Mp35447ZP
Winning number……………….MP09788ZP
Please Contact the claims manager with your winning details and information
Full Name:..............
Age:....................
Tel:....................
Nationality:............
Country:................
CLAIMS MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ms Susan.M Brown
TEL: +44 702-024-040-728
Email: prizeclaimdesk@live.com
PHOENIX (CBS5) - Scammers now using Green Dot MoneyPak cards - CBS 5 - KPHO
Scams of all kinds have historically involved the victim wiring cash to a stranger, but now that many consumers have gotten wise to this fact, scammers have found a new way for them to pay them.
They're called Green Dot MoneyPak cards. They're reloadable debit cards, available everywhere, and you can use them to pay your phone, cable, or credit card bill. They're typically for people who don't have, or want, bank accounts.
Scammers like them because they're more convenient than a money wire, but just as untraceable.
"My fear was that I was going to lose my job, and my home, and my car," Dean DeVirgilio said.
Even with his autism, DeVirgilio still tends to all his own affairs. Recently, he got a call from a debt collector who claimed DeVirgilio owed $1,300 on an old payday loan. The caller said, "pay it, or else."
"Threatened to send the sheriff to my workplace, send a warrant for my arrest, and have me in jail for three years for fraud," DeVirgilio said.
Federal law prohibits debt collectors from using intimidation, threats and harassment, and no one can be jailed over a debt. DeVirgilio should have realized then he was dealing with a scam artist and the debt wasn't real. Instead, he sent the scammer the money.
"I feel I'm never going to get that all back, that's hurting me right now financially," DeVirgilio said.
How the phone caller demanded payment is a growing trend. Dean was instructed to go to Walmart, load a Green Dot MoneyPak card with the cash, then scratch off the back and call with the number.
"I read off the number, he wrote the number down, and he collected that payment. 'And you had nothing left on the card after that?' Nothing left on the card after that," DeVirgilio said.
Green Dot MoneyPak cards are not linked to bank accounts - the money is on the card. Anyone you share your card number with, has instant access to your cash and can siphon the card dry.
"He stole every cent of my money," DeVirgilio said.
The Green Dot website warns customers about possible scams and reminds them to never give their card number to people they don't know. DeVirgilio hopes others will learn from his mistake.
"Do not give those people the number off the card," DeVirgilio said.
Even though Green Dot Money Pak cards are available in 50,000 locations, and scammers could send their victims anyplace, they tend to push them to Walmart. They want you to go to a place you know and trust so you feel comfortable buying the card.
Green Dot MoneyPak cards serve a purpose for some people. The cards aren't the problem, so remember if you use them, never share your number with a stranger.
America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion for corporate fundraisers Dirty secrets of the worst charities | Tampa Bay Times
You may as well call them scams.
America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion for corporate fundraisers
By Kris Hundley and Kendall Taggart, Times/CIR special report
Thursday, June 6, 2013 1:30pm
The worst charity in America operates from a metal warehouse behind a gas station in Holiday.
Every year, Kids Wish Network raises millions of dollars in donations in the name of dying children and their families.
Every year, it spends less than 3 cents on the dollar helping kids.
Most of the rest gets diverted to enrich the charity's operators and the for-profit companies Kids Wish hires to drum up donations.
In the past decade alone, Kids Wish has channeled nearly $110 million donated for sick children to its corporate solicitors. An additional $4.8 million has gone to pay the charity's founder and his own consulting firms.
No charity in the nation has siphoned more money away from the needy over a longer period of time.
But Kids Wish is not an isolated case, a yearlong investigation by the Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting has found.
Using state and federal records, the Times and CIR identified nearly 6,000 charities that have chosen to pay for-profit companies to raise their donations.
Then reporters took an unprecedented look back to zero in on the 50 worst — based on the money they diverted to boiler room operators and other solicitors over a decade.
These nonprofits adopt popular causes or mimic well-known charity names that fool donors. Then they rake in cash, year after year.
The nation's 50 worst charities have paid their solicitors nearly $1 billion over the past 10 years that could have gone to charitable works.
Until today, no one had tallied the cost of this parasitic segment of the nonprofit industry or traced the long history of its worst offenders.
Among the findings:
• The 50 worst charities in America devote less than 4 percent of donations raised to direct cash aid. Some charities give even less. Over a decade, one diabetes charity raised nearly $14 million and gave about $10,000 to patients. Six spent nothing at all on direct cash aid.
• Even as they plead for financial support, operators at many of the 50 worst charities have lied to donors about where their money goes, taken multiple salaries, secretly paid themselves consulting fees or arranged fundraising contracts with friends. One cancer charity paid a company owned by the president's son nearly $18 million over eight years to solicit funds. A medical charity paid its biggest research grant to its president's own for-profit company.
• Some nonprofits are little more than fronts for fundraising companies, which bankroll their startup costs, lock them into exclusive contracts at exorbitant rates and even drive the charities into debt. Florida-based Project Cure has raised more than $65 million since 1998, but every year has wound up owing its fundraiser more than what was raised. According to its latest financial filing, the nonprofit is $3 million in debt.
• To disguise the meager amount of money that reaches those in need, charities use accounting tricks and inflate the value of donated dollar-store cast-offs — snack cakes and air fresheners — that they give to dying cancer patients and homeless veterans.
Over the past six months, the Times and CIR called or mailed certified letters to the leaders of Kids Wish Network and the 49 other charities that have paid the most to solicitors.
Nearly half declined to answer questions about their programs or would speak only through an attorney.
Approached in person, one charity manager threatened to call the police; another refused to open the door. A third charity's president took off in his truck at the sight of a reporter with a camera.
Kids Wish has hired Melissa Schwartz, a crisis management specialist in New York City who previously worked for the federal government after the 2010 BP oil spill.
Schwartz said Kids Wish hires solicitors so its staff can focus on working with children, not on raising donations. According to its 2011 IRS filing, the charity has 51 employees. Schwartz also said donors who give directly to the charity instead of in response to solicitations ensure that 100 percent of their pledge will be spent granting wishes.
She declined to answer additional questions about Kids Wish's fundraising operations, saying the charity "is focused on the future."
Charity operators who would talk defended their work, saying raising money is expensive especially in tough economic times.
"No parent has ever turned me down for assistance because we got our money from a telemarketer," said David Thelen, who runs the Committee for Missing Children in Lawrenceville, Ga. The charity is No. 13 on the Times/CIR list.
Over the past decade, the charity paid its solicitors nearly 90 percent of the $27 million it raised. It spent about $21,000 each year on its cause, most often buying plane tickets to reunite families.
The charity's efforts primarily consist of giving advice to families whose children have been abducted. Thelen said his group has worked with about 300 parents since 1997.
But he publicly claims credit for reuniting as many as 1,600 children with their families, even if his charity's involvement was as minimal as posting the child's picture on the charity website.
Doug White is one of the nation's foremost experts on the ethics of charity fundraising. A consultant to nonprofits for more than 30 years, White teaches in Columbia University's fundraising management master's degree program.
He said charities with high fundraising expenses often rationalize that such costs are inevitable in the early years. But White said the Times/CIR findings, based on a decade of data, show that the nation's worst charities can't use that excuse.
White also criticized reputable nonprofits that refuse to condemn bottom-tier charities.
"When you start a charity, you have a sacred compact with society," said White, one of 30 charity experts interviewed for this series. "They are ripping off the public under the guise of an organization that's supposed to do good for society."
What happened to Gina Brown's mother-in-law is a classic case.
Brown said the 72-year-old woman was struggling with dementia when the phone calls started.
From 2008 to 2011, telemarketers representing some of the worst charities in the nation persuaded her to write checks and charge donations to her credit card for a total of nearly $15,000.
Among those on the Times/CIR list that got multiple donations, sometimes only months apart, were Cancer Fund of America, Children's Cancer Fund of America and the Committee for Missing Children.
"She was such a vulnerable person, she must have been on the 'A' list," Brown said.
The Minnesota woman discovered the donations, which ranged from $10 to nearly $1,000, only after her mother-in-law was placed in an Alzheimer's facility.
"It's hard to come to grips with the thought of her as a victim because she had been such a bright woman," Brown said. "This can happen to anyone."
How the list was made
To identify America's 50 worst charities, the Times and CIR pieced together tens of thousands of pages of public records collected by the federal government and 36 states. Reporters started in California, Florida and New York, where regulators require charities to report results of individual fundraising campaigns.
The Times and CIR used those records to flag a specific kind of charity: those that pay for-profit corporations to raise the vast majority of their donations year in and year out.
The effort identified hundreds of charities that run donation drives across the country and regularly give their solicitors at least two-thirds of the take. Experts say good charities should spend about half that much — no more than 35 cents to raise a dollar.
For the worst charities, writing big checks to telemarketers isn't an anomaly. It's a way of life.
The Times and CIR charted each charity's performance over the past decade and ranked it based on the total donations diverted to fundraisers, arriving at the 50 worst charities. By this measure, Kids Wish tops the list.
Tracking donations diverted to fundraising is just one way to rate a charity's performance. But experts called the rating fair and said it would provide a unique resource to help donors avoid bad charities.
White, the Columbia University professor, dismisses the argument made by charities that without telemarketers they would have no money.
"When you weigh that in terms of values, of what the charity is supposed to be doing and what the donor is being told in the process, the house comes tumbling down," White said.
Collectively the 50 worst charities raised more than $1.3 billion over the past decade and paid nearly $1 billion of that directly to the companies that raise their donations.
If that money had gone to charity, it would have been enough to build 20,000 Habitat for Humanity homes, buy 7 million wheelchairs or pay for mammograms for nearly 10 million uninsured women.
Instead it funded charities like Youth Development Fund.
The Tennessee charity, which came in at No. 12, has been around for 30 years. Over the past decade it has raised nearly $30 million from donors by promising to educate children about drug abuse, health and fitness.
About 80 percent of what's donated each year goes directly to solicitation companies.
Most of what's left pays for one thing: scuba-diving videos starring the charity's founder and president, Rick Bowen.
Bowen's charity pays his own for-profit production company about $200,000 a year to make the videos. Then the charity pays to air Rick Bowen Deep-Sea Diving on a local Knoxville station. The program makes no mention of Youth Development Fund.
In its IRS tax filings, the charity reports that its programming reaches "an estimated audience of 1.3 million."
But, according to the station manager, the show attracts about 3,600 viewers a week.
Bowen, who runs the charity out of his Knoxville condo, declined to be interviewed. He defended the practice of hiring his own company with the public's donations.
"We just happened to be the low bidder," he said.
Obvious differences
America's worst charities look nothing like Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Clubs or thousands of other charities, large and small, that are dedicated to helping the sick and needy.
Well-run charities rely on their own staff to raise money from a variety of sources. They spend most of their donations on easy-to-verify activities, whether it's running soup kitchens, supporting cancer research, raising awareness about drunken driving or building homes for veterans.
The Times/CIR list of worst charities, meanwhile, is littered with organizations that exhibit red flags for fraud, waste and mismanagement.
Thirty-nine have been disciplined by state regulators, some as many as seven times.
Eight of the charities have been banned in one state.
One was shut down by regulators but reopened under a new name.
A third of the charities' founders and executives have put relatives on the payroll or the board of directors.
For eight years, American Breast Cancer Foundation paid Joseph Wolf's telemarketing company to generate donations.
His mother, Phyllis Wolf, had founded the Baltimore-based charity and was its president until she was forced to resign in 2010.
While she ran the charity, her son's company, Non Profit Promotions, collected $18 million in telemarketing fees.
Phyllis Wolf left the charity after the payments to her son attracted media attention in 2010. The charity has since stopped using telemarketers, including Joseph Wolf's.
Phyllis and Joseph Wolf did not respond to several calls seeking comment.
The nation's worst charities are large and small. Some are one-person outfits operating from run-down apartments. Others claim hundreds of employees and a half-dozen locations around the country. One lists a UPS mail box as its headquarters address.
Several play off the names of well-known organizations, confusing donors.
Among those on the Times/CIR list are Kids Wish Network, Children's Wish Foundation International and Wishing Well Foundation. All of the names sound like the original, Make-A-Wish Foundation, which does not hire professional telemarketers.
Make-a-Wish officials say they've spent years fielding complaints from people who were solicited by sound-alike charities.
"While some of the donations go elsewhere, all the bad public relations that comes with telemarketing seems to come to us," said Make-A-Wish spokesman Paul Allvin.
Donors who answer calls from the 50 worst charities hear professionally honed messages, designed to leverage popular causes and hide one crucial fact: Almost nothing goes to charity.
When telemarketers for Kids Wish call potential donors, they open with a name you think you've heard before.
Then they ask potential donors to "imagine the heartbreak of losing a child to a terminal illness," according to scripts filed with North Carolina regulators in 2010.
Kids Wish, the callers say, wants to fulfill their wishes "while they are still healthy enough to enjoy them."
They leave out the fact that most of the charity's good deeds involve handing out gift cards to hospitalized children and donated coloring books and board games to healthy kids around the country. And they don't mention the millions of dollars spent on salaries and fundraising every year.
The biggest difference between good charities and the nation's worst is the bottom line.
Every charity has salary, overhead and fundraising costs.
But several watchdog organizations say charities should spend no more than 35 percent of the money they raise on fundraising expenses.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and North Florida is one of dozens of Make-A-Wish chapters across the country.
Last year, it reported raising $3.1 million cash and spent about 60 percent of that, $1.8 million, granting wishes.
The same year, Kids Wish raised $18.6 million, its tax filing shows. It spent just $240,000 granting wishes — 1 percent of the cash raised.
The formula
The path chosen by Jacqueline Gray shows exactly how a worthy cause can be turned into one of the nation's worst charities.
In 2007, Gray and her husband, Kevin, started Woman to Woman Breast Cancer Foundation in Lauderdale Lakes.
For a year the couple struggled to raise money by hosting golf tournaments and by making phone calls to potential donors themselves.
Then they met Mark Gelvan, a New Jersey consultant who has spent two decades transforming fledgling charities into money-making machines.
"He said he had the best dialers on the market," Jacqueline Gray recalled.
Gelvan introduced the Grays to what sounded like a winning formula.
He would help the charity expand if it signed a contract with telemarketer Community Support Inc.
The staff at Community Support would handle everything. They would create the marketing materials and run the call centers.
The telemarketer even gave the Grays $30,000 in seed money to cover bills related to the expansion. All the Grays had to do was agree to let Community Support keep the majority of every dollar raised, then sit back and wait.
The transformation was immediate.
From donations of less than $15,000 in fiscal 2008, contributions to Woman to Woman through its professional solicitor increased to $1.5 million in 2009, then leaped to $6.3 million in 2010 and $6.7 million in its most recent filing.
What the charity got to keep was far more modest. It netted about $50,000 its first year with Community Support and $544,000 in 2011.
That was still enough for Gray, her husband and her daughter to start taking salaries. In the latest year, the trio received $84,000 in total compensation. Each member of the family also has a vehicle provided by the charity.
The Grays' decision to sign on with professional fundraisers transformed Woman to Woman into one of the nation's worst. It falls at No. 22 on the Times/CIR list.
Woman to Woman raised $14.5 million in donations from 2009 to 2011, tax filings show.
It paid nearly 95 percent of that to its for-profit fundraiser and spent about $700,000 on overhead and salaries.
That left an average of less than $20,000 a year to provide mammograms and other diagnostic services for women with breast cancer.
Jacqueline Gray, herself a breast cancer survivor, said she is as shocked as anyone by how much money has been raised in her charity's name and how little of it has reached patients. She said she is angry that phone solicitors take more than 90 percent of the revenue.
But she vehemently denies that she's to blame.
"Why would I be to blame for a system that's dysfunctional?" Gray asked. "We are doing what we're supposed to be doing."
She showed a reporter several emails she has sent Gelvan in the past year, trying to renegotiate Woman to Woman's contracts for better returns.
His response, according to Gray: If they didn't like 10 percent, Gelvan would replace Woman to Woman with another charity.
"In the tele-funding business sector, it is common for nonprofit organizations to renew PFR (professional fundraising) contracts under the same terms and provisions of the previous contract," Gelvan wrote in an email that Gray shared with Times/CIR reporters. "This is part of the 'if it's not broken, don't fix it' principle."
Instead of giving the charity a better return, Gelvan introduced the Grays to the next piece of the formula — gifts-in-kind.
Gifts-in-kind are donated items like generic drugs and medical supplies. Getting them to the sick and poor in developing countries can be an important role for a charity.
But for charities that spend most of their money on for-profit solicitors, gifts-in-kind can function as an accounting gimmick.
The value of these shipments is often highly inflated, with pills that sell for pennies priced at $10 each on paper.
Several charities also can pitch in to pay the overseas transportation costs of the same shipment of medical supplies.
Under accounting rules, each charity is then allowed to take credit for the entire value of the shipment as if it alone provided the supplies to those in need.
The result: A charity's revenues and good deeds are boosted and fundraising costs look smaller.
That makes donated items especially useful for charities that fear being criticized for having excessive fundraising costs on their public IRS filings.
Kevin Gray, the charity's chief financial officer, said Gelvan made no pretenses when he suggested the charity start shipping goods overseas.
"Mark said it was a way to make our 990 (IRS filing) look better," Kevin Gray said.
Gelvan told them to hire a company that rounds up donated goods and ships them overseas for charities, according to the Grays.
He handed them a binder laying out options like a Sears catalog.
They could send blood pressure monitors to Ghana. Or maternity ward equipment to the Philippines. Or surgical supplies to Guatemala.
The Grays rejected the idea.
"I can't figure out why I'd pay to ship medicines out of the country while people need the stuff right here," Kevin Gray said. "Why would I want to spend money that way?"
But the Grays say their charity would have no money if not for professional fundraisers, so they have continued paying them.
Reaping the benefits
The fundraising formula that raised millions of dollars for the Grays' charity has been adopted by hundreds of charities.
They use it to deceive donors and turn their causes into profit centers.
Few have been more successful than Mark Breiner, the founder and one-time president of Kids Wish Network.
Breiner relied on professional fundraisers and donated items to build his charity into a nearly $20 million annual operation.
He is among the beneficiaries. The charity he founded has paid him or his companies nearly $4.8 million in the past 10 years — $1.5 million more than what the charity spent on direct cash to children, according to tax filings.
While Breiner was still president of Kids Wish, earning $130,000 a year, he joined a former employee as a partner in a fundraising company called Dream Giveaway.
In 2008 and 2009, Kids Wish paid Dream Giveaway nearly $1.7 million in consulting fees to run automobile give-aways that raised money for the charity. The charity's IRS filings do not specify how much it netted on these early sweepstakes.
Breiner continued making money after he retired from Kids Wish in mid-2010 and left his mother-in-law on the seven-member charity board. In 2010 and 2011, the charity paid two of Breiner's companies $2.1 million for licensing, consulting and brokerage fees.
Kids Wish violated IRS rules by waiting four years to disclose the money it paid Breiner's companies.
The charity first reported the payments in amended tax filings last year after an employee took her concerns about insider dealings to the charity's board.
Meanda Dubay, who had been a wish coordinator for six months, told Kids Wish's directors she was seeking protection under the charity's whistle-blower policy.
She was fired immediately after she raised her concerns.
Kids Wish officials accused Dubay of stealing proprietary information from the company's database and said they had been preparing to dismiss her prior to her appearance before the board.
The charity asked the FBI to investigate Dubay. The FBI found no wrongdoing.
Kids Wish then sued Dubay for breach of contract and defamation. Dubay, who declined to talk to reporters, has denied all allegations in the civil case, which is pending.
Kids Wish officials said in an email that the omissions in the IRS filings resulted from "inadvertent errors made by the former accounting firm."
Officials at the Tampa accounting firm, Guida & Jimenez, did not return calls seeking comment.
Breiner declined to answer questions about his fundraising and consulting businesses, which received an additional $1.26 million from Kids Wish for a car giveaway in 2012.
But he said in an email that the charity recently completed an IRS audit that included a review of its contracts with his companies.
"They found no indication of private inurement or conflict of interest with founders or board members," Breiner said.
An IRS spokesman said federal law prohibits the agency from commenting on a specific individual or organization's tax issues.
Breiner has cashed in on other close relationships in the charity industry as well.
His consulting business was paid nearly $1 million over two years by a charity founded by a former Kids Wish board member. And when Kids Wish's longtime telemarketer started a charity so his son could have a job, he turned to Breiner for fundraising help.
"Mark's a genius," said Robert Preston, who paid Breiner's companies more than $375,000 in 2011 to run a Porsche giveaway for the charity, WorldCause Foundation.
Breiner's consulting arrangements may be perfectly legal, but such relationships are bright red flags to charity experts. They create the appearance of a conflict of interest and make it easy to turn charitable donations into personal profit, experts say.
Putnam Barber at the University of Washington, who has been writing and teaching about nonprofits for more than 20 years, said, "That kind of arrangement makes me fume."
Kendall Taggart is a reporter for The Center for Investigative Reporting. Times researcher Caryn Baird, computer-assisted reporting specialist Connie Humburg, and web developer Bill Higgins contributed to this report, along with CNN senior producer David Fitzpatrick. Times staff writer Kris Hundley can be reached at khundley@tampabay.com.
America's 50 worst charities rake in nearly $1 billion for corporate fundraisers 06/06/13 [Last modified: Friday, June 7, 2013 12:12pm]
A lack of regulation big shocker there.
Lack of regulation and meager penalties allow worst charities to thrive Lack of regulation and meager penalties allow worst charities to thrive | Tampa Bay Times
Cancer Fund of America and the Reynold's Family should be in jail, damn it!!
Carol Smith still gets angry when she remembers the box that arrived by mail for her dying husband.
Cancer Fund of America sent it when he was diagnosed with lung cancer six years ago. Smith had called the charity for help.
"It was filled with paper plates, cups, napkins and kids' toys," the 67-year-old Knoxville, Tenn., resident said. "My husband looked like somebody slapped him in the face.
"I just threw it in the trash."
SERIOUSLY, DON'T GIVE THESE PEOPLE MONEY. :NO:
Intricate family connections bind several of America's worst charities Intricate family connections bind several of America's worst charities
America's Worst Charities
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This is a little old, but there seems to be a lot of hacking going on in the interwebs lately. Pays to be careful.
The last malware attempt I got claimed I had won a Best Buy gift card.
Smartphone Users Should be Aware of Malware Targeting Mobile Devices and Safety Measures to Help Avoid Compromise
10/12/12—The IC3 has been made aware of various malware attacking Android operating systems for mobile devices. Some of the latest known versions of this type of malware are Loozfon and FinFisher. Loozfon is an information-stealing piece of malware. Criminals use different variants to lure the victims. One version is a work-at-home opportunity that promises a profitable payday just for sending out e-mail. A link within these advertisements leads to a website that is designed to push Loozfon on the user’s device. The malicious application steals contact details from the user’s address book and the infected device’s phone number.
FinFisher is a spyware capable of taking over the components of a mobile device. When installed the mobile device can be remotely controlled and monitored no matter where the Target is located. FinFisher can be easily transmitted to a smartphone when the user visits a specific web link or opens a text message masquerading as a system update.
Loozfon and FinFisher are just two examples of malware used by criminals to lure users into compromising their devices.
Safety tips to protect your mobile device:
When purchasing a smartphone, know the features of the device, including the default settings. Turn off features of the device not needed to minimize the attack surface of the device.
Depending on the type of phone, the operating system may have encryption available. This can be used to protect the user’s personal data in the case of loss or theft.
With the growth of the application market for mobile devices, users should look at the reviews of the developer/company who published the application.
Review and understand the permissions you are giving when you download applications.
Passcode protect your mobile device. This is the first layer of physical security to protect the contents of the device. In conjunction with the passcode, enable the screen lock feature after a few minutes of inactivity.
Obtain malware protection for your mobile device. Look for applications that specialize in antivirus or file integrity that helps protect your device from rogue applications and malware.
Be aware of applications that enable geo-location. The application will track the user’s location anywhere. This application can be used for marketing, but can also be used by malicious actors, raising concerns of assisting a possible stalker and/or burglaries.
Jailbreak or rooting is used to remove certain restrictions imposed by the device manufacturer or cell phone carrier. This allows the user nearly unregulated control over what programs can be installed and how the device can be used. However, this procedure often involves exploiting significant security vulnerabilities and increases the attack surface of the device. Anytime an application or service runs in “unrestricted” or “system” level within an operation system, it allows any compromise to take full control of the device.
Do not allow your device to connect to unknown wireless networks. These networks could be rogue access points that capture information passed between your device and a legitimate server.
If you decide to sell your device or trade it in, make sure you wipe the device (reset it to factory default) to avoid leaving personal data on the device.
Smartphones require updates to run applications and firmware. If users neglect this, it increases the risk of having their device hacked or compromised.
Avoid clicking on or otherwise downloading software or links from unknown sources.
Use the same precautions on your mobile phone as you would on your computer when using the Internet.
If you have been a victim of an Internet scam or have received an e-mail that you believe was an attempted scam, please file a complaint at Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Home.
Facebook, right on top of things as usual.
Facebook bug exposes 6 million users Facebook bug exposes 6 million users | Action Fraud
Facebook revealed on Friday that a bug in its system caused 6 million users phone numbers and email addresses to be exposed [24 June 2013]
Facebook bug exposes 6 million usersFacebook says this bug meant that the site collated information about users to create master records including phone numbers and email addresses that the owners had never intended to share.
Facebook said it has fixed the problem and is in the process of notifying affected users via email. Although describing the bug as "pretty technical”, they wanted to emphasise “the practical impact of this bug is likely to be minimal”.
Facebook explained that anyone attempting to download archive profile information using the Download Your Information (DYI) tool may have been provided with the email or telephone numbers of people who they shared connections with on the site. The email addresses and telephone numbers of an estimated six million people affected were given out to other users “once or twice”.
They added that they had received no information to suggest the bug was malicious or that any complaints had been made from users who had noticed “anomalous behaviour” or “wrongdoing”.
What to do if you receive one of these emails?
If you receive an email from Facebook about your security being compromised it is likely to be legitimate, as some users in the UK will have been affected.
However it is important to remember that fraudsters will use legitimate events like these to scam people via email. If you receive one and are unsure log into Facebook directly to access your account and follow our advice:
Do not click on any links in the scam email.
Do not reply to the email or contact the senders in any way.
If you have clicked on a link in the email, do not supply any information on the website that may open.
Do not open any attachments that arrive with the email.
Report any scam emails to us.
For further information see the Facebook security post.
Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
1. 419 scams
2. Advance Fee for Loans
3. Lottery
4. Phishing and phony web pages
5. Overpayment of items you are selling
6. Disaster Relief
7. Travel Scams
8. Make fast money
9 Employment search overpayment (mystery shopper, personal assistant)
10. Turn your computer in to a money making machine.
The Top 10 Internet/Email Scams, 2013