Scam of the Day
Scam of the day – September 26, 2023 – New Apple Security Updates
It is always important to update all of the software you use with the latest security updates and patches as soon as they are available. Numerous hacks and data breaches could have been avoided if individuals as well as companies installed security updates as soon as they became available. Hackers take advantage of the fact that many of us procrastinate installing security software to our great detriment. The major data breach at Equifax in 2018 that affected 148 million people involved a security flaw in Apache software for which a patch had already been issued months earlier, but Equifax had not yet installed at the time of the data breach.
Recently Adobe issued multiple security updates which you should download as soon as possible.
TIPS
Here is a link to the Adobe updates: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2023/09/22/apple-releases-security-updates-multiple-products
Apple also provides the option of you being able to install the latest security updates automatically whenever they are issued. In order to enable automatic iOS updates open the “Settings” app and tap “General.” Then tap “Software Update” and then go to “Automatic Updates.” Enable the switch next to “Download iOS Updates” which will take you to the switch for installing iOS Updates which you can then enable. Once you do this, you will see a confirmation message confirming that your device will now automatically install iOS software updates when they become available.
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Scam of the day – September 25, 2023 – Senator Blumenthal Spearheading Efforts Against phony PACs and Charities
Election season will soon be coming to a close and Political Action Committees (PACs) are busy raising money to funnel to candidates and organizations trying to influence legislation. Unfortunately, for the last ten years scammers have been setting up phony PACs that promise to use your money on behalf of your favored candidate or cause, but instead keep the money for their own use. Often the scammers use telemarketing to contact their victims.
One of the more notorious PAC scammers is Harold Taub who set up two phony PACs to appeal to both Republican and Democratic donors, but kept never registered the PACs with the the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as required by law and kept the money he received from donors for himself. Taub was convicted of wire fraud and of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and was sentenced to three years in prison and order to pay back more than 1.1 million dollars to the victims of his crime.
In addition, phony charities are also using telemarketing to reach people to contribute to their scams.
It is important to note that even if you are on the federal Do Not Call List, you can be contacted by legitimate PACs and legitimate charities, but unfortunately, you can’t tell when you are contacted by a telemarketer whether or not the call is legitimate or not. Using a technique called “spoofing” a scammer can manipulate your Caller ID to make their calls appear to come from a legitimate PAC or charity.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal is spearheading efforts in Congress along with the Federal Election Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on these scams
TIPS
Legitimate PACs are required to file with the Federal Election Commission so before giving to any PAC you should check with the FEC to determine if the PAC has filed the necessary documents. If it isn’t registered it is a scam. Unfortunately, even if you find the PAC soliciting your donation is registered, scammers have registered phony PACs and falsify the financial documentation of their spending which they are required to file so merely because a PAC is registered does not mean that it is legitimate.
Limiting your donations to well established PACs is a good policy to avoid being scammed.
Also, if a PAC doesn’t ask for your employment information and citizenship status it is a scam because legitimate PACs are barred from taking donations from federal contractors or foreign nationals, which is why legitimate PACs will always inquire about your job status and citizenship.
As for charities, since you can’t be sure when you are contacted by a charity whether or not they are legitimate, the best course of action is to go to charitynavigator.org where you can find out if the charity is legitimate as well as how to contact legitimate charities to make a contribution.
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Scam of the day – September 24, 2023 – Flash Drive Curiosity Leads to Identity Theft
Curiosity killed the cat and it can also invade your computer and result in a scammer getting access to your computer through malware such as a keystroke logging program that can read and steal all of the information stored on your computer, such as your Social Security number, credit card numbers and passwords. It can lead to you becoming a victim of identity theft. It also can lead to data breaches at companies where you work. What scammers and identity thieves have been doing recently is leaving USB flash drives at bars where employees of a company they wish to hack go after work as well as the parking lots of companies that they wish to hack, hoping that people who work at the targeted company will see the USB flash drives and then curious about what is on them, put them into their computers at work and, without thinking, download the malicious software.
TIPS
Never put a USB flash drive into your computer that you are not absolutely sure is clean. The risk is too great. Let the cat live.
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Scam of the day – September 23, 2023 – JP Morgan Chase Phishing Email
Phishing emails, by which scammers and identity thieves attempt to lure you into either clicking on links contained within the email which download malware or providing personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft, are nothing new. They are a staple of identity thieves and scammers and with good reason because they work. Reproduced below is a copy of a new phishing email presently circulating that appears to come from JP Morgan Chase Bank.
JP Morgan Chase is a popular target for this type of phishing email because it is one of the largest banks in the United States. Like so many phishing emails, this one attempts to lure you into responding by making you think there is an emergency to which you must respond. As phishing emails go, this one is pretty good. It looks legitimate and the version appearing in your email comes with a legitimate appearing Chase logo. As so often is the case with these type of phishing emails, it does not contain your account number in the email nor is it personally addressed to the receiver of the email, but merely uses your email address.
Here is a copy of the Chase phishing email presently being circulated.
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TIPS
There are a number of indications that this is not a legitimate email from Chase, but instead is a phishing email. Most notably, the email address from which this phishing email was sent has no relation to Chase. Most likely it is part of a botnet of infected zombie computers used by scammers to send out such phishing emails. It is also important to note that although the email contained a legitimate appearing Chase logo, such logos are very easy to counterfeit. As with all phishing emails, two things can happen if you click on the links provided. Either you will be sent to a legitimate looking, but phony website where you will be prompted to input personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft or, even worse, merely by clicking on the link, you may download keystroke logging malware that will steal all of your personal information from your computer or cellphone and use it to make you a victim of identity theft.
If you receive an email like this and think it may possibly be legitimate, merely call the customer service number where you can confirm that it is a scam, but make sure that you dial the telephone number correctly because scammers have been known to buy phone numbers that are just a digit off of the legitimate numbers for financial companies, such as Chase to trap you if you make a mistake in dialing the real number. Alternatively you can go to http://www.chase.com to check on your account.
I have disarmed section of the phishing email where it asks you to click on “Complete Your Verification Process.”
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Scam of the day – September 22, 2023 – Ace Rewards Scams
Ace Hardware is a large, popular hardware store and like many stores has a loyalty program called Ace Rewards. Ace recently sent out a warning to its Ace Rewards members that scammers, posing as Ace Hardware are sending emails to Ace Reward members offering a prize for completing a survey. In order to receive your prize, you are required to pay a small fee to cover shipping and handling. The scammers are also sending emails in which they direct the targeted victim to a fake website that appears to be that of Ace Hardware. Unfortunately, if you take the survey and provide your credit card or debit card to pay for the shipping and handling of your prize, the only thing you will receive will be excessive charges on your credit or debit card. If you to the phony website, you may end up unwittingly downloading malware or providing personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft.
TIPS
Trust me, you can’t trust anyone. The email address from which the phony email is sent may look legitimate, but the easy way to avoid the problem is to merely go to the actual website of Ace Hardware which is http://www.acehardware.com. Any promotion or sale will always be available on Ace’s website.
It is always better not to click on a link in an email to go to a website, but rather type in the URL that you know is legitimate. However, you may want to go the extra step and actually do a search to determine who owns the website you are on. There are a number of ways of doing this. One of the easiest is to go to ICANN and enter the domain name and click on “lookup.” This will enable you to find out who actually owns the website. So for instance, if you think you are going to the Ace Hardware website and the website you are on is owned by someone in Nigeria, you can be pretty confident it is a scam. Here is the link to ICANN https://lookup.icann.org/
Also, Ace Hardware, like most legitimate companies will never ask for payment information or passwords as a part of any survey.
Finally, as always, you should never use your debit card when buying anything online (or at a brick and mortar store as well) because federal laws protecting you from liability for fraudulent purposes are far stronger for credit card purchases than debit card purchases.
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Scam of the day – September 21, 2023 – Amazon Text Message Scam
Recently there has been an increase in the number of people receiving phony text messages that purport to be sent from Amazon telling you that your account has been hacked. These phony text messages, called “smishing” will either attempt to lure you into providing personal information that will be used to make you a victim or identity theft or try to persuade you to click on a link that will download malware.
A famous bank robber was once asked why he robbed banks to which he responded, “because that is where the money is” which is why it is not surprising that scammers have used Amazon as the basis for a wide variety of scams due to so many people buying products through Amazon.
You can provide a phone number for Amazon to text you alerts and notifications regarding your account so how can you tell if a text message is legitimate? The real Amazon will never ask for your password or personal information in a text message.
TIPS
If you have a question about your Amazon account, you can either contact them through their website at https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html or call them at 1 (888) 280-4331. Don’t trust any text message that purports to be from Amazon. If you think it might be legitimate, merely call them at 1-(888) 280-4331.
It is a good practice to never click on a link in a text message or email unless you have absolutely confirmed that it is legitimate.
Here is a link to information Amazon provides about steps you can take to make your account more secure. https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=21599686011
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Scam of the day – September 20, 2023 – Move Over Mavis, Here Comes Kristine with Another Lottery Scam
I have been writing about scams related to Mavis Wanczyk for six years. Many of you may not remember the name of Mavis Wanczyk, but she was the lucky winner of a 758 million dollar Powerball drawing in 2017. Not long after she claimed her prize, a scam started appearing in which many people received emails with the message line referring to the Mavis Wanczyk Cash Grant. The email indicated that you were chosen to receive a large cash grant from Mavis Wanczyk. All the lucky strangers receiving the emails had to do was provide personal information in order to qualify for the grant. In addition, phony social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were also set up in Ms. Wanczyk’s name through which people were contacted with the same phony offer of free money informing them that in order to qualify for the grant they merely needed to provide personal information.
Recently I received a text message that read as follows:
“On June 8, 2022, a profound transformation occurred in my life when I became one of the fortunate recipients of a substantial prize from the California Megamillions. Upon discovering my win, a flood of emotions overwhelmed me, with gratitude being the predominant feeling. As part of my commitment to giving back, my team and I have chosen you along with three other lucky individuals to each receive a one-million dollar grant. This selection process was carried out impartially through a computerized ballot system and your phone number was randomly selected from an exclusive list of cell phone numbers sourced from the US TELCO data base. To facilitate this process, I kindly request that you provide the following information: your full name, job title and physical address. Please forward this information to DiazReusEsq@gmail.com as Mr. Diaz will be overseeing the entire process. Sincerely, Kristine”
It should be noted that on June 8, 2022 the real Kristine Wellenstein won 426 million dollars in the California Megamillions drawing. It also should be noted that there is a law firm based in Miami named Diaz, Reus and Targ. One of the lawyers is Michael Diaz, but he has nothing to do with this scam.
TIPS
It is difficult to win a lottery you have entered. It is impossible to win one that you have never entered and neither lottery winners, nor anyone else is sending out messages through emails or text messages offering free money to anyone who responds with personal information. Never give out personal information that can make you vulnerable to identity theft unless you have absolutely verified that the party requesting the personal information is legitimate and has a legitimate need for the information.
Also never pay anything to a lottery claiming you owe fees in order to claim your prize. This is a telltale sign of a scam. No legitimate lottery requires the payment of a fee to collect your winnings or requires you to pay the lottery income taxes on the prize. While income taxes are due on lottery winnings, those taxes are either deducted by the lottery sponsor before giving you your prize or the prize is given to you in full and you are responsible for the payment of any taxes. No lottery collects taxes on behalf of the IRS.
Also, neither Mavis Wanczyk, nor Kristine Wellenstein nor any other lottery winner is giving away money to strangers.
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Scam of the day – September 19, 2023 – Investment Scams at Record Levels
Investment scams have always been with us, but according to the Federal Trade Commission, they reached 3.8 billion dollars of losses last year which was double the amount of the previous year.
Many of these investment scams are promoted on social media, emails and unsolicited phone calls. Often the investment scams are operated as pump and dump schemes. Pump and dump scams have been with us for hundreds of years, however recently they have evolved to keep pace with today’s technology. A Pump and dump scheme is most often done with low priced stocks referred to as “penny stocks.” The scammers buy low priced stocks and then artificially inflate the price of the stocks by using text messages, faxes, Internet chat rooms and other means of communication posing as people with inside information that indicates that a stock is about to rise. This prompts victims of the scam to buy the stock and temporarily inflate the value of the stock. Meanwhile, the scammers sell their stock when the stock price gets bumped up and are long gone when the stock deflates and reverts back to its true value.
And, of course cryptocurrency scams are rampant as people too often invest without knowing what they are investing in or with whom they are investing.
TIPS
Before investing with anyone, you should investigate the person offering to sell you the investment with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Central Registration Depository. This will tell you if the broker is licensed and if there have been disciplinary procedures against him or her. You can also check with your own state’s securities regulation office for similar information. Many investment advisers will not be required to register with the SEC, but are required to register with your individual state’s securities regulators. You can find your state’s agency by going to the website of the North American Securities Administrators Association. https://www.nasaa.org/investor-education/how-to-check-your-broker-or-investment-adviser/ Many investment advisers will not be required to register with the SEC, but are required to register with your individual state securities regulators. You should also check with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for information about the particular investment adviser. https://www.finra.org/investors/protect-your-money/ask-and-check
It is also important to remember that you should never invest in something that you do not completely understand. This was a mistake that many of Bernie Madoff’s victims made. You also may want to check out the SEC’s investor education website at www.investor.gov. Scammers can be very convincing and it may sound like there is a great opportunity for someone to make some money, but you must be careful that the person making money is not the scam artist taking yours. Additionally, investing with someone merely because you trust them because you have heard them on the radio or television is dangerous. Having the same person advise the investment and control the investment is a common thread among Ponzi schemers because it enables them to falsify documents to make the investment look profitable. Generally, for additional security it is desirable to have a separate broker-dealer act as custodian for investments chosen by an investment adviser.
For detailed information about cryptocurrency scams and how to avoid them check out this link from the FTC https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-and-scams#scams
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Scam of the day – September 18, 2023 – Phantom Debt Collection Scams
Receiving a telephone call from a debt collector is not a pleasant experience. Being hounded by someone attempting to collect a debt you do not owe constitutes fraud. In recent years the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against a number of these Phantom debt collection agencies. These scammers used false claims and threats to compel people to pay debts which were largely either non-existent or which the defendants had no authority to collect. They also violated federal law by illegally failing to provide proper notices and disclaimers also required by federal law.
TIPS
Subject to strict federal laws, legitimate debt collectors are permitted to call debtors, however, the law prohibits them from threatening imprisonment for the failure to pay a debt and attempting to collect a debt that the debt collector knows is bogus. The law also prohibits debt collectors from communicating information about a debt to the consumer’s employer although they can contact the employer merely to obtain contact information about the employee
It can be difficult to know when someone calls attempting to collect a debt if indeed they are legitimate or not, so the best course of action if you receive such a call is to not discuss the debt with the person calling, but instead demand that they send you a written “validation notice” by regular mail which describes the debt they allege you owe and includes a listing of your rights under the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Never give personal information over the phone to anyone who calls you attempting to collect a debt. You can never be sure who they are. If you receive the validation notice and it appears to be legitimate, you may be better off contacting your creditor directly because the person who called you may not be representing the creditor, but may merely have information about the debt.
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Scam of the day – September 17, 2023 – Doctors, Nurses and Other Medical Personnel Targeted by Scammers
Most new scams are merely variations of older scam and today’s Scam of the day is one of those. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning doctors, nurses and other medical personnel of a scam in which the targeted victim receives a phone call from the scammer posing as a deputy sheriff who informs the targeted victim that he or she has missed a court date where he or she was supposed to testify as an expert witness. The scammer goes on to tell the targeted victim that he or she will be arrested unless they pay a fine by gift cards. Of course, anytime you are asked to make a payment by way of a gift card, you can be confident it is a scam. Gift cards are a favorite method of payment for scammers because they are impossible to trace.
The scammer then goes on to tell the targeted victim that the gift cards must be delivered in person to the judge at the local courthouse. The scammer then insists that they stay on the phone with the targeted victim while he or she purchases the gift cards. Then, before they can get to the courthouse, the scammer tells the targeted victim that the judge is not available at this time, but that the targeted victim can give the card numbers over the phone to the scammer posing as a law enforcement official. Gift cards can be readily used online without having the cards in hand so providing the numbers to the scammer is all the scammer needs to access the gift cards.
TIPS
No government agency accepts payments by gift cards. It is a sad commentary that the IRS has had to post on its website that it does not accept gift cards. Additionally, no law enforcement agency will demand a payment over the phone or you will be arrested.
This particular scam has fooled some people by using the names of real law enforcement officers and by spoofing the phone numbers of various law enforcement agencies so that the call appears to be coming from a real law enforcement agency even though it is coming from the scammers phone. As I have often told you, it is a simple matter for a scammer to manipulate your Caller ID to make a call appear to come from whatever source the scammer wishes. Trust me, you can’t trust anyone.
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