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Scam of the day – June 2, 2020 – New CARES Act Check Scam Targets College Students
Like most federal legislation, the CARES Act which was enacted into law in late March and provided for billions of dollars of stimulus payments to millions of Americans is complicated. While much of the media focused on payments of as much as $1,200 to people...
read moreScam of the day – June 1, 2020 – AOL Phishing Email
Today's Scam of the day is about a phishing email presently circulating that attempts to lure you into clicking on a link in order to continue using your AOL account. If you click on the link two things can occur and both are bad. Either you will end up providing...
read moreScam of the day – May 31, 2020 – Is That Stimulus Debit Card Your Got in the Mail a Scam?
Earlier this month the Treasury Department announced that it had electronically sent more than 200 billion dollars of CARES Act stimulus payments to approximately 130 million Americans in the program's first four weeks. Payments under the CARES Act are determined in...
read moreScam of the day – May 30, 2020 – Mavis Wanczyk Lottery Scam Continues to Grow
It was just 25 days ago that I last wrote about scams related to Mavis Wanczyk, but the proliferation of new scams tied to her makes it important to warn you again. Perhaps it is due to the financial strain so many people are under during this time of the Coronavirus...
read moreScam of the day – May 29, 2020 – FTC Settles Crowdfunding Complaint
Crowdfunding is the name for the popular process by which people raise funds for a wide variety of projects from movie making to the development of new businesses. Unfortunately, as I have been warning you since 2012, the potential for crowdfunding scams is...
read moreScam of the day – May 28, 2020 – PayPal Phishing Scam
Here is another good example of a phishing email that is presently being circulated. It was sent to me by a Scamicide reader who received it. It makes for compelling reading, but it is a scam. Phishing emails, by which scammers and identity thieves attempt to lure...
read moreScam of the day – May 27, 2020 – FTC Refunding Millions to Victims of Online Marketing Scam
After ten years of litigation against Jeremy Johnson, his company I Works, nine other individuals and 61 other related shell corporations that were offering "free" or "trial" memberships in programs they said would provide free information about government grants and...
read moreScam of the day – May 26, 2020 – Scammers Targeting Cruise Customers
The Coronavirus pandemic has had a harmful effect on many industries and the cruise industry has been hit particularly hard due to safety concerns about taking a cruise at this time or even in the near foreseeable future. This has caused many people who have booked...
read moreScam of the day – May 25, 2020 – Ridiculous Lottery Scam
Lottery scams are among the most common scams and although these scams take many different forms, they all have in common that you have won a lottery you never even entered (quite a feat) and that you must now pay money for either taxes or administrative fees in order...
read moreScam of the day – May 24, 2020 – Memorial Day Scams
As we honor our veterans tomorrow on Memorial Day, it is important to remember that scammers take Memorial Day as just another opportunity to scam veterans and others. In the case of Memorial Day, you can expect to be solicited by scammers by phone (remember...
read moreScam of the day – May 23, 2020 – FTC Notifies 50 More Companies to Stop Marketing Phony Coronavirus Products
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it had sent out 50 more warning letters to companies marketing phony cures and treatments for the Coronavirus. This brings the total number of companies who have received such cease and desist letters to 170...
read moreScam of the day – May 22, 2020 – Phony Coupons Appearing on Social Media
Everyone loves coupons and like many things in our lives, coupons which used to be found commonly in newspapers and magazines have migrated online. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about phony coupons appearing on social media. Among the companies...
read moreScam of the day – May 21, 2020 – Coronavirus Contact Tracing Text Message Scam
The Coronavirus pandemic has been a gold mine for scammers who are capitalizing on the public's concern through a wide variety of scams. The scams have proliferated so much that here at Scamicide we even have a separate section that describes these scams and how to...
read moreScam of the day – May 20, 2020 – Invitation to Free Coronavirus Scams Webinar
The pandemic of scams related to the Coronavirus pandemic is overwhelming for many people. Here at Scamicide, our purpose is to keep you informed about all of the latest scams and advise you as to how to avoid those scams. I will be presenting a free Webinar on...
read moreScam of the day – May 20, 2020 – Free Credit Reports for the Next Year
Your credit report is an important document that can affect not only your ability to get a loan, but even your ability to get a job, an apartment or insurance. Indications of identity theft often first turn up on your credit report where you can find out if someone...
read moreScam of the day – May 19, 2020 – US Tech Support Phishing Email
US Tech Support is a real company that provides tech support for your computer, however the email reproduced below which was sent to us by a Scamicide reader is not from US Tech Support, but instead is a phishing email designed to make you believe that there is an...
read moreScam of the day – May 18, 2020 – Secret Service Uncovers Massive Unemployment Compensation Scam Ring
Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, unemployment benefit scams were already a major problem costing the states and federal government billions of dollars each year. Part of the problem is that the federal government requires the states to pay claims within a few...
read moreScam of the day – May 17, 2020 – Nursing Homes Improperly Taking CARES Act Stimulus Checks
Recently, the Treasury Department announced that it had electronically sent more than 200 billion dollars of CARES Act stimulus payments to approximately 130 million Americans in the program's first four weeks. Payments under the CARES Act are determined in the vast...
read moreScam of the day – May 16, 2020 – Coronavirus Meets Nigerian Email Letter
Today's Scam of the day is another version of the Nigerian email scam that continues to plague the online community. Although it may seem that the Nigerian email scam began in the era of the Internet, the basis of the scam actually goes back to 1588 when it was known...
read moreScam of the day – May 15, 2020 – Data Breach Affecting Millions at MobiFriends
Personal information including birth date, gender, website activity, cell phone number, username, email address and hashed passwords of 3.5 million users of the dating site MobiFriends have recently been discovered to have been made available to cybercriminals on the...
read moreScam of the day – May 14, 2020 – Coronavirus Related SAT Prep Scam
Taking the SAT test as a part of a high school student's application process for college is a stressful event for many high school students and it has only gotten worse with the cancellation of the SAT test dates this Spring due to the Coronavirus pandemic. If it is...
read moreScam of the day – May 13, 2020 – FTC Continues Actions Against Coronavirus Scammers
To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "how do I scam thee, let me count the ways." If we are counting the companies trying to sell you totally bogus treatments to either prevent or cure the Coronavirus, the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) number would be 120 so...
read moreScam of the day – May 12, 2020 – Unclaimed Property Scam
A Scamicide reader recently forwarded to me an email that informed her that unclaimed money from a source not indicated was being held on her behalf and she needed to respond to the email in order to claim the money. This particular email was a total scam, however,...
read moreScam of the day – May 11, 2020 – FTC Settles Claim Against “Free Trial” Scammer
Three years ago, I told you about Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill warning people about "free trial" scams. These scams begin with ads that appear to offer a free trial of a product with the consumer only being required to pay a small shipping and handling...
read moreScam of the day – May 10, 2020 – IRS Deadline for Submitting Direct Deposit Information for Stimulus Checks
Last Friday the Treasury Department announced that it had electronically sent more than 200 billion dollars of CARES Act stimulus payments to approximately 130 million Americans in the program's first four weeks. Payments under the CARES Act are determined in the...
read moreScam of the day – May 9, 2020 – Mother’s Day Scams
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and once again we must be vigilant about not falling prey to scams related to this holiday. Anything popular with the public will always be popular with scammers. Although for many of us Mother's Day is an opportunity to show our mothers...
read moreScam of the day – May 8, 2020 – FTC Sends Warning Letters to 10 Multi-Level Marketing Companies
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sent warning letters to ten multi-level marketing companies demanding they stop claiming that their products can treat or prevent the Coronavirus and stop making misleading claims about the amount of money people can earn by...
read moreScam of the day – May 7, 2020 – Equifax Data Breach Settlement Extended Claims Period
Recently, you may likely have received an email with the notice from the Equifax Breach Settlement Administrator reproduced below pertaining to the proposed settlement of claims brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau...
read moreScam of the day – May 6, 2020 – Blessing Loom Chain Letter Scam
Illegal pyramid schemes take many forms. Year after year since 2015 I have warned you about the Secret Sister Gift Exchange, which keeps reappearing each year around the holidays. It seems harmless enough when you see it come up in your email or on social media,...
read moreScam of the day — May 5, 2020 – Another Mavis Wanczyk Twitter Scam
Many people may not remember the name of Mavis L. 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...
read moreScam of the day – May 4, 2020 – Illegal Pirate Streaming Services Booming
Largely due to the Coronavirus quarantining of people around the world, millions of people are turning to streaming services such as Netflix to see popular movies and shows such as Netflix's "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness." Scam artists are quite adept at...
read moreScam of the day – May 3, 2020 – Delivery Scams During the Coronavirus Pandemic
During the social distancing and quarantining that has become the hallmark of the Coronavirus pandemic, deliveries by UPS, Federal Express, Amazon and others have become the primary way many of us are doing all or almost all of our shopping. With so many people...
read moreScam of the day – May 2, 2020 – New Coronavirus Related Twist on Classic Utility Scam
Scams involving utility bills for electric, water or gas services have long been popular with scammers. In one incident reported just prior to the Coronavirus pandemic a Rochester, New York woman was called by scammers posing as Rochester Gas and Electric who...
read moreScam of the day – May 1, 2020 – Stimulus Checks Spur Increased Income Tax Identity Theft
Just when you thought the financial problems tied to the Coronavirus pandemic were lessened a bit by the federal government's program of payments of up to $1,200 to eligible people, we are now seeing a double whammy of increases in income tax identity theft resulting...
read moreScam of the day – April 30, 2020 – Coronavirus Small Business Administration Loan Scams
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) contained not only provisions for payments to millions of citizens, but also included a number of provisions for financial assistance to small businesses. Many small businesses have suffered...
read moreScam of the day – April 29, 2020 – Puppy Scams During the Pandemic
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), pet scams involving the online sale of non-existent dogs have increased 39% since 2017 and now during the Coronavirus pandemic we are seeing an increase in this scam as people are interested in the wonderful emotional...
read moreScam of the day – April 28, 2020 – Phony Coronavirus Text Message
The scams related to the Coronavirus are seemingly without end. With so much concern about the Coronavirus, scammers are using that concern to lure people through text messages into going to either malware infected websites or websites that will appear to be those of...
read moreScam of the day – April 27, 2020 – Message Not Delivered Scam
Curiosity killed the cat, but it can also cause you to become a victim of identity theft. It also can be a warning that your have been hacked and made a part of a botnet. Reproduced below is a message that a Scamicide reader received indicating that a message she...
read moreScam of the day – April 26, 2020 – Schwab Phishing Email
Here is another good example of a phishing email that is presently being circulated. It was sent to me by a Scamicide reader who received it. It makes for compelling reading, but it is a scam. Phishing emails, by which scammers and identity thieves attempt to lure...
read moreScam of the day – April 25, 2020 – Important Tips About Safely Working from Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Here is a column that I wrote for Fast Company magazine about the steps we all should be taking to safely work from home. https://www.fastcompany.com/90492940/how-to-protect-your-work-from-home-computer-from-cyberattacks
read moreScam of the day – April 24, 2020 – Important Microsoft 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...
read moreScam of the day – April 23, 2020 – Facebook Cloning
Today's Scam of the day is one about which I have written in the past, however it continues to pop up frequently as evidenced by one of my long-time friends becoming a victim recently. Many people are receiving a Facebook post from friends saying their account had...
read moreScam of the day – April 22, 2020 – FTC Shuts Down Makers of Phony Supplement
Scams related to cures for various diseases have always been with us. The claims of medical charlatans are as persuasive to us as they were to the early American colonists. Often these scammers take advantage of people desperate to find help for whatever medical...
read moreScam of the day – April 21, 2020 – Ponzi Scammer Talk Radio Host Sentenced
In the Scam of the day for March 21st, I told you about criminal charges filed against investment adviser William Neil "Doc" Gallagher who operated a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme in which he victimized mostly elderly clients since 2014. Gallagher solicited his...
read moreScam of the day – April 20, 2020 – Danger of Facebook Quizzes
As we all spend more time in social isolation, we are also spending more time on social media and many of us are spending some of that social media time taking Facebook quizzes. Facebook quizzes are very popular, but they can be exploited by identity thieves. A good...
read moreScam of the day – April 19, 2020 – Sextortion Scams Increasing
I have been warning you about sextortion scams for five years, but it is important to remind you again because since the coronavirus pandemic started in earnest, scammers have increased their use of this scam as more and more of us are social distancing at home, but...
read moreScam of the day – April 18, 2020 – Coronavirus Medicare Scam Phone Call
In yet another Coronavirus related scam, criminals posing as Medicare employees are calling people offering "Covid-19 kits," "Coronavirus packages" or Medicare benefits related to the Coronavirus. During the course of the call the scammer tells you that in order to...
read moreScam of the day – April 17, 2020 – Stimulus Payment Update
On March 27th, I first told you about the Coronavirus relief checks that are now going out to millions of Americans, but it is important to revisit this subject now that more details in the program have evolved. The amount you will be receiving is dependent upon your...
read moreScam of the day – April 16, 2020 – Unemployment Benefits Scams
Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, unemployment benefit scams were already a major problem costing the states and federal government billions of dollars each year. Part of the problem is that the federal government requires the states to pay claims within a few...
read moreScam of the day – April 15, 2020 – Coronavirus Scams Costing Americans Millions
Since February I have been continuously warning you about a myriad of Coronavirus related scams and with good reason. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently reported that in just the first nine days of April, they had received complaints of losses due to...
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