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Scam of the day – January 23, 2021 – Online Employment Scams
I have been warning you about employment related scams for years and today's scam represents the most recent incarnation of employment scams. Searching for a job online has become the norm for many job seekers and there are many legitimate online employment websites...
Scam of the day – January 22, 2021 – Another 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. Millions of people still use AOL. One reason is that you get greater email privacy when compared to...
Scam of the day – January 21, 2021 – Student Loan Scams on the Rise
I have written many times over the last ten years about student loan scams because scammers have successfully targeted college students and their parents for a variety of scams related to these extensive loans. In October of 2017 the Federal Trade Commission, working...
Scam of the day – January 20, 2021 – New Netflix Smishing Scam
For a long time I have warned you that the popularity of Netflix makes it a preferred subject for phishing emails and phishing text messages, which are referred to as smishing. Smishing is the name given to text messages that lure you into clicking on links or...
Scam of the day – January 19, 2021 – Important New Protection Against Income Tax Identity Theft
Income tax identity theft, by which identity thieves file phony income tax returns with counterfeit W-2s using the Social Security number and name of their victim is still a major problem for the IRS and taxpayers costing us all billions of dollars each year....
Scam of the day – January 18, 2021 – New Delivery Scam
Online purchases which already were sizable have grown tremendously during the Coronavirus pandemic so it is not surprising that scammers are attempting to use that fact to create scams. I have reported to you about delivery scams for years. Today's version of a...
Scam of the day – January 17, 2021 – “Brushing” Continues to be a Problem
It was just last August that I first told you about "brushing" after many people in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom reported receiving unordered packages of seeds sent from China. A wide variety of conspiracy theories quickly sufaced to explain what...
Scam of the day – January 16, 2021 – J.P. Morgan Hacker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
Earlier this week, Andrei Tyurin, a Russian hacker was sentenced in federal court to twelve years in prison on charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit computer hacking. The charges stemmed from a number of large data breaches done by Tyurin...
Scam of the day – January 15, 2021 – Small Business Coronavirus Loan Scam
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reporting about a new Coronavirus related scam that is targeting the owners of small businesses who are receiving an email that purports to come from the "Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Relief." The email...
Scam of the day – January 14, 2021 – Publishers Clearing House Scams Continue
Publishers Clearing House, the sponsor of some of the most popular legitimate lotteries in the country no longer limits its contests to one or two a year, but has numerous lotteries each month. Recently there has been an increase in reports of scammers calling people...
Scam of the day – January 13, 2021 – Smishing Attacks Increasing
Although the name may not be as familiar as "phishing" which is the name for emails that lure you into clicking on malware infected links or providing personal information that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft, "smishing" is the name given to text...
Scam of the day – January 12, 2021 – Nursing Homes Wrongfully Taking Stimulus Payments
Last May I told you that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had issued an alert informing people that some nursing homes and assisted living facilities around the country had been requiring their residents who are on Medicaid to turn over their CARES Act stimulus...
Scam of the day – January 11, 2021 – Another Coronavirus Grant Scam
The second round of stimulus payments referred to officially as Economic Impact Payments started being sent to eligible individuals on December 30, 2020. The payments are being sent by direct deposit to bank accounts, mailed paper checks and mailed debit cards...
Scam of the day – January 10, 2021 – American Express Phishing Email
Today's Scam of the day is about a phishing email I received that purports to be from American Express. The graphics, grammar and overall appearance of the email is not very convincing and the lettering is quite odd.. In addition, it does not even carry the American...
Scam of the day – January 9, 2021 – Unclaimed Property Scams
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,...
Scam of the day – January 8, 2021 – 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. ...
Scam of the day – January 7, 2021 – Coronavirus Grant Scam
The email copied below was sent to us by a Scamicide reader. This scam is a variation on the Nigerian email scam about which I most recently wrote a few days ago in that it involves you being eligible to receive a tremendous amount of money without any real reason. ...
Scam of the day – January 6, 2021 – SEC Warning People About Coronavirus Related Investment Scams
Investment scams have always been with us, but the Coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the number of investment scams through scams involving companies and promotors claiming to have effective products that can prevent, detect or cure the Coronavirus. The ...
Scam of the day – January 5, 2021 – FTC Settles Charges Against Belize Real Estate Scammers
In November 12, 2018's Scam of the day I first told you that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had started a legal action against Andris Pukke and five other defendants in regard to a massive real estate scam allegedly masterminded by Pukke, a previously convicted...
Scam of the day – January 4, 2021 – The Nigerian Email Scam Continues to Plague Us
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 origin of the scam actually goes back to 1588 when it was known...
Scam of the day – January 3, 2021 – Car Wrap Scams Increasing
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, reports are resurfacing of increased instances of the car wrap scam which has been around for a few years. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning about scammers posing as employees of Marlboro or Purell...
Scam of the day – Janurary 2, 2021 – Check Cashing Identity Thief Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison
Last week Carlos Rodriguez Sr., also known as "Il Padrino" was sentenced to more than ten years in prison for his role in masterminding a nationwide countefeit check cashing identity theft scheme by which he and his cohorts stole more than 1.8 million dollars from...
Scam of the day – January 1, 2021 – British Cosmetic Surgery Group Suffers Ransomware Attack
What was old is new again and so it is particularly fitting that on the first day of the new year, we look at a recent scam about which I warned you three times back in 2017, namely ransomware attacks on medical care facilities that perform cosmetic surgery. In 2017...
Scam of the day – December 31, 2020 – Facebook Messenger Scam
Today's Scam of the day starts when you receive a message on Facebook Messenger that looks like this: (image: Sophos) The message will have a link and what appears to be a video, however, when you click on the link, you are taken to a phony Facebook login page. If...
Scam of the day – December 30, 2020 – Second Stimulus Check Payment Scams
The massive 900 billion dollar Coronavirus relief and government spending bill was finally signed into law after much furor. The new law provides for payments of $600 to eligible people. In a future Scam of the day, I will go into the details of how the amount sent...
Scam of the day – December 29, 2020 – Danger of Facebook Farming
Many of you may not be familiar with the term "Facebook farming", but we have all seen Facebook postings urging us to click that we "like"them. Sometimes it is an emotional appeal to show support for a sick child. Sometimes it is to show support for a political...
Scam of the day – December 28, 2020 – Jury Duty Scams Continue During Pandemic
I have been warning you about the jury duty scam for more than eight years, but it continues to snare many unwary victims. Recently law enforcement in Utah noticed an increase in jury duty scams although these scams are also continuing throughout the rest of the...
Scam of the day – December 27, 2020 – Phony Bank Text Message Scam
Phony text messages purporting to be from your bank or credit card company is a scam about which I have been warning you for more than seven years, but appears to be a scam that is dramatically increasing. Recently, customers of Fifth Third Bank received a phony text...
Scam of the day – December 26, 2020 – New FTC Report Shows Gift Cards Are A Scammer’s Favorite Payment Method
Scammers are big fans of gift cards because they are easy to purchase, easy to send to the scammer and impossible to trace back to the scammer. It is not even necessary for the scammer to be in possession of the actual gift card to use it. Sending the gift card...
Scam of the day – December 25, 2020 – FTC Sending Refunds to Victims of “Risk Free” Trial Offer Scam
A year ago, I first told you that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was mailing refunds to victims of a scam operated by seven people and fifteen companies selling Auravie, Dellure, LeOR Skincare and Miracle Face Kit branded skincare products online. These scammers...
Scam of the day – December 24, 2020 – Letters from Santa Claus Scam
A number of phony websites and postings on social media are offering personalized letters from Santa Claus that you can purchase for your children. Unfortunately, Virginia, while the spirit of Santa Claus is real, many of the companies offering these letters from...
Scam of the day – December 23, 2020 – Criminal Indian Call Center Busted
Police in New Delhi, India recently arrested more than fifty people operating a criminal call center from which they would make calls around the world scamming people into paying money under various pretenses. According to the New Delhi police more than 4,500...
Scam of the day – December 22, 2020 – Holiday E Card Scams
Online greeting cards are a great product for anyone who tends to be a bit late in sending out holiday greeting cards by regular mail. They are easy to send and many are free. They also can be very entertaining and offer a chance to send a timely greeting even if...
Scam of the day – December 21, 2020 – FDA Warns Consumers About Certain Weight Loss and Male Enhancement Products
Recently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to consumers to avoid approximately fifty male enhancement and weight loss products found to contain hidden ingredients that pose serious health risks. Here are links to lists of the specific products...
Scam of the day – December 20, 2020 – FTC Refunding Money to Victims of Pain Relief Supplement Scam
The Federal Trade Commission is sending checks to people who were scammed by A. S. Research LLC into buying Synovia, its supplement that it touted as a tremendous treatment for arithritis and joint pain. Synovia's advertising was riddled with misleading claims and...
Scam of the day – December 19, 2020 – Mail Box Identity Thief Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
Identity theft can be high tech, low tech or no tech. Stealing mail from mailboxes for purposes of identity theft has been done by identity thieves for years. Numerous times over the last ten years I have warned you about the danger of having your mail, such as...
Scam of the day – December 18, 2020 – Coronavirus Vaccine Scams
With confirmed deaths in the United States at more than 300,000 and with the actual number probably even higher, it was a welcome development when the first three million doses of the Pfizer Coronavirus vaccine were shipped out on December 13th. However, as welcome...
Scam of the day – December 17, 2020 – New Stimulus Check Text Message Scam
Earlier this year Congress passed the CARES Act which provided $1,200 payments to millions of Americans who suffered financially due to the Coronavirus pandemic, however as the pandemic drags on many people are still suffering financially and in need of further...
Scam of the day – December 16, 2020 – FTC Shuts Down Debt Collector of Phony Debts
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 is fraud. I have written many times in the past about scammers who use deceptive and abusive collections practices in...
Scam of the day – December 15, 2020 – Adobe Releases Final Adobe Flash Update
Adobe has just issued its final security update for the popular, but intensely flawed Adobe Flash software. In 2018 Adobe confirmed that it would stop updating and distributing Adobe Flash at the end of 2020 consequently after December 31st, Adobe will stop supporting...
Scam of the day – December 14, 2020 – Phony Police and Firefighter Charities
The holiday season is a time when many people give to charities. In particular, you will most likely be contacted by numerous people soliciting charitable contributions on behalf of organizations purporting to support the brave men and women who make up our police...
Scam of the day – December 13, 2020 – Holiday Gift Card Scams
Buying a gift card as a gift is both an easy way to purchase a gift for someone and a good way to make sure that the gift is something that the receiver of the gift can actually use and enjoy. It definitely is a win-win situation and particularly during the...
Scam of the day – December 12, 2020 – Free Coronavirus Test Kit Scam
The Coronavirus pandemic still is raging in many parts of the world, particularly the United States where people are lining up for hours to get a Coronavirus test. Taking advantage of public concern are scammers who are using illegal robocalls to scam people out of...
Scam of the day – December 11, 2020 – 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. ...
Scam of the day – December 10, 2020 – Free Video Game Download Scam
The much anticipated (in the gaming community) release of the video game Cyberpunk 2077 begins today. The game involves players traveling through a futuristic city searching for an implant that promises immortality. The game is being released in more than 18...
Scam of the day – December 9, 2020 – Zoom Phishing Scams
Not surprisingly Zoom was the most downloaded app of 2020. Zoom's ability to enable people to virtually communicate, both for business and personal purposes, has been of tremendous value during the Coronoavirus pandemic. However, as always, anything popular with the...
Scam of the day – December 8, 2020 – Romance Scams Increasing Dramatically During the Pandemic
Over the years I have warned you many times about romance scams, but it is important to do so again because these scams have increased dramatically during the Coronavirus pandemic. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Americans lost more money to romance...
Scam of the day – December 7, 2020 – Scam Phonecalls Offering Coronavirus Vaccines
As we await the hopefully imminent FDA approval of Coronavirus vaccines during a pandemic that is as bad as ever, scammers are exploiting the public's concern by calling, posing as Pfizer and public health departments offering doses of the soon to be approved Pfizer...
Scam of the day – December 6, 2020 – Amazon Phishing Scam
Shopping on Amazon, particularly during the pandemic is extremely popular both with consumers and scammers seeking to exploit Amazon's popularity. I have warned you many times over the years about scammers who send various types of phishing emails which purport to...
Scam of the day – December 5, 2020 – Yet Another Mavis Wanczyk Lottery Scam
Perhaps it is due to the financial strain so many people are under during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, but recently I have received many emails from Scamicide readers telling me about various new incarnations of a variety of scams that share the same hook...