Internet Scams

[Randy]

http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud/internet_fraud

Listed below are tips to protect yourself and your family from various forms of Internet fraud.

Tips for Avoiding Internet Auction Fraud:

• Understand as much as possible about how the auction works, what your obligations are as a buyer, and what the seller’s obligations are before you bid.
• Find out what actions the website/company takes if a problem occurs and consider insuring the transaction and shipment.
• Learn as much as possible about the seller, especially if the only information you have is an e-mail address. If it is a business, check the Better Business Bureau where the seller/business is located.
• Examine the feedback on the seller.
• Determine what method of payment the seller is asking from the buyer and where he/she is asking to send payment.
• If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
• Be cautious when dealing with sellers outside the United States. If a problem occurs with the auction transaction, it could be much more difficult to rectify.
• Ask the seller about when delivery can be expected and whether the merchandise is covered by a warranty or can be exchanged if there is a problem.
• Make sure there are no unexpected costs, including whether shipping and handling is included in the auction price.
• There should be no reason to give out your social security number or driver’s license number to the seller.

Tips for Avoiding Non-Delivery of Merchandise:

• Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
• Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
• Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
• Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn’t required to open the account.
• Consider not purchasing from sellers who won’t provide you with this type of information.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau from the seller’s area.
• Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
• Don’t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
• Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
• Inquire about returns and warranties.
• If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
• Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card numbers.
• Consider using an escrow or alternate payment service.

Tips for Avoiding Credit Card Fraud:

• Don’t give out your credit card number online unless the site is a secure and reputable. Sometimes a tiny icon of a padlock appears to symbolize a higher level of security to transmit data. This icon is not a guarantee of a secure site, but provides some assurance.
• Don’t trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
• Before using the site, check out the security/encryption software it uses.
• Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
• Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
• Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
• Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn’t required to open the account.
• Consider not purchasing from sellers who won’t provide you with this type of information.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau from the seller’s area.
• Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
• Don’t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
• Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
• If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
• Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card number.
• Keep a list of all your credit cards and account information along with the card issuer’s contact information. If anything looks suspicious or you lose your credit card(s), contact the card issuer immediately.

Tips for Avoiding Investment Fraud:

• Don’t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
• Don’t invest in anything you are not absolutely sure about. Do your homework on the investment and the company to ensure that they are legitimate.
• Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
• Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
• Inquire about all the terms and conditions.

Tips for Avoiding Business Fraud:

• Purchase merchandise from reputable dealers or establishments.
• Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
• Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn’t required to open the account.
• Consider not purchasing from sellers who won’t provide you with this type of information.
• Purchase merchandise directly from the individual/company that holds the trademark, copyright, or patent.

Tips for Avoiding the Nigerian Letter or “419” Fraud:

• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
• Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
• Guard your account information carefully.

Have you ever been a victim of an internet scam? Afraid it might happen to you one day?

 

[DrLeftover]

And you also have:

Consumer Frauds and Scams
Tips to help you avoid scams and fraud.

http://www.usa.gov/topics/consumer/scams-fraud.shtml

Other resources on topic:

ID theft claiming new victim every 3 seconds

Did you know ID theft cost Americans $24.7 billion in 2012? And it's on the rise; that's an increase of more than $10 billion annual losses since 2010. Identity theft now costs us more than household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft combined!

http://www.fraud.org/


The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have a very good resource page:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/index-eng.htm


Interpol is even in on the act

Different types of fraud include confidence tricks, lottery fraud and advance-fee fraud (including so-called Nigerian Letters or 419 Fraud), as well as insurance fraud, tax avoidance, offshore investment scams, marriage fraud, pyramid schemes and  payment card fraud.

These crimes often have an international dimension and are committed through a variety of media, for instance by the Internet, telephone, fax and post.

Sophisticated social engineering techniques are carried out on the Internet to trick people into revealing personal data, banking details and passwords. One of these techniques is “phishing”, in which fraudsters create fake communications – such as emails, instant messages and pop up windows – that may appear to come from a legitimate source.

http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Financial-crime/Fraud


And some of the oldest scams going still has some life in them.

This was the 2012 Greatest Hits list:

And remember, if NOBODY responded to these things, the bad guys would quit doing it because they are not in it just for something to do, they are making money off the gullible. And it only takes one hit for them to pay their rent for the month and go through it all again.

http://themediadesk.com/files8/2012.htm

 

[Jazzy]

Have you ever been a victim of an internet scam?
No. I have received scams via email but they went directly into my spam folder and got deleted.

Afraid it might happen to you one day?
No. I am very careful when giving out any personal information and credit card numbers. I always check the site to make sure it's reputable and I also call them on the phone before ordering.

 

[DrLeftover]

January 20, 2014

AURORA, Colo (CBS4) Coloradans love their pets. Now thieves are using adorable pictures of puppies to steal money. Now an Aurora woman says she got drawn into this twist on the classic Nigerian scam.

Kellie Bohrer was looking for a puppy for her brother. She found an advertisement on dog.oodle.com for a cute Siberian husky. The puppy was described as a purebred and listed for $320 dollars. A good deal considering that purebred huskies can run $1,000. Kellie contacted the sellers and got more cute pictures and a registration certificate.

“The agency called and said that we needed to give them $1,600,” Bohrer explained.

The money was for insurance to ship the puppy from Washington state to Kellie’s home. Kellie got a form that assured her that all that money would be returned upon delivery.

“We waited for the puppy. We didn’t get anything,” Bohrer said.

What Kellie got was another e-mail asking for more money. This time the puppy was in Idaho and needed vaccinations and a new carrier.

“That was another thousand dollars out of our pocket,” Bohrer said.

Still, she got no puppy, but she did get another e-mail saying the husky was in Las Vegas in “puppy quarantine”. They wanted another $4,500.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/01/20/doggie-deception-thieves-target-dog-lovers/