Consumers who help AG's office could get up to $3K

I was just sent a link to this article from my good friend and fellow advocate, Denise Richardson (GiveMeBackMyCredit.com) and I just had to share it with all of you.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101229/NEWS/12290334

To summarize the article, The Indiana AG office wants victims of financial scams to be able to recoup legal costs through a program funded by violators of the state's consumer protection laws.  Personally, I think this is a GREAT idea.  I know that so many scam victims don't report the scams and just pay the money to make it go away instead of getting a lawyer to try to fight these cases . . . mostly because they cannot afford to get a lawyer.  This would allow them to get justice without it being an added financial burden on them.

Looks like there are a couple of lawmakers already backing this . . . Senator Richard Bray and State Representative Woody Burton.

Santa and ID Theft

I just got done reading a blog post called Is Santa A Victim of Identity Theft, and I had to share it with you.  The author makes a good point.

This time of year you see people dressed as Santa every where . . . one person's identity replicated over and over and then put out into the masses.  In some cases it is easy to see that it is an impostor, but in some cases you cannot really tell from first glance.  And then to add to it there are places that are selling all of the "supplies" so that even more people can assume this identity.  So how do you stop it?  Do you go after the person who it using the false identity?  Do you go after the people selling the identity?

The same thing holds true with actual cases of identity theft, and that is part of the reason that it is a growing problem.

Advice from the BBB

Here is a little clip from a recent BBB newsletter.

The BBB Absolute 'No' for December

Every month, the BBB informs the public of an absolute ‘no,’ a fraudulent scheme or offer they should never consider or take part in under any circumstance. The absolute no for December involves online deals that seem too good to be true. In late November, the BBB began receiving complaints against OnSaleFurnitureDepot, an online furniture company which claimed to be operating out of an apartment in Fargo, North Dakota. Consumers reported that the company was offering furniture and swing-sets at heavily discounted prices, but then failed to deliver once payment was received. Also, customers were told they needed to pay for their merchandise Green Dot MoneyPak cards (essentially a money transfer service). Unfortunately, this left customers without any recourse to get their money back. For more information on this situation and BBB tips for shopping safely online, click here.

Moments Like This

This last June, the BBB began receiving complaints against Moments Like This, a bridal service company in Minneapolis. Complaints were from disappointed wedding parties who reported that on their wedding day they either hadn’t received linens or chair covers they had paid for or only received parts of their order. The BBB immediately began forwarding the complaints to the business owner, and by late June had updated the company’s report to indicate there was a pattern of a problem and customers considering doing business with the company should be aware of that. As of December 16th, the BBB had processed 22 complaints against the company. Eleven of those complaints were closed unresolved and another seven were closed with no response received from the company.

5 Rules to Keep Your Identity and Credit Safe during the Holiday Shopping Season

Today we have a guest blog from Jon Ryan of ProtectIdentity.com

Your own shopping compulsions versus a limited budget isn’t the only threat during the holiday shopping season.  Use of your credit cards can really increase during this time of year. Without thinking you could be falling into habits that put your entire financial persona in jeopardy.


1.  Be assertive. Don’t be afraid to disagree, say no, or ask questions. If you are in a shop and the clerk want to take your plastic into the back room, speak up. You shouldn’t let that little piece of plastic out of your sight. If you have to keep other people waiting do so. They also know you are in a rush too. Fraudsters use crowds to mask their efforts and human emotions to force their efforts.

2.  Watch where you swipe. ATMs are extreme risky during the holidays. Fraudsters use a device called a skimmer to grab account numbers and PINs from a single card swipe. The skimmer can be placed on top of or within the original reader, thereby intercepting the digits or it can be placed in a separate location on the ATM in hopes a customer accidentally swipes there instead. If you need cash, the best practice is to avoid mall ATMs and go inside your bank to get the funds.


3.   Avoid giving. At lease right then and there. Any charity that wants your info and donation right then and there should be avoided. Don’t listen to the pleas. Any time you are going to give money away, there should be some research on the organization and where your money is going to actually go. The last thing you want to do is get surprised because you claimed a “fake” charitable donation on your taxes.

4.  Delve down when buying online. Think like a criminal here. Lines of encryption and a few bounces around to different IP addresses and then they are home free. There’s no face to attribute to the crime. Many people will avoid the crowds this year by taking their shopping lists to the web. If you choose to do so, don’t ever shop with your debit card. That is a direct line to your bank account. Under the federal laws, the credit card company can only hold you liable for $50 of any fraudulent transactions. The debit card could put you into overdraft fees and pose much more hassle and threat, so shop with your credit card or an alternative payment method like a prepaid check card or PayPal. Only buy on sites that have a secure server and a privacy policy and/or show the padlock icon in your browser’s bottom right hand corner. You can know your info is encrypted if the url goes from “http:\\” to “https:\\”. No email or search engine “shot-in-the dark” shopping. This will give you merchant’s with no researchable reputation.

5.  Beware of your surroundings & destroy everything. The two go hand in hand. Shoulder surfing and dumpster diving are still threats. People around you at the mall can probably heard you opening that new line of credit to cover your holiday expenses. Protect vital information from wandering eyes and ears. Write it down instead of verbally exchanging it. Afterwards take the slip with you and destroy it. Dumpster diving is still the easiest way for a low tech criminal to get hands on your personal info and steal your identity. Destroy/shred all these documents, especially those pre-approved lines of credit apps that come in the mail.

Follow these rules, and hopefully you will not become one of the 10 million who fall victim to identity theft every year. Also, remember less is more. Don’t leave the house with more cards or information than you absolutely need. It’s very important to watch your statements year-round, but this time of year you will be doing more spending than usual. So it stands to reason that more attention should be paid.

By Jon Ryan of ProtectIdentity.com, a blog hoping to spread awareness and provide identity theft protection tips.

Dating Scam, from the Military Angle

I have talked about dating and romance scams in the past, but I recently came across an article dealing directly with Military Dating Scams that I wanted to share with you.

Since I am not a military person, and no one in my family has been an active military person since before I was born, I would not have known some of this information.

None of them use .mil email addresses that ALL military personnel have. These are just some of the tipoffs you should be aware of. 

This is good to know.  Just like when the scammer contacts a person pretending to be with a federal agency, but they are using a gmail account . . . this is a red flag.

Some of the other red flags are when the scammer asks you to help them to cash checks.  The author of this article points out that military personal do not need assistance from civilians to get their checks.  Another line the scammers will feed you . . . they are injured and need help getting home because they are stuck in Dubai.  The military will always pay for any flight home, and injured soldiers would not be transported to Dubai and just left there.

Sample Secret Shopper Scam Email

Here is another sample of a Secret Shopper Scam email.  I do have to say, at least the grammar is better in this one than in the usual letters.

-----------------------

 Subject: Earn $200 Bonus For Each Assignment As A Secret Shopper This Christmas
From: noreply@aol.com

Reply To:

enjoytoshopp@aol.com

Hello,

We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers.

We all shop, and many of us enjoy shopping. But very rarely does opportunity present itself to do what we enjoy doing and getting paid for doing it. Imagine earning extra income just for going shopping and filling out a questionnaire!

Mystery shopping is basically a form of market research. You are asked to gather information, from a customer's perspective. Often times, this is done without the knowledge of the personnel where the shop is taking place. As a mystery shopper, you may therefore be asked to do some acting. This is not to deceive anyone but rather to assure that the information being gathered is representative.

The first thing to remember is that we are on the side of the client. You are not hired to catch anyone "in the act" or trap the employee. Rather, it is your job to answer specific questions in an unbiased and constructive way.

Confidentiality is also very important. In most cases, the establishment is not to know that a mystery shop is taking place. Additionally, the questionnaires may be protected by copyrights. Often, the employee evaluated will be informed of the results of your evaluation later and may even be allowed to read your comments. But this is for management to determine.

The information most often requested by management concerns employee to customer relations, employee performance, product quality or presentation of the establishment including cleanliness and convenience. This information helps management to identify areas of strength and weakness so they can take steps to correct the problem or potential problems before business is lost. The information can also allow management to monitor the success of a program designed to improve certain areas of concern. This can be a very advantageous tool to management in the extremely competitive business environment of today. Some companies will even inform employees that mystery shoppers will be visiting them but the employees will not know who or when the shop will take place. It may be considered a kind of report card and, as you can imagine, this can be a very effective motivational tool.

As a mystery shopper, you may receive assignments in a variety of establishments in your area. Most of them will be customer oriented retail establishments, which include chain stores, specialty stores and restaurants. Normally, it is the larger companies with many outlets and a central management office that use mystery shoppers. Statistics show that by far, the most important factor in competitiveness is customer service. Therefore, most of the information you will be asked to gather will concern customer service.

Obviously, mystery shoppers should appear to be a typical customer to the establishment. The mystery shoppers that consistently get new assignments, however, are those who are punctual and reliable. Mystery shopping companies want shoppers who also pay attention to detail and work well with others and have an appreciation of good service. You will be given specific questions to ask and perhaps specific products to shop for and/or purchase. You will be expected to promptly complete the questionnaire, neatly and concisely, and return it based on the instructions provided to you. Your job is not to be a problem shopper for the establishment but to gather specific and representative information.

Most of the time, the compensation for the assignment is established in advance and paid after the questionnaire is returned. As a mystery shopper, you are not an employee of the company that provides you an assignment--but rather an independent contractor. As such, there is no employee benefits and no taxes will be withheld from your pay. You are responsible for reporting your own income. However, you may want to consult your tax advisor as some tax breaks may apply.

EARNINGS
Pay can range from $200 to $300 per job assignment, with an average of $100 per assignment. Additionally there is a stipend for purchases. The number of assignments per day vary but if you are assertive in seeking work-and work for several mystery shopping companies-you could garner up to 20 assignments per month. While most mystery shoppers consider this a part time or "hobby" job, if you approach the work as a full-time job, you can earn $4,000 to $5,000 per month.


Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area.
No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it suits you. If you are interested do send in these information:

FULL NAME:........................
CONTACT ADDRESS..(PLS NO PO BOX ADDRESS)...................
CITY...............
STATE.............
ZIP CODE ................
TELEPHONE NUMBER:...................
MOBILE NUMBER:......................
OCCUPATION:........................
EMAIL:...........................

So we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address would also be need for your payments.
Great Pay** Fun Work** Flexible Schedules**No experience required.If you can shop-you are qualified!
No start off fees is required
Must be above 18years old
Must be computer literate
Must be very honest and committed
pls note that this is a part time job


David Scott
Thanks
Recruitment officer
Mystery Shoppers World

Payday Loan Scams

This information was posted on the FBI website.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. Callers claim the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services.

According to complaints received from the public, the callers have accurate data about victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and the names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. How the fraudsters obtained the personal information varies, but in some cases victims have reported they completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers have threatened victims with legal actions, arrests, and, in some cases, physical violence if they do not pay. In many cases, the callers harass victims’ relatives, friends, and employers.
Some fraudsters have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount, on a specific date, via a pre-paid Visa card. The statement further declares the victim will never dispute the debt.
If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller’s instructions. Rather, you should:

• Notify your banking institutions.
• Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
• Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
• File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.

Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:

• Never give your Social Security number—or personal information of any kind—over the telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
• Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
• Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
• Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
• Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
• When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements

Secret Shopper Scams

With how hard it is to find jobs in today's economy, and the holiday's coming up, Secret Shopper Scams and other work at home offers seem to lure in more people.  They seem like a way that people can provide some extra income, and who does not need that right now.  Here is an example of a Secret Shopper Scam email.

 Subject: Mystery Shopping (Shoppers Needed)..  From: beeguy1@aol.com

Reply To: evaluationteam50@rogers.com

We have a mystery shopping assignment.

Date:8th December,2010

Email:(evaluationteam50@rogers.com)

"We have a mystery shopping assignment in your area and we would like you to participate"

Secret Shopper(R) is accepting applications for qualified individuals to become mystery shoppers. It's fun and rewarding, and you choose when and where you want to shop. You are never obligated to accept an assignment.

There is no charge to become a shopper and you do not need previous

experience. After you sign up, you will have access to training materials via e-mail, fax or postal mail.

ABOUT US

Secret Shopper(R) is the premier mystery shopping company, serving clients across America with over 500,000 shoppers available and ready to help businesses better serve their customers. Continual investment in the latest internet and communication technologies coupled with over 16 years of know-how means working with Secret Shopper(R) is a satisfying and rewarding experience.

Secret shopping as seen on ABC NEWS, NBC NEWS, L.A.TIMES.

Stores and organizations such as The Gap, Walmart, Pizza Hut, and Bank. One  amongst many others pay for Secret Shoppers to shop in their establishments and report their experiences. On top of being paid for shopping you are also allowed to keep purchases for free. Secret Shopper(R) NEVER charge fees to the shopper. Training, tips for improvement, and shopping opportunities are provided free to registered shoppers. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular shop, a reimbursement for a purchase or a combination of both.

You will be required to interact with the shop clerk.

You may conduct the shop alone or as a couple.

The assignment will pay $200.00/ Assignment

Kindly Fill Out the application form below and we will get back to you

shortly with the assignment to this email (evaluationteam50@rogers.com):

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

First Name:

Last Name:

Street Address:

City, State, Zip Code:

Cell Phone Number:

Home Phone Number:

AVAILABILITY:

Days/Hours Available

Monday  .............................................

Tuesday .............................................

Wednesday .............................................

Thursday  .............................................

Friday .............................................

Saturday .............................................

Sunday .............................................

Hours Available: from _______ to ______

We await your urgent response.

Thank you for your help.

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Frank James

Secret Shopper(R)

Investment Fraud

There was some news from the FBI this week about Investment Fraud.

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the results of Operation Broken Trust, a nationwide operation organized by the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to target investment fraud. To date, the operation has involved enforcement actions against 343 criminal defendants and 189 civil defendants for fraud schemes that harmed more than 120,000 victims throughout the country. The operation’s criminal cases involved more than $8.3 billion in estimated losses and the civil cases involved estimated losses of more than $2.1 billion. Operation Broken Trust is the first national operation of its kind to target a broad array of investment fraud schemes that directly prey upon the investing public.

In announcing the results of Operation Broken Trust, Attorney General Holder was joined by FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director of Enforcement Robert Khuzami, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell, Deputy Chief Rick Raven of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Acting Director of Enforcement Vince McGonagle of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and other members of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.

The interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force was established by President Obama to lead an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. Starting on Aug. 16, 2010, within a three-and-a-half month period, Operation Broken Trust involved 231 criminal cases and 60 civil enforcement actions. Eighty-seven defendants have been sentenced to prison, including several sentences of more than 20 years in prison.

“With this operation, the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force is sending a strong message,” said Attorney General Holder.  To the public: be alert for these frauds, take appropriate measures to protect yourself, and report such schemes to proper authorities when they occur. And to anyone operating or attempting to operate an investment scam: cheating investors out of their earnings and savings is no longer a safe business plan—we will use every tool at our disposal to find you, to stop you, and to bring you to justice.”

“This operation highlights the scope of this problem, and its impact on individuals from all walks of life,” said FBI Executive Assistant Director Henry. “This one sweep alone involves fraud schemes that harmed more than 120,000 victims. The schemes may change, but the underlying greed does not. Working with our partners, we in the FBI will use all the investigative techniques in our arsenal, including undercover operations, to bring those responsible to justice.”

“Fraud by well-known companies or high-profile executives gets the biggest headlines, but other scams are equally devastating to hard working families and retirees,” said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “Victims want justice and don’t much care who the fraudster is or how unique the fraud.  Today’s actions underscore that law enforcement agrees and will pursue fraud in whatever form.”
Enforcement actions taken as a result of Operation Broken Trust involve a range of different investment fraud schemes, all of which prey directly on the investing public. The operators of these schemes often promise high returns to investors, but engage in little to no legitimate investment activity. Such schemes include Ponzi schemes, affinity fraud, prime bank/high-yield investment scams, foreign exchange (FOREX) frauds, business opportunity fraud, and other similar schemes. In some instances, operators of these schemes filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to avoid claims by victim-investors.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting postal customers from these types of investment and Ponzi scams and bringing those responsible to justice,” said USPIS Chief Postal Inspector Cottrell. “The Postal Inspection Service constantly strives to protect our customers and the general public from falling victim to these scams that claim millions of dollars every year.”

“The results announced today demonstrate the effectiveness of federal civil and criminal law enforcement in bringing to justice those who have engaged in financial fraud schemes,” said Acting Director McGonagle of the Division of Enforcement for CFTC. “The CFTC continues to devote substantial enforcement resources to combat financial fraud. We appreciate the partnership with the other members of the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to protect the public from financial fraudsters.”

“Securities and investment frauds are serious offenses which have brought financial ruin to many citizens. Promoters of Ponzi schemes prey upon trusting investors and then steal their hard earned money,” said Rick Raven, Deputy Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to bring our forensic accounting skills to this joint venture with our law enforcement partners to put a stop to this and other types of white collar fraud.”

Operation Broken Trust was conducted in conjunction with various Department of Justice components—including the U.S. Attorney Offices, the FBI, the Criminal and Civil Divisions and the U.S. Trustee Program—as well as the SEC, USPIS, the CFTC, IRS-CI, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Secret Service, and the National Association of Attorneys General.

As a part of Operation Broken Trust, the task force is making the public aware of resources available to protect against these types of fraud and how to report fraud when it occurs. To learn more about investment scams, how to take steps to protect yourself from scams, or how to report investment fraud if you believe you have been victimized, go to StopFraud.gov. The website includes links to a wide array of task force member resources.

The President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit StopFraud.gov.

Pot Calling the Kettle Black

As I opened my email this morning, the news items opened up and I had to take a second look at the title of this article . . . Nigeria Charges Dick Cheney in Corruption Case Stemming From Halliburton Bid.  My first thought was this is like the pot calling the kettle black!

In the article it states

An anti-corruption unit in Nigeria has charged former Vice President Dick Cheney in an alleged bribery scheme dating back to his days as CEO of Halliburton, the huge oil services company.

Halliburton and other firms are accused of paying as much as $180 million in bribes to win a contract to build a $6 billion liquefied natural gas plant in the African country's southern delta, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Okay . . . $6 billion is a LOT of money, but depending on which agency or report you look at, that is just a drop in the bucket to the amount lost by people to the scams and fraud coming out of Nigeria.  There are some reports that would show that $6 billion is not even one full year's work for Nigerian scammers.  Add to that the fact that many people do not report scams out of shame, and the true dollar amount just keeps getting higher and higher.

Back to the article . . . it goes on to say

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission pointed specifically at a former Halliburton subsidiary, Houston-based KBR, which pleaded guilty last year in U.S. federal court to authorizing and paying bribes in Nigeria for plant contracts between 1995 and 2004.

If you go to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's website you will see on the About EFCC page this information . . .

 The preponderance of economic and financial crimes like Advance Fee Fraud (419), Money Laundering, etc has had severe negative consequences on Nigeria, including decreased Foreign Direct Investments in the country and tainting of Nigeria's national image. The menace of these crimes and the recognition of the magnitude and gravity of the situation led to the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The legal instrument backing the Commission is the attached EFCC (Establishment) Act 2002 and the Commission has high-Ievel support from the Presidency, the Legislature and key security and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.

My words to the EFCC . . . how about you go and clean up the crime, corruption and fraud in your own backyard before you start pointing fingers at others.  You have an office in Lagos, Nigeria which is the scam and fraud capital of the world.  How about making a REAL difference by shutting down the scam and fraud rings, and locking up the people running them so that they cannot just go out and open up a new location.

  

Sample scam email

Here is an email that showed up in my inbox.  I am posting this as an example of a scam email.

---------------

 Subject: CONTACT SKYE BANK NIG., PLC WITH YOUR NEW PAYMENT CODE.(SBN/0098).  From: internetwatch@monitoringunit.org

Reply To:

internetwatch@fedinfodept.org

Attn:

The Skye Bank Nigeria Plc informed us the FBI, that they are through withthe first (1st) quarter transfer to beneficiaries, and that they are ready to start with the (2nd) quarter transfer to beneficiaries where your payment file belongs to now.

And since they are in the second quarter of fund released to beneficiaries, the bank states that the old payment code: to your inheritance contract funds has been changed and that the new payment code: to your contract funds will be (SBN/0098), take note of the new payment code: (SBN/0098), any e-mail you receive henceforth that does not have your payment code: (SBN/0098). Should be disregarded immediately and forwarded to us for immediate investigation.  Warning: Note that you are advised not to disclose the said inheritance contract funds with anyone until your said contract funds has been fully released to you, and ensure that you contact the bank (skyeban-knigplc09@live.com) with your payment code: (SBN/0098).

Immediately you receive this e-mail from us. Any e-mail that you receive stating that your inheritance contract fund is ready without the new payment code, should be disregarded immediately. CONTACT THE BANK AT THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS: (skyeban-knigplc09@live.comn) IMMEDIATELY.

Thank You And Have A Nice Day.

In God We Trust.

Robert S. Mueller III
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001, USA.

Fraudulent Notifications

From the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

The IC3 continues to receive reports of letters and emails being distributed pursuant to prize sweepstakes or lottery schemes. These schemes use counterfeit checks that bear legitimate-looking logos of various financial institutions to fool victims into sending money to the fraudsters.

Fraudsters tell victims they won a sweepstakes or lottery, but to receive a lump sum payout, they must pay the taxes and processing fees upfront. Fraudsters direct individuals to call a telephone number to initiate a letter of instructions. The letter alleges that the victim may elect to take an advance on the winnings to make the required upfront payment. The letter includes a check in the amount of the alleged taxes and fees, along with processing instructions. Ultimately, victims believe they are using the advance to make the required upfront payment, but in reality they are falling prey to the scheme.

The victim deposits the check into their own bank, which credits the account for the amount of the check before the check clears. The victim immediately withdraws the money and wires it to the fraudsters. Afterwards, the check proves to be counterfeit and the bank pulls the respective funds from the victim's account, leaving the victim liable for the amount of the counterfeit check plus any additional fees the bank may charge.

Persons may fall victim to this scheme due to the allure of easy money and the apparent legitimacy of the check the fraudsters include in the letter of instruction. The alleged cash prizes and locations of the financial institutions vary.

Tips to avoid being scammed:

• A federal statute prohibits mailing lottery tickets, advertisements, or payments to purchase tickets in a foreign lottery.

• Be leery if you do not remember entering a lottery or sweepstakes.

• Beware of lotteries or sweepstakes that charge a fee prior to delivering your prize.

• Be wary of demands to send additional money as a requirement to be eligible for future winnings.

If you have been a victim of this type of scam or any other cyber crime, you can report it to the IC3 at: www.IC3.gov. The IC3 complaint database links complaints for potential referral to law enforcement for case consideration. Complaint information is also used to identify emerging trends and patterns to alert the public to new criminal schemes.

Holiday Tips

Here are some tips from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) email.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited email.
• Be cautious of email claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in email messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the email with the link to which you are directed and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
• Log directly onto the official web site for the business identified in the email, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited email. If the email appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the email to verify if the email is genuine.
• If you are asked to act quickly, or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
• Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information.
• Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Secret Santa Fundraiser

Make Christmas special for a young child this year . . . be a Secret Santa!

Secret Santa Fundraiser


We were hit with our Counterfeit Cashier's Check Scam just before the holidays in 2002, and for a while we did not know where we were going to find the money to provide a magical Christmas for our then 2 and 9 year old children. Because of that, we created the Secret Santa Program, which allows you to donate money or gifts for a family who has recently been impacted by scams, and have young children.

We have made it easy for you to help out with this.  There are several ways you can donate
On Facebook, we have a Cause Page
Or go to our Donations Page to donate by PayPal
Or use our new GiveMN Fundraiser Page

Take a minute to remember others

With Thanksgiving over, and the Christmas shopping season in full swing we at Scam Victims United are asking you to remember others this year.  You can do this by sponsoring a family who has recently been hit with a counterfeit cashier's check scam, and make sure that the young children in that family still wake up with gifts under the tree.  We call this our Secret Santa Program, and if you are interested in being a part of it please contact Shawn. 

You can also help out by supporting Scam Victims United with a donation as small as the cost of a cup of coffee. 

Holidays ~ Fraudulent Classified Ads and Auction Sales

It seems like every year at the holidays the amount of crime goes up, and that is the same in the world of internet crime.  The Internet Crime Complaint Center put out a warning about some things to be on the look out for, and I am going to share one with you each day.

Fraudulent Classified Ads and Auction Sales

If you are one of those people who cannot stand the crouds at the malls and want to do all of your holiday shopping online, you need to watch out for fraudulent classifed ads and auction sales. 

Here is the advice that the IC3 offers

Internet criminals post classified ads and auctions for products they do not have, and make the scam work by using stolen credit cards. Fraudsters receive an order from a victim, charge the victim's credit card for the amount of the order, then use a separate, stolen credit card for the actual purchase. They pocket the purchase price obtained from the victim's credit card and have the merchant ship the item directly to the victim. Consequently, an item purchased from an online auction but received directly from the merchant is a strong indication of fraud. Victims of such a scam not only lose the money paid to the fraudster, but may be liable for receiving stolen goods.

Shoppers may help avoid these scams by using caution and not providing financial information directly to the seller, as fraudulent sellers will use this information to purchase items for their schemes. Always use a legitimate payment service to ensure a safe, legitimate purchase.

As for product delivery, fraudsters posing as legitimate delivery services offer reduced or free shipping to customers through auction sites. They perpetuate this scam by providing fake shipping labels to the victim. The fraudsters do not pay for delivery of the packages; therefore, delivery service providers intercept the packages for nonpayment and the victim loses the money paid for the purchase of the product.

Diligently check each seller's rating and feedback along with their number of sales and the dates on which feedback was posted. Be wary of a seller with 100% positive feedback, with a low total number of feedback postings, or with all feedback posted around the same date and time.

Congratulations IC3!

On November 9th, 2010 the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) logged it's 2 millionth customer!  This is an amazing number, especially when you consider that not all scams and fraud are even reported.

This is a good thing, since it means that people are reporting the scams, which will give the FBI, National While Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (the agencies that partnered together to form the IC3) more information to try and go after these people and help warn people about these scams.

The IC3 receives, develops, and refers cyber crime complaints to local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies. The IC3 gives cyber crime victims a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations.

Since its inception, the IC3 has referred 757,016 criminal complaints to law enforcement around the globe. The majority of referrals involved fraud in which the complainant incurred a financial loss. The total reported loss from these referrals is approximately $1.7 billion, with a median reported loss of more than $500 per complaint.*

Frustration, confusion, anger . . . the feelings of a scam victim

I just finished answering an email to a scam victim, and we were talking about the different feelings and emotions that come over a person who is a scam victim.  I wanted to share my email to that victim with you.  I don't really need to know the background on their story to understand my response to them.

I can relate to your frustration . . . I have been there!  Eight years ago at this time we were fighting our battle, and every time that I read the story of another person becoming a victim I am taken right back to the place I was when I found out that we lost thousands of dollars to this scam.  It puts you on an emotional roller coaster that you did not ask to get on . . . you were just thrown onto it. 

 At the time, I did not want to hear anyone tell me that our case would not be investigated and that the criminal would not be caught.  That is part of the reason that I started our website . . . I needed to shout our story out to the world.  I needed to feel like someone heard me.  Then, as the years passed I started to learn how things work . . . the big picture . . . and it really disgusted me that so many saw this as the victim's problem.  WHY!?!?!  If someone would have broken into my house with a gun, would it still have been my problem and not a legal problem?  If I went to the bank and was told that a loan would have a certain interest rate, and I later found out that it actually had another would that be my problem?  So why is it that the bank can tell me one thing (the check is good) but when it comes back that it is counterfeit THAT is my problem and not an error that THEY need to resolve?

 I have been in the place where I feel like I am going crazy over this topic too.  Maybe that is why I felt like our website needed to have a message board also, so that people can share their stories and we can all help each other heal.  Yes, we have to move on, but I feel that being a scam victim changes us so that we move on but it is always a part of us, and those of us that feel the need to help others have to share our story in order to warn others.

 It is the emails from people like you that remind me why we did what we did . . . creating the website, telling our story, trying to bring awareness and attention to these scams.  I think that we have made some progress over the years, but there is still so much that needs to be done.  

If you agree with us that more needs to be done to raise awareness about scams and fraud, I encourage you to contact your law makers and ask them to create laws that will protect people from these scams.  Make the banks liable when they tell the banking customer that the checks are good, clear or verified.  Not only can you write your own letter, you can sign our petition . . . make YOUR voice heard!

Massive Make-a-Wish Phone Scam Stealing Millions From American Elderly

From our friends at ScamNot.org

(This is from the Federal Citizen Information Center and is an article done by 20/20)

A massive phone scam exploiting the good name of the Make-A-Wish Foundation has siphoned more than $20 million from unsuspecting Americans and has been escalating in recent months. Authorities say it is fast becoming one of the ugliest telemarketing schemes to target the elderly in years.

Swindlers pretending to be calling from such government agencies as the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Trade Commission have put a new twist on an old con. They are hiding offshore, thousands of miles away, but they're using internet phone technology to disguise their location. Victims see a 202 area code on their phones when the calls come in, and dial seemingly authentic U.S. phone numbers to call the scammers back. "Unlike the standard telemarketing frauds . these weren't people hiding behind a phone number you couldn't call -- a voice you couldn't recreate. These were people who left telephone numbers and would talk to you," said the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who became alarmed when they started hearing from multiple victims a week about the fraudulent calls.

One team of con artists spoke with a senior citizen who fell for their scam, the owner of a Virginia modeling studio. They called her almost every day for more than a month. Eventually, they had persuaded her to send more than $300,000 through Western Union and Moneygram in what she thought were luxury taxes and insurance fees on the $1.1 million prize they promised would be arriving any day.

"She said, we've been trying to reach you.' Very, very warm. Very kind. 'There is money here for you . it is sitting here on my desk. And I am just determined this money is yours. And I just want to help you get it,'" victim recalled.

During a six-month investigation, ABC News obtained never-before published recordings of the phone calls and tracked down two fugitives who have been hiding in Costa Rica. The two men have been indicted in the scheme but avoided extradition because they also held Costa Rican citizenship.

The scammers allegedly set up dozens of boiler rooms so scammers could call into U.S. homes claiming to be awarding sweepstakes winnings from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The scammers made their money by convincing the victims to pay "luxury taxes" or "insurance" in advance on winnings they will never receive.

Boiler Room Raid

Federal prosecutors have alleged that the scammers reaped millions installing internet phone lines in the illegal call centers.

Federal officials thought they had extinguished the scam in 2006 when they conducted a dramatic raid on 16 boiler rooms in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose.

But U.S. authorities have marveled at the scale of the scam that has regenerated - believed to be the product of the Costa Rican citizens who remained free after the 2006 raid. And they say the potency of the swindle remains breathtaking. One early victim in Florida wired more than $800,000 to Costa Rica on the promise of a million-dollar sweepstakes check that would never arrive.

But among those most alarmed have been the officials who lead the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which relies on the trust of the public for its funding. Earlier this year, the non profit organization posted a fraud alert on its website.

"These people around hiding offshore -- willingly destroying people's lives by taking every nickel they can suck out of them. And they're using the good name of the Make-A-Wish Foundation to do it.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have set up a hotline for victims to call to report having been ripped off. It is 1-866-DHS-2ICE. The Federal Trade Commission has posted information about the scams and advice for victims on two special web pages here and here and has also been compiling a list of complaints for law enforcement agencies to pursue.

To read the complete story and hear the taped recordings click here

Scam Targeted Holocaust Survivors’ Fund

The title of this story sucked me in . . . Scam Targeted Holocaust Survivors’ Fund
I found this on the FBI site.  Here is the story in full.


For nearly six decades, a not-for-profit corporation known as The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany—or the Claims Conference—has been overseeing German government funds that assist Holocaust survivors.
So you can imagine our surprise and concern when we uncovered evidence that it had been the victim of fraud.
This afternoon at a New York City press conference, we announced that six corrupt Claims Conference employees in its Manhattan office—along with 11 other conspirators—have been charged in a decade-long scheme to defraud the organization and legitimate Holocaust victims out of more than $42 million.
The Claims Conference supervises several funds and processes thousands of applications a year. The two funds allegedly targeted for fraud were:

• The Article 2 Fund, which makes monthly payments of $411 to survivors of Nazi persecution who make less than $16,000 a year and who either lived in hiding or a Jewish ghetto for 18 months or were incarcerated for at least six months in a concentration or forced labor camp; and
• The Hardship Fund, which makes a one-time payment of approximately $3,600 to survivors forced to evacuate their hometowns and become refugees.

Applications by persons living in the U.S. are made to the Claims Conference’s office in Manhattan, usually by mail. The applicants provide identification documents, along with information about their family and experiences escaping Nazi persecution. Caseworkers with the Claims Conference verify an applicant’s history, often by checking external databases and archives, and sometimes through a personal interview. If approved for payment, a check is mailed to the applicant or electronically deposited into a bank account.

	Processing fingerprints during this morning’s arrests.

Claims Conference officials became suspicious of possible fraudulent activity within their organization in December 2009 and immediately contacted law enforcement. Our New York office began an investigation, with the full cooperation of the Claims Conference.
According to the criminal complaint filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, here’s how the scheme generally worked:

• Driven by crooked Claims Conference employees, former employees and other conspirators would recruit people—some unwitting—who weren’t eligible for the program (mostly individuals of the Jewish faith in the Russian immigrant community) to take part in the fraud.
• To make it appear that applicants were eligible, identification documents were often altered (for example, a birth date was changed to make it appear that applicants were born during or before World War II) and fake Nazi persecution stories were often made up.
• Fraudulent applications were reviewed and approved by corrupt Claims Conference employees.
• Once the applicants received their money, they kept a portion but were instructed to pay certain “fees” using the rest—which of course ended up in the pockets of the conspirators. These “fees” were usually paid in the form of cash or money order.

Among those charged in the scheme are the former director of the Article 2 and Hardship Funds, other past and present Claims Conference employees, two law firm employees, a notary/document forger, and several other middlemen.
New York Assistant Director in Charge Janice Fedarcyk said that the victims of this scheme were “those who had already suffered at the hands of Nazi persecution only to have their experiences exploited again—this brazen miscarriage of the compensation program is, in its own way, a kind of crime against humanity.”

LoveFraud ~ Raising Awareness

I wanted to share something from the Love Fraud blog with all of you . . .

I believe that raising awareness of sociopaths is one of the best things we can do to improve our world. Sociopaths are probably responsible for most of the ills in our society: crime, violence, neglect, abuse. Sociopaths with political power start wars. Sociopaths with economic power exploit workers, defile the environment, ruin companies and defraud customers and shareholders. Sociopathic parents cause untold pain for their children. Sociopaths who portray themselves as religious leaders cause incredible spiritual damage. The ways in which they wreak havoc appear to be limitless.

I agree with Donna, of LoveFraud.com

She is asking for people to take things to the next level, and she outlines her ideas and goals in a recent blog post.  Just like her, we at ScamVictimsUnited.com are looking to make a change.  We have a petition where we are asking law makers to do the right thing and change the laws to protect consumers.

Internet Dating

Dating is hard . . . now add the internet to that and you can really complicate things. It is much easier for people to not be totally honest about who they are when they are just contacting you over the internet.

This is why you need to be very careful as to who you give your heart to, especially when it comes to the internet.

Here are a couple of sites that talk more about Internet Dating and Romance Scams.
http://alanprince.wordpress.com/
http://datescam.co.uk/frauduk/

Take this quiz!

Check out your scam IQ with this quiz from the United States Postal Inspectors site at http://www.deliveringtrust.com/index.php

You can also learn more about common scams, and look at the top 10 ways to prevent fraud.

BP oil spill scam email

With every disaster, there is a new scam email to go along with it.  I was surprised when I did not see one just after the big BP oil spill, but I finally had the email show up in my inbox.  Here it is.

 

RE: BP Oil Spill Compensational Fund Promotions


British Petrochemical (BP) p.l.c.
International Headquarters
1 St James's Square
London, SW1Y 4PD
UK


Reference Number: 25512560/30

BP is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. With 104,000 employees in more than 110 countries, we play a key role in helping to meet the world’s growing demand for energy in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways. You must have seen and read in the media about the devastating oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, we like to state emphatically, that BP is doing everything we can to make things right. We feel a great burden and responsibility for the oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, Our core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people have formed the basis of our General Business Principles for 30 years and remain as important as ever. We are convinced that our short- and long-term business success depends on finding environmentally and socially responsible ways to help meet the world’s future energy needs.

To show our love and regard for the inhabitants of this beautiful word that gives us the mineral resources in which our organization derives its great financial capital base, the Department of International Awareness/Promotions of BP is giving away £450,000.00 GBP as a commiserative compensational fund to the lucky winner in or promotional exercise. In line with that, we in the Department of International Awareness/Promotions wish to congratulate you on the selection of your email id from our computerized balloting system as the lucky winner in our Oil Spill Compensational Fund Promotions.

This makes you the proud winner of cash prize of £450,000.00 GBPs (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds). In order to redeem your prize, send the below listed details to the given email address: bp_p.l.c@w.cn


1.) Full Name:
2.) Current Address:
3.) Country:
4.) Age:
5.) Sex:
6.) Occupation:
7.) Phone Number:
8.) Reference Number: 25512560/30


Your email will be attended to by Mr. David Anderson, who is Head of International Awareness/Promotions Department in our London Head Office. Once again you are reminded to send the requested details to us for acknowledgment, through the given email address: bp_p.l.c@w.cn or just simply click reply to and proceed in the sending of the above requested details.


Once Again Congratulations!!


London Head Office
British Petrochemical (BP) p.l.c.
Summed up by two words 'beyond petroleum'

Foreclosure Rap

I found this on another blog and had to share it with all of you.

Sample scam emails

They never stop coming into our inbox, so as long as we get them, we will continue to share them so that others will know how to spot a scam email. Here is one that was in my inbox today.


Hello my friend.

It is understandable that you might be a bit apprehensive because you do not know, but I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I got your reference in my search for someone who suits my proposed business relationship.

I am Mr P. Lee of South Korea, happily married with children, and I am Director of Hang Seng Bank Ltd., in charge of the International Remittance Department. I have a confidential business proposal for you. I need you to assist me in implementing a business project from Hong Kong to your country. It is the transfer of large sums of money. Everything about this transaction shall be legally done without hitch. Please try to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue.

After funds have been successfully transferred into your account, we will share in proportion to both of us agreed. I prefer you to me on my private e-mail address (peterleejp@aol.com) and then after that I will give you more information about this operation. If you're interested, send me the following urgently:

1st Names and surnames
2nd Occupation
3rd Private phone number
4th Current contact address

Please, if you do not want to delete this e-mail and do not hunt, because I am putting my career and life of my family at stake with this venture. Although nothing ventured nothing gained.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Mr.Pt. Lee
Hang Seng Bank Limited
Hong Kong. () Asian
E-mail: - peterleejp@aol.com

Mr Pavarotti

I was contacted by the someone who operates another scam fighting site that they have gotten several reports of victims who have lost money to an inheritance scam from someone using the name Mr. Pavarotti.

Here are the two emails addresses connected with these emails

billkennedy.judy@yahoo.co.uk

michaelharryx@gmail.com

Remember, the name and email addresses alone cannot fully warn you if the person YOU are dealing with is a scammer or not.  The scammers change their names and email addresses often.  If their offer involves sending a cashier's check to you, you cashing or depositing it, and then wire any portion of that money back to them or on to someone else then it is a scam.

Back from my "happy place"

I just got back last night from the happiest place in the world . . . Walt Disney World! My entire family had a wonderful time, and some of us did not want to leave, but we know that we will see Mickey and the gang again some day.

Thank you to all of my guest bloggers for providing great items while I was gone.

So now it is time to get back into the groove, and start dreaming of the next vacation.

RFID ~ protect your data

I have the pleasure of calling fellow scam fighter Denise Richardson my friend, and she introduced me to a product that can help protect everyone, and I had to share it with you.

First off, do you know what a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag is?  A RFID tag holds your name, credit card number and anything else that your bank or credit card company decides to embed on it.

Now this is where I say "Why don't these people use their minds for good instead of evil" . . . I say this because there are also Radio Frequency Readers and Remote Frequency Readers that allow you to read, or skim, the information off of someone else's RFID tags without ever touching the card that those tags are embedded on!  Yes, someone actually went out and created a hand held device that you can use to collect the credit card information of other people . . . people sitting next to you on the bus, or walking down the street.

So, how do the REST of us protect ourselves from those that are using their minds for evil instead of good, or those that have purchased the products that these evil thinkers have created?  There are companies like Kena Kai and Magellan's that have wallets that actually block RFID reading products.  See . . . now THAT is someone using their minds for GOOD and not evil!

How did I find out about these wallets?  From Denise Richardson of GiveMeBackMyCredit.com  If you would like to read what Denise has to say about these products you can read her blog on the topic.

Lottery Scams on TLC

Tomorrow night, October 21st, TLC will be airing a special episode of The Lottery Changed My Life, which will be talking about lottery scams.

Thank you TLC for bringing attention to this issue.

Wire Transers

A recent article about scams and wire transfers caught my eye the other day.  Here are time facts from the article . . .

Rules governing wire transfers place a larger burden on account holders than laws on credit cards or debit card . . . . {the} bank says {the victim} may not have met required security requirements on his computer system — even though he has secured wireless, firewalls, anti-virus software and other protection — and so, the bank may not be liable to pay him back.

I get really frustrated when I see things like this.  Why is it that the banks can sit back and do nothing, and put all of the blame on the customer!?!?!  When do the banks have to stand up and say "There are things we could have done to stop this, so we are liable also."

Eight years . . .

Eight years ago this month my husband and I became victims of a counterfeit cashier's check scam when our bank told us that a cashier's check we received was good, clear, verified and that we would have no problems with it.  Off of that information, we went forward with a transaction.  One week later the bank contacted us to let us know that the check was counterfeit, and that WE were 100% liable for the money . . . even though they had told us it was good, clear and verified. 

It was this situation that brought us to create the website ScamVictimsUnited.com, where we warn people about scams, offer resources and advice, and allow people to talk with other victims on our message board.  In the first two years of our site being operational we helped stop over $2 million dollars from going into scams.

Now, you would think that eight years later things would have changed.  Some things have, but even today we see victims coming to our site who brought these checks to the bank and were told that they were good, clear or verified . . . sometimes by more than one bank employee . . . so the exact same situation that happened to us eight years ago is still happening to people today.

Until laws can be changed to hold the banks accountable for telling the customers that these checks are good, clear and verified and then later hold the bank customer liable when it comes back that they are NOT a true check, education is the best way we have to fight these scams.  

What can you do?  

Write to your law makers and tell them that you want to see banks held liable for releasing funds on checks that they have told customers are good, clear or verified, and then later reversed those words to hold the customer liable.  

Sign our petition to ask for stronger consumer protection laws.  If the banks are liable for the money lost, and not the customer, then they will change their practices and make SURE that every penny is accounted for before they release the money to the customer.

Contact your bank and ask them if you brought in a cashier's check for $4000, how long would it take to know you could use the money, with no worries about the check.  If their answer included terms like "clear", "good" or "verified' you may want to read the information we have on what these terms really mean, and then armed with that information you may want to speak to the bank manager about better education on counterfeit checks for his staff, or go and find a bank that already does understand these items and can therefore better protect you and your money.

LoveFraud ~ Should I warn the next victim?

The website LoveFraud is a site dedicated to helping those that have fallen in love with a con-man.  The owner of the site, Donna Andersen, knows this situation because she lived it.

When asked about warning the con-man's next victim, Donna gives some great advice.  Make sure to be safe, think about your emotional state, and how the victim's reaction may affect you.  She talks about all of these items in more depth on her site.

I’ve heard of cases where the victim was grateful for the warning and got out. I’ve heard of cases where the next victim has refused to listen and stayed with the sociopath. And I’ve heard of cases where the victim stayed for awhile, then started to see the bad behavior, remembered the warning, and got out.

I know that since I’ve posted the information about my ex-husband, James Montgomery, online, at least seven women have contacted me to thank me for the warning. They Googled his name, found Lovefraud, and dumped him. I don’t know how many may have dumped him without telling me. This makes me feel good.         ~ Donna Anderson

National Center for Victims Of Crime

The National Center for Victims Of Crime ((NCVC) will hold it's annual conference from June 20-22, 2011 in Washington, DC

They are currently looking for presenters for the conference.  I presented at a workshop at the 2007 conference.  If you are interested n submitting a proposal it must be in by December 6, 2010.  Go to the NCVC's website to download the application. 

Conferences like these are a wonderful way to let others know about the work you are doing, and network with other groups so that you can reach even more people.

Publishers Clearing House Scam

Who doesn't want to win the lottery or a sweepstakes?  I think we have all had that "dream" at one time or another.  What would we do?  How would we spend the money?  This is why so many people want to believe that there is a chance that they really DID win when they are contacted by scammers pretending to be with The Publisher Clearing House or other sweepstakes.

The scammers do not just send emails any more.  Some are calling their intended victims directly.  This is why it is important to protect information like your address and phone number.  Do not post this information on blogs or open message boards.

Things that are still the same with this scam is that they will ask you to wire money to them, for legal fees or other reasons.  Remember, if the lottery or sweepstakes is legitimate, they could deduct those fees from your winnings without you having to wire them anything.

Doing a Google search on any information that you have on the "sweepstakes representative" that contacts you is one way to try and check things out.  Often the phone number that the call came from will be from another country, which is a dead giveaway that this is a scam.

Date Scam

I would like to introduce you to another scam fighting site, DateScam.co.uk, and probably the best way to do so is to share the story from their About Us page.


As an "almost" victim of an online dating scam, TWICE, I came across so many difficulties trying to find the information and resources to deal with this. There is a lot of information out there that gives advice on how to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a scam and how to spot a potential scam etc etc.

There is information about what to do in the event that you have been scammed. But dating scams are a VERY PERSONAL ISSUE, and one that many people may feel too embarrassed to talk about, even to their family and friends.
Many of the "scam/fraud information sites" are American and you only find out when you have spent ages reading through the "blurb" that they are of no use to you.

Many sites charge ASTRONOMICAL FEES to do background checks on people. You can do this yourself to a point, if you HAVE THE TIME and know where to look! But how can you check on someone using a false name, or address, or phone number?

The process is such a long winded one , and unless you are committed to spending the time researching, the chances are that you will give up!

I tried a variety of tactics using google and Bing etc. I typed in dating scam, Internet dating scam, online dating scams, how do I know if I've been scammed? and combinations of all of those. I got really confused and spent hours trawling online scam sites. With all of these difficulties there wasn't really on particular site that could give me the answers I needed.

So this website has been created to give support and help to those who have found themselves at the hands of a dating scammer, and to remove endless hours hitting your head against a brick wall.

There are currently 4 researchers who work at DateScam.co.uk, and they have ALL been victims of online dating scams at one time or another and they want to help to stamp out the online dating scam, or at least make a dent in it.

Email scams

You might ask, why do I post so many emails that I get that I know are scams? Because I think that they are a great example of scam emails and that the best way to teach people how to spot them is to show them the emails.

Subject: PLEASE DO REPLY..
From: williamlwcheung@fastwebmail.it
Reply To: jpwilliamcheung@yahoo.cn


Good Day To You My Friend.

It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me but I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I got your reference in my search for someone who suits my proposed business relationship.

I am Mr. William Leung Wing Cheung a South Korean, happily married with children; i work as an Executive Director of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Head of Personal Banking. I have a confidential business suggestion for you. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from Hong Kong to your country. It involves the transfer of a large sum of money. Everything concerning this transaction shall be legally done without hitch. Please endeavour to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue.

Once the funds have been successfully transferred into your account, we shall share in the ratio to be agreed by both of us. I will prefer you reach me on my private email address below (jpwilliamcheung@yahoo.cn) and finally after that I shall furnish you with more information's about this operation. Should you be interested, please forward the following to me urgently:

1. Full names
2. Occupation
3. Private phone number
4. Current contact address

Please if you are not interested delete this email and do not hunt me because I am putting my career and the life of my family at stake with this venture. Although nothing ventured is nothing gained.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Mr William Leung Wing Cheung.JP
Hang Seng Bank Limited
Hong Kong. {Asia}
Email: - jpwilliamcheung@yahoo.cn

Scammers pretending to be US Soldiers

I just got done reading an article about the increase of scams in which the scammers are pretending to be a US Soldier. Why do these scams continue to work so well? These scams play on the victims emotions.

As far as we look back at history, we can find stories of letters being sent from soldiers going to fight for their country or a cause back to someone that they care for. With the age of the internet, these letters are sent via email instead of traditional methods. Through these letters people feel connected and share stories, and the start to build trust and sometimes even deeper feelings for the other person. Now, add to this that many people want to do the right thing to help out a soldier who is fighting for our country and you add even more emotion to this stories and THAT is why they work so well.

This article does state that

The Army has received complaints from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Great Britain and elsewhere, with victims reporting losses from a few thousand dollars to $28,000 in one case, Grey said. The stolen identities have primarily come from soldiers and Marines, who have been deployed in the greatest numbers.

In response, the U.S. government has issued warnings, with its embassy in London going so far as to post online examples of fraudulent military papers used in scams.

The US Army released a warning about these internet scams which includes some red flags and warning signs to look for.  At Scam Victims United, we would recommend that you do not send money to anyone that you do not know personally.  If the first time that you came in contact with this person is via the internet, even if you have been speaking for months, remember that you do not really KNOW this person . . . you have no way of knowing who is really on the other end of the computer screen.

Another sample letter

Subject: Attention
From: FredAex@mail.com

Here is another sample of a scam email.

--------------------------------

Attention Sir/Madam,

Are you tired of seeking loans and mortgages from banks? Have you been turned
down constantly by your banks and other financial institutions due to bad credit? Are you about loosing your home due to financial constraints?Do you want to purchase a house of your choice but no finance?

The good news here is that we are now offering private loans, both secured and unsecured
loans of any amount.We offer all kinds of loans, We are certified, trust worthy, reliable,
efficient and dynamic. Unlike other investment companies, we offer our well deserved services for the least possible interest rate (3%) Our rates can be charged per annum and commences after an agreed fixed period which will be calculated as Such.
We seek interested individuals, corporations and companies who intend to utilize our service to signify their interest, kindly get back at us via email (FredAex@mail.com)

Fill this loan application form bellow if interested

1. Full Names:.........................
2. Full Contact Address:...............
3. Country of Residence:...............
4. Telephone/Mobile:...................
5. Age and Sex:........................
6. Occupation:.........................
7. Annual Income:......................
8. Amount needed as loan:..............
9. Loan Duration:......................
10. Purpose of Loan:...................

Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Fred Alex(Director)
Fred Alex Finance company.