reBlog from givemebackmycredit.com: Cancer Patient Identity Theft Victim: "Day in Court Hangs on Supreme Court Decisions"

Here is a great article on Identity Theft that everyone should read:

Identity theft has many damaging effects, and one of the most problematic for consumers is the reporting of false or fraudulent information on their credit reports.  One would logically assume that US banks would be legally accountable to consumers for knowingly reporting false information on their credit reports, especially after notifying the banks that the information is false, a bank mistake, or the result of an identity theft.  givemebackmycredit.com, Cancer Patient Identity Theft Victim: "Day in Court Hangs on Supreme Court Decisions", Feb 2010

You should read the whole article.

Verify a check, and aviod being arrested

In the past, many places have advised that the best way to verify if a cashier's check is legitimate is to bring it into a branch of the bank it was issued by. The problem with this is that we are seeing an increase in the number of people being arrested for trying to defraud a bank when they do bring these checks into the branch locations.

So what is a safer option? Verify the check by phone, not by going into the actual bank. This way you can get the information that you need without the chance of looking like you are trying to cash the check and defraud the bank. Make sure that you do NOT call any phone numbers listed on the check itself, because these too could be fraudulent. Look up the phone number online or in the phone book and the call the bank and let them know that you have a cashier's check and would like to verify if the check is legitimate or that you are worried that it could be a counterfeit.

If you are sent a cashier' check for any reason, and are asked to wire any portion of it back to the sender or on to a third person, there is a 99.9% chance that the check is counterfeit.

http://scamvictimsunited.blogspot.com/

Reposted from http://informant.nw3c.org/2010/02/spam-and-census-joined-at-hip.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theinformant+%28The+Informant%29/
It’s a busy time of year for the U.S. government. The IRS is processing tax returns and the US Census Bureau is preparing to distribute millions of census forms. All this activity creates the “perfect storm” of opportunity for Internet thieves.

If you receive an email notification asking you to download a census form, National White Collar Crime Center computer crimes expert Nick Newman says don’t do it! “These files aren’t actually from the census bureau, they’re from criminals abroad and the form they download is actually malware.” It’s also important to keep in mind that the Census Bureau will never initiate correspondence via email. Newman says your best bet is to simply stay out of the spam box!

Phishing schemes and malware tied to IRS forms are nothing new...criminals have been working on new and improved versions of that scam every year for more than a decade. During that time however, consumer awareness of the potential dangers has increased significantly. Consequently, the vast pool of potential victims has shrunk considerably. But the potential hazards linked to the census have received very little media attention and as a result, many Americans could wind up playing right into the hands of cyber crooks.

AVOID CHARITY FRAUD

TIP OF THE MONTH --- AVOID CHARITY FRAUD from the FTC


In the wake of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti, the FTC is alerting people to choose carefully when considering urgent appeals for aid. The best way to provide immediate help is to donate money directly to established national relief organizations that have the experience and means to deliver aid. The FTC offers these tips on giving:

* Donate to recognized charities that you have given to before. Be skeptical about those that have sprung up overnight. They may be well-meaning, but they lack the infrastructure to provide assistance. And be aware that some phony charities use names that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations.

* You don’t have to donate to someone who contacts you out of the blue with an unsolicited email, phone call or text message. It’s better to give through a website or phone number that you know is legitimate. Do not give out your personal or financial information – including your Social Security number or credit card and bank account numbers .
* Check out any charities before you donate. Contact the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at http://www.give.org/. For more tips on donating wisely, visit www.ftc.gov/charityfraud

National Consumer Protection Week

News from the FTC

The 12th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is right around the corner: March 7-13. This campaign provides tips and resources at www.consumer.gov/ncpw to help everyone take full advantage of their consumer rights. This year’s theme -- Dollars & Sense: Rated “A” for All Ages -- highlights the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life – from grade school to retirement. Check out the NCPW blog for short, timely features about helpful resources, leave a comment, and share your plans for promoting NCPW. The FTC and its NCPW partners will host a Congressional Fair for Members and staff, February 18 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am in the Rayburn Foyer. Get free constituent education resources for town hall meetings in your district. For more information about NCPW and the Fair, contact Derick Rill

Fighting fraud - meeting the challenges of new technology

UK Credit Card Fraud Conference

"Fighting fraud - meeting the challenges of new technology"
Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st March 2010
Royal Horseguards Hotel- London
next to Embankment Station - easy to reach from Waterloo and Charing Cross


http://www.fraudconference.co.uk/

Nigerian National Sentenced to Over Eight Years for Role in Fraudulent Check Scam that Victimized Nearly 500 Individuals

Reposted from http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/la012610a.htm

LOS ANGELES—A Nigerian national who operated a money-transfer business in Chino has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that bilked hundreds of victims out of more than $1.5 million in a scam that had schemers sending bogus checks to victims and falsely telling them they had won a sweepstakes or another lie to induce them to negotiate the fraudulent checks.

Alvin Chiemezie Asieru, 39, who resided in Chino prior to his arrests last March, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered Asieru to pay full restitution to his victims.

Asieru pleaded guilty last year to one count of mail fraud, admitting that he participated in an international telemarketing scheme that defrauded almost 500 victims from across the United States. The scheme involving Asieru is a variation of a scam now commonly seen where fraudulent checks are sent to victims with false claims that they had for some reason received a windfall. Asieru’s scheme in particular involved sending bogus checks to victims, telling them that they had won a contest, had been chosen to participate in a promotion, or were being offered employment as “secret shoppers.” The victims were instructed to deposit the checks, wire most of the funds through MoneyGram, and report the MoneyGram transaction number to someone associated with the scheme. Armed with the transaction number, Asieru was able to collect the proceeds of the wire transfer through a MoneyGram terminal at his Chino business, SABIC Group. Asieru then shared the proceeds with co-conspirators in Ontario, Canada. Asieru also transferred over $680,000 of the proceeds to various banks in Nigeria. The victims later learned that the checks they had deposited into their bank accounts were fraudulent and that they were responsible for the money they had now lost.

As part of an investigation into MoneyGram transfers sent from United States consumers to Canada, Canadian authorities determined that the overwhelming majority of wire transactions involving more than $1,000 are the proceeds of fraud involving various scams and Internet purchases. The investigation identified several MoneyGram operators as being involving in a majority of the suspect transactions, including SABIC Group.

A number of Asieru’s victims learned that the MoneyGram transfers had been picked up in Chino, which prompted the Chino Police Department to open an investigation. In several instances involving bogus checks and wire transfers, MoneyGram advised the police that the money was picked up at SABIC Group within 30 minutes of the wire transfer. The Chino Police also learned that MoneyGram received 53 complaints of fraud against SABIC Group in 2008, with losses totaling approximately $103,500.

In sentencing papers, federal prosecutors argued that Asieru not only caused financial losses to his victims, but also caused law-abiding victims to be stigmatized with destroyed credit and what appeared to be criminal conduct. One victim discussed in prosecutors’ sentencing papers was arrested and spent a night in jail for passing the bad check sent as part of Asieru’s scam, an indignity that was noted by Judge Walter during yesterday’s sentencing hearing.

The case against Asieru was investigated by the Chino Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.