You've Won!

Yes, it's that time of year again, when the scams come out of the woodwork. This year, the scammers aren't just using the phone and e-mail -- now they're using text messages to tell you that you've won a gift card.

From the BBB website:

How the Scam Works:

You receive a text message. When you open it, you are surprised by a message informing you that you've won a Best Buy gift card (or Target, Wal-Mart or other major retailer). You just need to go to a website and enter a PIN, and the card is yours.

The text's URL leads to a website that has the company's colors and logo. It looks authentic with the company's name as the site's sub-domain (example: www.bestbuy.scamwebsite.com).
You are asked to enter the PIN and an email address. Then, you are taken to a form and instructed to fill out your name, cell number, mailing address and answer unrelated personal questions, such as "Are you interested in going back to school?" and "Are you diabetic?" When you reach the page to "claim your gift card," you instead find yourself directed to another site to apply for a credit card.

The texts are just a way to collect personal information for shady advertisers. Scammers often change the store names and cash amounts of the gift cards. A typical text message is below:
"Black Friday Winner #88323! You have WON the Best Buy Gift Card for $1000! Get your prize at WEBSITE now! Use the code 5417."

So don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!   Don't just ignore the text message, forward it to your cell phone carrier at 7726 (SPAM). Then delete it and forget about it. Don't reply to the message in any way or they'll keep texting you.   And remember, if a deal is just too good to be true...   Link: http://www.bbb.org/us/article/text-message-gift-card-scam-is-back-for-the-holidays-38633

The Post Office Has Your Package!

Wow.

Now that takes some serious "mountain oysters", to phish using the Post Office's name.

There's a big banner across the top of the USPS.com website, warning people of the latest e-mail scam. Check it out:

Don't take my word for it, go to http://www.usps.com/ to read it yourself.

And in the meantime, don't fall for those BULL DROPPINGS in your e-mail box.

(You DO know it's a Federal offense to mess with the Post Office, right? Like, don't mail illegal substances, even if they're "legal" in your state. You'll be dealing with the Feds, not your friendly local yokels...)

"Grandma, I'm in Jail"

The phone rings at some ungodly hour.

"Grandma, this is your grandson. I'm in jail and they won't let me out until I post $*** in bail. Can you please help me?"

There's one HUGE problem with this scenario. It's not your grandson. (Or nephew, or niece, or cousin, or friend's kid.)

My parents' friend got one of these calls just the other night. She's a smart cookie and still sharp despite her 80+ years.

What did she do? She let him talk and talk, made conversation and asked him about his wife. Oh, wait. Her grandson DOESN'T HAVE A WIFE!

So she told him she'd see what she could do, got a return phone number to call him back, etc.

The cops weren't even interested in the case. Now that is sad. The woman got info that just might lead to the scammer and the local yokels weren't interested.

Talk about some serious BULL DROPPINGS!

It's up to us to protect ourselves. Make sure your family and friends know that:

1. When people call from jail, it's a collect call AND the machine will tell you that it's coming from a jail before it asks you about accepting the call. So if someone is "calling from jail" and it's not collect and there's not a warning, it's fake!
2. Know the whereabouts of your family members. Don't just take it at face value that the brat doesn't want Mom and Dad to know that he/she is in trouble. Call them up and ASK them. It's quite likely that your grandchild is safe at home in bed.
3. Call the jail directly and ask if a person by that name is there. Trust me, they'll tell you.
4. Just because a person is elderly, it doesn't mean that they're stupid. Scams have been going on for many a long year and a lot of our elderly family members have seen way more snake-oil schemes than we realize.
5. Never, ever, ever give out a credit card number, bank information or send money via Western Union to anyone -- even a family member, without verifying the facts. And I don't mean going to the website provided by the scammer. Check by calling directly or going online to the website without using the scammer's "conveniently provided" links.

The jail scam has been going on for years. In my younger years, I even had a guy try to scam money out of me, probably for drugs, by claiming he was in jail and his cousin would come by to pick up cash.

Puleeze, the BULL DROPPINGS were so deep that I could smell them over the phone. Why?

1. He didn't call collect.
2. His "cousin" could pick up the cash. (Really?)
3. I called the jail and they said there was no one there by that name. (HUH, I thought so!)

Mama is no fool and you shouldn't be either. Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!!

VISA Telephone Scam

Just posted on my credit union's website!

----------------------------------------
!!! IMPORTANT MESSAGE !!!


Members have reported receiving phone calls from ”Visa” saying: “a temporary block has been placed on your card; if you would like to reactivate your card, press 1 and enter your 16 digit card number.”

*** *** FCU nor any of our affiliates have initiated these calls. Please keep in mind that you should NEVER respond to this type of request and you should NEVER provide your account or personal information to unknown third parties.

Please contact *** *** if you have any questions or need further assistance.
----------------------------------------

Great.

Just great. Now they're calling people on the phone, trying to get their VISA credit card numbers.

Don't fall for these BULL DROPPINGS!

Never, ever, ever give your credit card number or personal information to someone who CLAIMS to be from your bank, credit union or credit card. Instead, hang up and call your bank, credit union or credit card directly. The telephone numbers are on your bank statements, in the phone book, online and on the back of your credit card.

And don't forget to notify your bank when you get calls, e-mails or other communications from scammers trying to fleece you like a sheep on shearing day!

Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!
(And don't laugh, these scams must work or the scammers wouldn't be working so hard at them...)

Payday Loan Scam

This is wild, but I JUST talked to a lady who's been getting calls threatening her regarding an old payday loan that was long paid off (thanks to assistance from her bank).

There's people calling her from all over the country, claiming to be a District Attorney and demanding repayment of the loan that SHE ALREADY PAID OFF or she will be arrested!

What a bunch of BULL DROPPINGS!

Yes, I printed this off and I'm going to take it over to her this afternoon. Hopefully she can get some help.

So here it is, straight from the FBI's website:

Telephone Collection Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans


12/01/2010—The IC3 receives a high volume of complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. In these scams, a caller claims that 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.


One of the most insidious aspects of this scam is that the callers have accurate information about the victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. The method by which the fraudsters obtained the personal information is unclear, but victims often relay that they had completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls began.


The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide to the victims any details of the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers threaten victims with legal actions, arrests, and in some cases physical violence if they refuse to pay. In many cases, the callers even resort to harassment of the victim’s relatives, friends, and employers.


Some fraudsters instruct victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain dollar amount, on a specific date, via prepaid visa card. The statement further declares that the victim would never dispute the debt.


These telephone calls are an attempt to obtain payment by instilling fear in the victims. Do not follow the instructions of the caller.


If you receive telephone calls such as these, you should:


■Contact 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.

Link:
http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams

You Need A Clearance Certificate!

You need to send $350 to the FBI for a Clearance Certificate OR ELSE!

Or else what? Since this is totally a scam, what does that guy in Nigeria (or the Ukraine or wherever the latest scammer is located) going to do about it?

Nothing of course. It's all BULL DROPPINGS!

In all seriousness, this phishing e-mail targets the unwary among us, the elderly, the people who are still naive about the vast kindergarten we call the Internet.

Take a minute and warn your family members, friends and co-workers that this old FBI scam is making the rounds again. There's no need to send any money out, there's no such thing as a Clearance Certificate for us regular folks.

And when you get some madness like this, before you panic, go to www.snopes.com or even to google and check it out.

From the Valejo Times Herald: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_18031033

There's A Warrant Out For Your Arrest!

Oh my, the scammers just work and work at trying to separate you from your identity.

Just this week a co-worker sent me an e-mail to verify. Sadly, it's a real one.

Someone calls you on the phone and tells you that they're calling from the courthouse and that you have a warrant out for your arrest because (get this!) you missed JURY DUTY!

"But I didn't miss jury duty, I didn't get a notice."

"Well, I'm going to have to verify this, it will just take a few minutes. I'll look you up. What's your social security number and birth date?"

BING BING BING!

There's the operative word, they want your SSN!

First, the courts and the jury duty staff DO NOT call you! Not going to happen, there's not enough time in the day to call up every person who no-shows for jury duty. (Sad, but true.)

Second, they would NEVER, EVER, EVER ask you for your SSN.

A fool and his money -- and identity -- are soon parted.

Don't be a fool, don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!

From www.snopes.com: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/identity/juryduty.asp

Watch Out On Freecycle

I recently posted on a freecycle site and received two replies, supposedly from different people.

Funny how both replies included, "I was planning to publish a cost-free offer for it, but I saw your desired post very first, very good timing! I put up a couple pics and my position upon this web site."

Hmmmm, does something seem strange about those posts?

On top of the weird language, in both cases, the name on the e-mail did not match the name at the end of the message.

Look, never, ever, ever click on a link provided by someone who replies to you in such an odd way. Especially when you get two messages that are so similar from two "different" people. Whether the intent is to get your e-mail address (for spam) or to direct you to a dangerous or porn site, just don't do it. Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!

(Freecycle groups are found on yahoo. They're all over the country and a wonderful way to find new homes for everything from furniture to pets. They keep perfectly good stuff out of the landfill -- all for free!)

Oh My, This Scam Will Spread Like Wildfire!

Oh, no, I just read this article and realized that this scam is going to spread like wildfire! http://www.hometownsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11852:latest-phishing-scam-hooks-businesses-customers&catid=1:latest

It's slightly more complicated for the scammer, but it looks like it will be a very lucrative scam for the ID thieves who are targeting car dealerships and their customers.

Once more, if ANYONE calls you, asking for your credit card numbers, bank information, Social Security number or any other personal or financial information, DON'T fall for the BULL DROPPINGS!

The bank has your information, they don't need you to "verify" a darn thing. If it's a store or other retail/Internet source, tell them you have to look it up and call them back. DO NOT use the number they gave you. Either walk in to the store and ask to speak to the manager or look up the correct number and call your credit card directly.

You really, really can't be too careful, the scammers are getting more and more creative every day!

AS-IS

Recently there's been a growing trend with people demanding refunds for cars and other items, especially things bought on Craigslist.

Now, Craig Newmark has carefully given many, many warning of the scams out there.

Yet, over in the Legal Forum, there's a continuous stream of posts asking for advice. People buy cars, drive them for a couple of weeks, sometimes a couple of months, and then contact the seller, demanding their money back.

Look, in most states, including California, private party sales are inherently AS-IS. There is no refund if you don't like the deal you got, you found a cheaper car, or the car broke down after you drove the wheels off of it.

There's only a couple of things to remember when selling anything.

First, make sure the buyer does a full inspection of the item. If it's a refrigerator, have it plugged in so it's cold. If it's a stereo, play it. If it's a video game system, show the buyer the whole thing, plug it in, play the game.

If it's a car, tell them whatever you know about it, don't make promises about the condition, do a test drive (bring a friend with you, don't take checks, take payment in cash only, preferably at the DMV so you can transfer the title right then and there).

And remember, in California, you MUST get the vehicle smogged. Plus, if you don't have time to meet at the DMV, you can do the "Release of Liability" form online at www.dmv.ca.gov. Be sure to print out your copy!!

And if a buyer contacts you a week, a month, a year afterward, demanding a refund on a private party sale, tell them the truth, there is NO refund.

As-is is just that, AS-IS -- and that means beware and be aware on both sides of the deal -- buyer and seller!!

Don't fall for the BULL DROPPINGS.

And if they threaten court, tell them, "See you there!" (99 times out of a hundred, they're blowing smoke!)

Garbage In My Spam Box

Well, here's more trash from my spam box.

Look, don't be fooled. These are a dime a dozen phishing schemes. Never, ever, ever get sucked into responding to an e-mail like this one!

Just hit the forward button and send it straight to spoof@paypal.com. Then delete the message. No further action is needed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account Locked !

Dear PayPal Member, Due to the number of incorrect login attempts, your PayPal Account has been locked for your security. This has been done to secure your accounts and to protect your private information in case the login attempts were not done by you.. At PayPal we care about your security so, for your protection we are proactively notifying you of this activity. If you did not trigger this lockout, follow this link to Log on to your PayPal Online Account :
Click here to unlock your account !

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience.Thank you for using PayPal!

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.

Snopes, A Resource You Should Use!

My friends think I'm really smart.

OK, I am smart, but not like they think I am.

I do research on many topics, so I've had to learn to look it up!

Snopes is a resource you should use. I can't count the number of times I've looked up that story, that e-mail, that article, and discovered that yes, it was just more bull-droppings.

There's no need to reinvent the wheel my friends. Just look it up on www.snopes.com. Google works pretty well too.

And remember, if it sounds too good to be true....