Latest Consumer Scams
From the Washington State Office of the Attorney General: Press Release “Fresh Start Opportunities” reeks of scam Details: “If a young person knocks on your door and says they’re selling magazines for a charity, wait before reaching for your pocketbook. Fresh Start Opportunities claims to be a “job business training company” that sends young adults door to door to give them a “fresh start” on life. The organization has ignored repeated inquiries from the Secretary of State’s Office concerning its failure to register as a charity, as well as consumer complaints received by the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.” “After paying generous amounts for subscriptions, consumers throughout the country never received the magazines and have no idea how their money was spent,” said Attorney General Rob McKenna.
From the South San Francisco Police Department: “WARNING: Telephone Credit Card Scam” Details: A person will call a household and will state a fake name and badge number. “The caller will inform you that he/she is calling from the Security and Fraud Department at
From WTHR: “Indianapolis Secret Services Warns of fake $100 bills” Details: “The Secret Service says this new wave of counterfeit currency is fooling even the most conscientious merchants who know what to look for.”
From the United States Secret Service: Know Your Money “Look at the money you receive. Compare a suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series, paying attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics. Look for differences, not similarities.” More information on how to identify counterfeit money
From the Kansas City Star: “Johnson County prosecutor reveals extensive scam involving the elderly” Details: “Three men allegedly operated businesses called ASP Inc. and NHCD. According to authorities, senior citizens would receive a phone call or other contact promising a discount on pharmacy drugs if the buyer went through one of the companies…Once the customers turned over their bank or credit card information, the companies would draft money out of the customers’ accounts, Howe said, usually $80 to $110 at a time.”
From LA Times: “Twitter becoming a tool for scams, bureau says” Details: “Online predators have hit on social media site Twitter as the latest tool to lure victims into get-rich-quick and work-at-home schemes, according to the Better Business Bureau.”
From The Kansas City Star: “Phony job postings prey on those seeking work” Details: “…after the Lee’s Summit resident paid a $195 job-search fee — and despite the job “guarantee” he was promised over the phone — he found he was the victim of a phony job-placement company.”
Oakland, California From Mercury News “37-inch flat screen TV for $100 is really an oven door”
Atlanta, Georgia From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Suspects ordered to stop posing as law enforcement” Details: “Men pose as government agents …convince local police northside communities were in danger.”
Counterfeit Money AP Story: “Police say real $5 bills redone as $100s” US Secret Service: How to identify counterfeit money
Fake Check Scams From The Federal Trade Commission
Hemet, California From The Inland Empire Crime Blog “Fraudulent Use of Credit Card” Woman obtained credit card information from customers as work and purchased more 100K of merchandise; she then sold the merchandise through online auctions.
Indianapolis, Indiana From “Wish TV Healthcare Consumer Alert” Investigated by the Indiana Office of the Attorney General
Farmington, New Mexico From KOB.com “Man catches thief who posed as exterminator” Man used his job as a cover while he burglarized homes.
Nationwide Scams From The Kansas City Star KCStar.com “Alleged scam offers federal stimulus money” Details: Post card claims grant amount guaranteed if consumer calls 800 number. Product is then offered at cost to consumer. FTC calls mailing misleading and has filed suit against companies responsible.
Nationwide Scams From MaskogeePhoenix.com “Police Warn of Work-at-home scam” Details: “…the latest scam to hit the Internet has just arrived from Nigeria: Jobs for people seeking part-time positions called “mail assistants” for work done at home. Vacancies are posted on Craigslist.com under the name of ABS Consulting.”
Nationwide Scams From Desert News: “Sound too good to be true? Scams are on the rise” Includes: shadow shopper scam, sweepstakes and lottery scams, overpayment for purchased item scams, bogus checks, work-at-home fraud & more.
Nationwide Scams From IRS “Suspicious e-Mails and Identity Theft” Includes: phony e-mails which claim to come from the IRS and which lure the victims into the scam by telling them that they are due a tax refund.
Nationwide Scams From The KC Star “Swine flu gives rise to Internet hucksters plying questionable preventatives, treatments” Details: U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been discovering for sale on the Internet since the swine flu pandemic began. Products the FDA has flagged…: Surgical masks, Air purifiers, Eucalyptus and tea tree oil inhalers, nasal sanitizer…
Nationwide Scams From The FTC “A JOLT from the Blue: Jamaican Fraudsters Using Telemarketing to Target U.S. Consumers” Details: Fraudulent telemarketers based in Jamaica are calling people in the U.S., telling them that they’ve won a sweepstakes or foreign lottery. The fraudulent telemarketers typically identify themselves as lawyers, customs officials or lottery representatives, and tell people they’ve won vacations, cars or thousands — even millions — of dollars. “Winners” need only pay fees for shipping, insurance, customs duties or taxes before they can claim their prizes.
Nationwide Scams From The BBB: Serving Eastern Michigan: “Cash for Clunkers Scams” Details: “…the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that unauthorized Web sites were soliciting information like names, addresses and Social Security numbers in order to allegedly register people for the program. BBB’s across the country have also received reports from consumers who have received phone calls with offers for help in filling out the paperwork to receive a voucher to participate in the program.”
Victorville, California From The Inland Empire Crime Blog “Rental Fraud” Realtor finds people living in foreclosed home; home was rented to them with fake rental contract… More real estate frauds listed.
Virginia Beach, Virginia From the City of Virginia Beach “Virginia Beach Police Department Does Not Endorse Any Alarm Company” Details: “Several citizens have called the police department to report security alarm company sales people going door to door attempting to sell home security systems claiming they are working in conjunction with the City of Virginia Beach or the Police Department’s alarm unit. Both of these statements are false.”
Federal Trade Commission: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft: Deter. Detect. Deft. Avoid ID Theft
U.S. Department of Justice: Identity Theft and Fraud
Please email information on consumer scams to news@lenewscenter.com or via Twitter to @LENewsCenter
Google “Quality Subscriptions Inc” They are a magazine subscription fraud operation. They recently had young “reps” descend on our suburban PA Twp. We managed to find one after several “solicitor” calls. He was warned to tell the others to leave and never come back. I’m sure they won’t heed the warning and we’ll be making arrests soon.
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