Dear fellow Scambusters – this has been a busy month for the scammers (aka, creeps, low lifes, evil, bad actors, scumbags,etc.) I try extremely hard to be more PC (politically correct) but for those that know me, realize that the filter I was given at birth is flawed and does not work very well. So, I really try – but cannot produce a PC name for these blankity-blanks (fill in the blankity-blanks.) Here is an update on the scams from the last newsletter – please keep in mind that there are all the other scams I have shared that still are going strong so keep up your Spidey senses. I am also including some examples of real life losses to these scams – the scammers are getting better at stealing yourmoney or information every day.
LCSO Scambuster Barbara Bennett
LAW ENFORCEMENT IMPERSONATORS ARE HITTING HARD! PLEASE PASS ALONG THAT THIS IS A SCAM!! High losses on this scam! You did not miss jury duty, or failure to appear, and you do not have a warrant and should NEVER PAY over the phone or by bitcoin, wire transfer, Venmo, Zelle, etc. Losses are $2,000 and up.
ALEXANDER FIRE RECOVERY SCAMS
After any type of incident such as a wildfire,flood, etc., the scammers pop up. If you have any damage, they might offer a reduced rate to fix your property – pay a deposit and they will take care of it. Or help you with insurance claims – for a fee. Or they offer a way for you to donate to the victims – please know that scammers love to con you. There is one link you can go to for information on the resources for the fire – https://www.larimer.gov/alexander-mountain-fire-recovery
and an approved donation site for the victims – https://nocofoundation.org/noco-disaster-recovery-fund/
Please be cautious if you are contacted.
ONLINE ROMANCE/DATING/FRIEND SCAM
Meet someone on-line and the scammer hacks your phone, downloads personal documents, contacts, pictures, etc. Then asks for money to keep them from sharing (some may be something not meant for public eyes). If you do not pay- they plaster your confidential and personal information across your contacts and public social media. No money lost, but so humiliating for the victim. In some cases, there is money lost, so please proceed with elevated level of caution on any of these meet-up venues.
ONLINE ROMANCE/DATING/FRIEND/MONEY LAUNDERING SCAM
Meet someone on a site (Bumble) – start up communications (email, phone, video chats, text messages.) They then want you to invest in bitcoin for them. They will send you the money. You refuse, so they ask you to accept their deposit and send it on to someone else they know will do it. This is called “money laundering” and is illegal.
SIGN A DOCUMENT OR CLICK A LINK SCAM
If you receive an email or text that you have not requested that asks you to sign a document or click on a link – DON’T! It is a scam.
FACEBOOK RENTAL SCAM
A “minister” (sounds legit – right?) posts rental properties she has –asks you to send her a deposit and pet deposit by Venmo. You cannot see the property until you pay but assures you it is refundable. She sets up a meeting for you to see the home but wants you to pay in full before you can meet. Venmo does not work so she asks for Apple cards. Guess who does not show up after you pay! The scammer!
GRANDPARENT/HUSBAND SCAM
The caller says your grandchild, wife, or husband was in an accident and hurt another driver. You need to contact this attorney to pay for the damages and get the accident cleared from your record. A grandparent lost $15,000 on this scam.
AIRLINES CUSTOMER SERVICE SCAM
Unhappy travelers with delayed or cancelled flights typically vent on social media (Crowd Strike glitch that grounded planes, weather delays, etc.) Scammers contact you and pose as airline customer service and ask for booking confirmation, phone, bankaccount, and/or send you to a spoofed site that takes your personal identity or makes charges on your account. If you have travel delays, contact your airline’s official site, or speak to an airline rep at the airport.
PAPER CHECKS – GOOD OR BAD?
When paying for home help or other services by check, please know that all your banking info is on your check and can be used to hack your bank accounts. Safer to use online banking with your bank. $17,000 loss from one victim when the scammer created a PayPal account with the information and transferred money into the PP account.
Paper checks can also be intercepted and“washed” to be a different amount and different recipient.
FACEBOOK POP-UP WINDOW SCAM
Pop up on your Facebook showing porn photos and a phone number to call to report. The scammer indicates the victim was hacked,and he will transfer you to Norton – the Norton rep said he was depositing $110 to your account to confirm it is working, but instead deposits $11,000. The scammer accuses the victim of theft and wants the money returned via bitcoin. When the victim doesn’t want to use bitcoin, the scammer has him transfer the $11,000 to a Thailand bank account but warns not to tell the bank what it was for and to say it was a repayment of a loan. The victim lost $11,000.
OUT OF TOWN PROPERTY SALE SCAM
A realtor gets a call from an out of town“seller” and requests the realtor sell his property but wants to use his own notary and do everything online. This scammer does not really own this property and wants a quick sale so s/he can get the proceeds and disappear.
YOUTUBE SCAM
A video from Tesla appears on YouTube with an announcement from Elon Musk encouraging people to scan the QR and invest in bitcoin. Musk would invest and double it – with the doubled amount to be sent to the victim within 5 minutes. Loss $10,000.
In another YouTube scam, someone supposedly sharing recipes offers you a great deal from Omaha Steaks – the deal is only good for a short time – the scammer uses urgency to get you to sign up! Omaha steaks never sells a package of their steaks for $7.98 – if it sounds too good to be true – it is. The scammer now has your credit card information.
FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE SCAM
Buyer places an ad for a motorcycle part – the“seller” has the part, and the buyer pays through Marketplace and receives a tracking number. The tracking number is bogus. $350 loss.
TELEMARKETING SCAM
While setting up Amazon on a Xfinity TV, the scammer got into the webpage and the victim received an alert that his prime TV was locked and was told to buy gift cards to unlock it. Loss 660.
WHAT’S APP EMPLOYMENT SCAM
Scammers offer remote jobs up to $600 a day but you must give them your social security number to prove you are old enough. Please remember – never share your personal information!
I know I sound like a broken record – but please remember that scammers use payment methods like bitcoin, money cards, transfers, Venmo, Zelle, etc.because they are untraceable. If someone wants you to pay this way – RUN AWAY!
Stay safe and thank you to all the contributors for sending me scams you are hearing about. I really appreciate hearing from you and getting the information on trending frauds so we can share the information with our citizens – and am always happy to hear that you are recognizing a scam and are taking the appropriate measures! If you have topics you would like me to cover – please email me withthe subject and I will include it in our next newsletter.
Larimer County Sheriff’s Website
Please share this information everywhere, and I am always willing to come to your group for a Scambuster presentation. If you have questions about a potential scam – feel free to email me or call me before you give your money or information. Please do not hesitate to report a scam – these scammers are getting more believable all the time.
Enjoy our Rocky Mountain CRAZY weather as we move into late summer/early fall.
We appreciate all of you. Keep sending me your scams and stories.
Barbara EJ Bennett
Chief Scambuster, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, 970-498-5146
LCSO Scam Information.
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