Protect Yourself From Scams & Frauds

Protect Yourself From Scams & Frauds

There are a number of scams, hoaxes and fraud schemes going around these days.  Here are just a few as examples and I have given a few tips in how to deal with them to protect you.

1. Hoax Scam – Re Injury, Robbery, etc in foreign country – please help.  Here are a few examples:

·         Grandson has been taken hostage while serving US Troops.

o   Correct Action:  Ask someone in the family to contact person directly or contact their military base they are connected with or call the USO.  When speaking to the military base, they will connect you with the Military Police or Counter Intelligence Division or the appropriate entity that will take appropriate measures to confirm or deny the information.

·         How are you doing? Hope you slept well last night? my family and I came down here to Wales, United Kingdom for a short vacation unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed, all cash, credit card and cell were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.
We've been to the embassy and the Police here are not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in a couple of hours but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills, I'm freaked out at the moment.

I need you to help me out.

o   Correct Action:  Contact the person directly to confirm or deny.  They are usually at home or just around the corner.  Notice the grammar / word choices used.  Do they normally use the words “freaked out”, etc.

·         This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Quezon City, Philippines with my family for a short vacation but unfortunately, we were mugged and robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our lives and passports.

We've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight  leaves in less than 12hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills about $1,950. Can you help us out? Get back to me immediately to let you know the easiest way to get the fund to us.

We are depressed at the moment.

o   Correct Action:  Again, contact the person directly to confirm or deny.  They are usually at home or just around the corner.  Notice the grammar / word choices used.  Do they normally use the words “freaked out”, etc. The embassy will assist them to get calls to you directly, not emails and you will be able to get a call back number to verify the information.  Then call information to help you verify if that is the correct number to the American Embassy in the country they are reportedly stranded at.

2. Door to Door Repairs –There are many gypsies and other fraudulent people out there who take advantage of the elderly.  Some will even be willing to allow you to pay only ½ of the bill up front and the other ½ at completion (which never happens).  A reputable company does not take money until the job is competed and signed off.  Ask for credentials and phone number and after you check on them, you’ll call them tomorrow if you choose them. 

Some may offer that you pay upon completion of work and ask you to sign a contract, which is to be expected.  Make sure that the wording in the contract is legal and appropriate. 

3. A person comes to your door & asks to use your phone because they need help – Don’t open the door, just say, “Don’t worry, I just called the police and they are one the way to assist you!”

4. Love Scam/Caretaker Scam – You need a Pre-Relationship Investigation/Background check.  Those who prey on Single mature adults / the elderly are aware that loneliness is one the greatest emotions to target and can cause a person to have unsound judgment.  They quote scriptures and promise the moon and are very attentive to the lonely person and soon, they ask to be married.  Once married, they are placed on the person’s bank accounts and credit accounts to help them out in paying the bills and their final moved is to withdraw their bank account and run up the credit cards before the person is even aware.  It becomes easier for them to conceal as they send in an address change to all the creditors and banks so that the victim will not know their account status.

You can place a “dual signature” requirement on your accounts in order to prevent one person from making a request without the other knowing.  Get a Pre-Relationship investigation conducted on anyone you allow as a caretaker in your home or a personal relationship.  If you have a personal attorney, ask them to review any documents before signing so that you are not accidentally signing a “Power of Attorney” without your knowledge. 

5. Buyers Scams – If you advertise an item for sale in newspaper or online, you may get an offer to pay exactly the amount you asked for or they may even offer a bit more IF you are willing to accept a check or money order and the item be picked up immediately upon receipt of payment thus not giving you the time to have the check clear.  Many of these scammers are issuing stolen or fraudulent checks or money orders in exchange for your jewelry, furs, automobiles, etc.  Accept CASH only if they are not going to give you the time to verify the financial instrument.  The only bank Cashier’s Checks or Money Orders that you should accept are those from local banks that are OPEN so that you can call and confirm its validity prior to acceptance and allowing your sale item to be taken.  The financial institution will ask you for the routing number and account number or other identifiers to confirm the validity. 

Here is an example:

I received this email in response to my Craig’s List ad.  I copied and pasted it exactly as it was received.

            From: Bayon D Toyin <tundares05@gmail.com>
To: Catherine Torrez <stilettospy@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: Raccoon Fur Coat w/ Fox Collar - $950

Thanks for your response .i will like to buy the items from you and so
please kindly withdrawn the adverts from craigslist site now and i will be
paying you via bank certified check from the company account am working
with,and the payment will be deliver to you via Currier service(FEDEX)
And i will like you to get back to me with the following information
to facilitate the mailing out the check to you....
kindly get back to me with the..


FULL NAME TO WRITE ON THE CHECK........
HOME ADDRESS............
CITY.............
STATE........
ZIP CODE....
CELL PHONE#......


I will make arrangements for the pick up as soon as you have your
money I am completely satisfied with the advert and the payment will
be delivered within 2-3 working days.** I use a hearing impaired phone
# and will receive your calls via email ** N.B UPS and FEDEX does not
deliver to a P.O box addresses.Thank you.

Sent via Black Berry by AT&T

My response:  Sorry but the ad will not be deleted until payment is in hand and no checks are accepted.  Money order only

Additionally, My husband/friend is in the FBI and has offered to review any requests that I receive that are questionable.

6. Lottery, Inheritance or Part Time Job Offers – They usually have a request within their email to you that they will be sending you $1 million and in return they allow you to keep some of the money to issue a check / cashier’s check to them from an American bank.  They only need the money to come from another source ….  OR, they just need you make the deposits into their local bank account for them after you cash it into your account, keep a percentage and deposit the balance into their account.  The checks are fraudulent!  But your money is good!

Just remember that if it sounds too good to be true or too easy, it IS!  Just ignore.  DO NOT reply because they will then know that they have a good email address and that you may be able to be persuaded in a different scam.

www.StilettoSpyInvestigations.com