If you have been a victim of a scam or fraud don't be embarrassed.
While we are going about our daily lives, criminals work nonstop to develop
and tailor scams that will play on our emotions or hit us when we are most
vulnerable. In today's economy when so many are struggling to keep
their head above water, many are looking anywhere they can to find a little
financial help. Most important to remember is that if it sounds too
good to be true, then it most likely is a scam. But if you are a
victim, report it immediately to the Sheriff's Office and your bank or
credit card company. Next, tell everyone you know what happened so
that they can prevent becoming a victim to the same scam. You just may
be surprised to hear how many other people you know who have fallen victim to a
scam, but were too embarrassed to talk about it. The more these
things are shared, the more we can all be aware of what is going on out
there, and better protect ourselves.
Preventing or foiling a scammer's plans is the best way to put an end to
these types of crimes. Because of the international nature of so many
of these scams, United States law enforcement agencies are powerless to act.
Often the governments of the countries where these scammers operate are
ineffective in dealing with them or possibly complacent about what their
citizens are doing.
If you are unsure of a company or charity you can follow these links to help
you determine if they are legitimate:
Check a Charity
verify the legitimacy of a charity through the Missouri Attorney General's
Office
Common
Frauds & Scams - current list kept updated by the FBI
Fraud Tips for Seniors
You can place your phone number on the Missouri No-Call list to avoid being
bothered by telemarketers, or you can file a complaint if you are already on
the No-Call list and continue to receive calls from telemarketers:
Consumer
Complaints - file a consumer complaint with the Missouri Attorney
General's Office
Register for Missouri No-Call List
Below are some examples of common scams. Please check back
occasionally to see if there are any new scams you should be aware of in our
area. If you become aware of a scam that is not listed here, please
contact the Marshal's Office so that we may add it to the list and inform
others in our community.
Job Scam
Some of the "work-from-home" offers you see on signs or places like
Craigslist, or even in e-mails your receive can be scams. The
"company" that you are working for, will send you checks to cash and ask
that you forward part of the money on to various places. These
fraudulent checks look real, and most likely your bank will accept and cash
them for you. However, a few days later when the check is returned,
you will have already sent funds on to other locations that mostly likely
cannot be traced.
On-line Purchases
Scammers who make fraudulent purchases using your account information often
make them in small amounts because it is less noticeable. If the
amount goes through, they may continue to charge small amounts or make
debits from your account so they don't alert you or your lending agency.
Left unchecked, it can add up to big bucks. Keep track of your on-line
account purchases, and review your bank statements and credit card statements
each month when they arrive. Look for purchases you don't recognize,
and contact your creditor as soon as you notice any suspicious activity.
Family Member Needs Help
This incredibly simple and mean-spirited scam involves just a phone and a
Western Union. The criminal will target a senior citizen and call
him/her. When the victim answers, the criminal says,
"Grandma/Grandpa"? The victim will then say their grandchild's name to
the criminal such as "John, are you ok?", providing the criminal with
a name. The criminal may either confirm that they are the
grandchild and that they need money, or another person may come on the line
and say that "John" has been arrested or is in trouble and needs money now.
If the grandparent questions why their grandchild sounds different, the
criminal may say they have a cold or they are upset and scared and have been
crying. The criminal will ask the grandparent to wire
money as soon as possible, most likely out of the U.S., in order to help
their grandchild. Once the money has been wired, it is most likely
lost forever. The criminal will stress how important it is that they
get the money transferred as soon as possible and not contact anyone.
If you receive a call like this, don't be scared into sending money.
First, attempt to call the relative that you are concerned about, or someone
that would know the relative's whereabouts. Second, notify the
Sheriff's Office, and don't send any money.
Bait and Switch
One of the oldest scams around, the criminal advertises an item they have,
and after you send them money, you don't get the item, or you get something
that is completely different than what you ordered. Sometimes
legitimate companies make mistakes in shipping and can send you the wrong
thing. However, sometimes an individual or a fraudulent company will
sell you something they don't even have. When making an on-line
purchase, ask the seller for a new picture of the merchandise with an item
you request in the photo. You could ask them to put a pop can or other
object in the photo to confirm that they actually have what they are
selling.
Jury Duty Scam
In this scam the victim receives a phone call from someone telling them they
failed to appear for jury duty and now there is a warrant out for their
arrest. The caller then may ask the victim to verify his/her name, date
of birth, and other personal information. The caller may tell their
victim that if they are willing to pay the fine for failing to appear for
jury duty, that they can make the warrant go away. The victim may be
asked to provide a credit card to take care of the fine immediately, or
asked to send a money order. Any personal information obtained during
the phone call can then be used to commit identity theft and future fraud
against the victim.
Phishing Scams
This is a method used to collect personal information from you like
passwords, user i.d.'s, credit card information, etc. The most common way
this is done is through e-mails or instant messaging. You will get an
email from a company that says your account has been locked/suspended, or
you need to update personal information in your account. The email
will contain a link for you to click on to go to your account. Once you click
on the link it will take you to a site that looks legitimate, but it is
really a dummy site. It will look very similar to your Bank's or
credit card's website, but it has been set up by a criminal(s). Once
you log in on this site, they will be able to collect your user i.d. and
password. It may ask you to update your credit card information on
file...now you've given them access to your credit card account.
The best way to protect yourself from Phishing scams is to NEVER click on a
link in an email that is asking you to verify or update any personal
information. You should always log in at the home webpage of the bank
or company that holds your account.
Here are some examples of actual phishing e-mail scams:
□ eBay
Questions about Item #5485669854255 - Respond Now 03/01/2011
□ Federal Bureau of
Investigation You Have won the sum of $1,000,000 - legally
05/11/2010
□ Online Pharmacy
Re: Express Pharmacy message #33658921445584
04/07/2011
□ Bank of America
Your online Account has been suspended
01/05/2012
Look for these telltale signs to spot a phishing scam:
1. the sender is unknown to you
2. the e-mail is illiterate with grammar, punctuation, and spelling
errors
3. you are asked to provide information such as account number, phone
number or social security number
4. the e-mail address is odd or doesn't include the business name
5. the message contains words like "urgent" or "secret"
6. the e-mail says it is in regards to an item you have for sale, but
you aren't currently selling anything on-line
Nigerian Scams (also called 419 scams)
The victim receives an e-mail or letter from someone claiming to be an
exiled government official (sometimes a member of the ousted royal family)
who has managed to sneak government money out of their country. The
"exiled official" wants you to help by providing a bank account they can
transfer money into. The victim is enticed by the promise of a large
monetary reward. Once you provide the information to them, they have
complete access to your account and can completely empty out your bank
account.
Below are a list of questions to ask yourself when presented with a possible
international internet scam. If you answer "yes" to two or more of the
following questions, you are most likely dealing with an international
internet scam.
1. Were you contacted about a possible transaction or deal after
listing an item for sale on-line (eBay, Craigslist, etc)
2. Is someone offering to send you more money than your asking price?
3. Did you receive an email naming you the "winner" of a foreign
lottery?
4. Have you been asked to use a Western Union, Money Gram, or another
wire/money transfer service to make an advanced
payment or to return excess
funds? Have you been asked to forward excess funds to a third party?
5. Does the transaction involve a cashier's check or money order?
6. Does your contact say the cashier's check or money order is needed
to cover taxes or other fees that must be paid before
you collect your
"winnings"?
7. Does the person's writing (grammar, punctuation, or spelling) indicate
that English is not their native language?
8. Did you receive a check or money order delivered overnight by UPS, FedEx
or any other express shipping service?
9. Is the person contacting you providing detailed instructions and urging
"ASAP" or immediate response?
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