Scam

San Diego Marine caught up in online scam warns others what to look for

By Gertrude Aziz 4 days ago

Scammers are taking advantage of the loneliness epidemic caused by the pandemic in what’s being called a romance scam.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A San Diego Marine had his identity stolen and fake social media profiles set up by scammers in his likeness.

The scammer’s goal is to get someone to fall in love with who they think is him and then ask for money. 

“I definitely report about 10 to 15 accounts a day,” said Tristin King, a local Marine.

Fake social media accounts are constantly popping up of King.

Scammers are stealing his social media pictures and reaching out to women and men using his image. 

“They essentially try to make them fall in love with them and once they build a connection they start asking for money,” said King.

He said it’s ruining his life because some who have been scammed are now threatening him. 

“They

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Make sure that letter from a new mortgage loan servicer isn’t a scam

By Gertrude Aziz 1 week ago

A: It’s hard to believe that it has been a full four years since you made a mortgage payment on your home, and you’ve been unable to figure out how to at least pay the real estate taxes. But let’s take your email as it is and start to unpack it.

We suspect you may have more serious issues to contend with than simply the lack of payments for your mortgage and real estate taxes. How this ends could be catastrophic: You could lose your home because of the tax sale or you could lose your home because of the failure to make your mortgage payments.

Let’s start with the assumption that you initially had a 30-year loan on your home and that the loan servicing issue came about 11 years into the loan term. We mention this because you may have put down 10 percent or 20 percent when

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Better Business Bureau warns of online car scam

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — If you are planning to purchase a car online, think twice before you buy it.

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about scammers who post about a car that doesn’t exist and use fake escrow companies to accept the money.

“People are looking to do a lot of socially-distanced transactions, and really anything that is virtual now is very popular, so obviously consumers or people looking to buy cars will go online and see how they can acquire these cars without really having to do a lot of face-to-face transactions,” said Cinthya Lavin, the director of communications for the South Florida BBB.

A recent BBB investigation showed this scam is tied to Romanian organized crime.

Once interested buyers wire money, it is nearly impossible to get it back. Lavin said scammers will create a sense of urgency.

Cinthya Lavin

WPTV

Cinthya Lavin, the director of communications
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Hints from Heloise:Avoid this phishing scam | Human Interest

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

DEAR HELOISE: Please warn your readers to be aware of the new scam to gather personal and financial information from people. The scammers send an email that appears to be from a major online retailer that states you deserve a refund on a recent order and all you have to do is update your billing information. Closely look at the address the scammers are using. It won’t look legitimate. They figure you will recognize the name of the company and send them what they want. They are “phishing” for your credit card number, other account numbers, usernames and passwords.
Hints from Heloise sig

The scammers are not associated with reputable companies. Although the email might look like it’s from the retailer (they might even recreate the company’s logo), do not respond to the email. Check your orders with the retailer directly. Always safeguard your financial information by never giving it out.

Fast facts

New

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Scam ads on Google target the vulnerable, indebted and stressed

By Gertrude Aziz 1 month ago

Google's pay-per-click service allows businesses to pay for prominent spots on search results (Getty Images)
Google’s pay-per-click service allows businesses to pay for prominent spots on search results (Getty Images)

Scam ads for debt charities, car insurers and investment firms make looking for money advice on the world’s biggest search engine a risky business.

An investigation of Google’s pay-per-click service, which allows businesses to pay for prominent spots on search results, found scammers have effectively hijacked searches for financial services to advertise fake and fraudulent websites.

Which? found the search results for common saving terms such as “top Isa”, “best bonds” and “best fixed rate bonds” were dominated by dubious ads for “investment finder” services that encouraged prospective investors to fill in their details.

In a bid to discover exactly what happens when the unsuspecting public clicks through, one Which? investigator posing as a novice investor completed a form on a suspicious ad for fixedrates4u.com. They were contacted by someone claiming to be from SGZ

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Whistleblower Kidnapped in Ukraine After Accusing Crypto Firm of Exit Scam

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

A group of people pushed a man into a gray minivan on a dark street. The man yelled, “Help! Help! No!” and pushed against the van. Passersby shouted, “Let him go!” and tried to stop the van. The man was finally stuffed inside and the van left. 

This blurry video, apparently filmed by an unidentified witness Wednesday night in Kyiv, Ukraine, and circulated by local news publications Thursday morning, might mark a new chapter in the story of Bitsonar, a crypto investment firm that raised millions of dollars from investors in the U.S. and Europe, which they are now unable to access.” data-reactid=”20″This blurry video, apparently filmed by an unidentified witness Wednesday night in Kyiv, Ukraine, and circulated by local news publications Thursday morning, might mark a new chapter in the story of Bitsonar, a crypto investment firm that raised millions of dollars from investors in the U.S.

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Retired con artist explains how to avoid a COVID-19 scam, and why seniors are the biggest target

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

Ninety-one per cent of older Canadians believe they are the most vulnerable group that scammers target, according to a new Ipsos survey. The world’s most famous con man turned fraud expert says nothing is better than education to put a stop to it.

Frank Abagnale, who was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Catch Me If You Can, is part of a video campaign, spearheaded by HomeEquity Bank, to teach Canadians how to identify a scam and how to avoid falling victim to one.

Ipsos said 52 per cent of older Canadians polled (55 and older) say they’ve been the target of a scam and 72 per cent of those surveyed say there has been an increase in COVID-19 related scams since the start of the pandemic.

The poll added that one in three Canadians admitted to falling victim to a scam, and Abagnale hopes that the new

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Retired con artist on how to avoid a COVID-19 scam, and why seniors are the biggest target

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

Ninety-one per cent of older Canadians believe they are the most vulnerable group that scammers target, according to a new Ipsos survey. The world’s most famous con man turned fraud expert says nothing is better than education to put a stop to it.

Frank Abagnale, who was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Catch Me If You Can, is part of a video campaign, spearheaded by HomeEquity Bank, to teach Canadians how to identify a scam and how to avoid falling victim to one.

Ipsos said 52 per cent of older Canadians polled (55 and older) say they’ve been the target of a scam and 72 per cent of those surveyed say there has been an increase in COVID-19 related scams since the start of the pandemic. 

The poll added that one in three Canadians admitted to falling victim to a scam, and Abagnale hopes that the new

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I was a Chinese grad student and lost all of my money in a scam. How could it happen to me?

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

Xinlu Liang, 22, a Chinese grad student who lost all her money in a telephone scam. <span class="copyright">(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)</span>
Xinlu Liang, 22, a Chinese grad student who lost all her money in a telephone scam. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

“Hi, is that Xinlu Liang?” The caller, speaking in Chinese, woke me from a nap. “This is a call from UPS. You have a suspicious package blocked at Chinese customs” in Beijing.

The person on the other end of the line said he was checking the information on the mailing label. “If you didn’t send this package, then your personal information may have been leaked. We suggest you report this to the Chinese police.”

I’d arrived in Los Angeles just 45 days earlier — at the end of June 2019 — to start work on a master’s degree in journalism at USC, and every day was a struggle: seven hours of classes, Tuesday through Friday, followed by many more hours of writing.

I lived in an apartment near

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