THE Place to come to learn about the latest scams and how to protect yourself
CALLER iD: Your best friend for dodging scams.
When your phone rings, CHECK THE CALLER ID BEFORE ANSWERING. If you do not recognize the number, or if the name seems odd, DO NOT ANSWER. The caller, if they need you , will leave a message. If the message is from someone you do not know or are not expecting, ignore it! watch the video for more tips to avoid scams.

MICROSOFT SCAM ALERT. DEC 10, 2020


I just received a call on my cell from someone claiming to be Microsoft. The recording went through a litany of problems ranging from someone is trying to hijack my computer to my social security number and personal identity have been compromised and I MUST get it fixed before using my computer. They claim they have obtained my number from Microsoft records. Well, Microsoft DOES NOT have my mobile number and besides, they would never call. The scammers are getting more sophisticated in trying to convince you they are real. If you get a call from Microsoft and you have not called them first HANG UP!



ATT SCAM ALERT. DEC 10, 2020



I also received a call purporting to be from ATT. In fact, the caller ID was a valid ATT caller ID. The recording wanted me to complete a survey. The call came in on my land line. The caller knew my land line could not accept texts, so it asked me for my cell number. It just so happens that my cell is with ATT also, so ATT would know my cell number. There was no opt out, so I think the scammer was looking to get or verity my cell number. I have reported this to ATT. Again, if you get a recorded message asking for your cell number, HANG UP!


"NORTON SECURITY" SCAM. DEC 9, 2020


If you get an e mail that looks like the one below, DELETE IT! IT IS A SCAM. This email is NOT from Norton, it is from someone trying the invade your computer.


"AMAZON" SCAM ALERT. DEC 1, 2020.

If you get a call from someone, usually a recording, claiming that there is a problem with your Amazon account, IGNORE IT. If you go to the second step by "contacting" amazon by pressing "1", you will be connected to a scammer who will ask you, in this case if you had subscribed to a $39.99 per month product. The amount does not matter. The scammer will ask you if you want to cancel the purchase. When you say "yes" he will ask yo to open up google browser page and tell you to  type in a web address that will allow them to take control of your computer. 

NEVER TAKE INSTRUCTIONS FROM ANYONE WHO CALLS AND TELLS YOU TO TYPE IN A WEB ADDRESS!  

Of course, when they call me, I know it is a scam. I do not have an Amazon account and, if I did, Amazon would never call me unsolicited. Also, they would not have my mobile phone number.  So, the lesson is: IF YOU GET AN UNSOLICTED CALL FROM APPLE, GOOGLE, AMAZON, MICROSOFT or any other company. HANG UP. if you are curious, contact the company directly. BUT BE CAREFUL! Some of these scammers have set up websites where the address or listing on Google or other browser may LOOK like the legitimate site. Make sure, that if you call, you are calling the right place.


MAJOR SCAM ALERT WARNING. NOV. 5, 2020.

On Oct 30, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which is an agency of the federal government, issued a final ruling allowing DEBT COLLECTORS to contact you by way of text, e mail, social media, and voice messages to collect a debt. This opens the door to scammers to pose as debt collectors, claim you owe money you don't and demand payment. IT IS IMPORTANT TH IF YOU RECEIVE SUCH A COMMUNICATION, DO NOT RESPOND TO IT. Rather, if yo have a legitimate debt, contact the company directly by phone, and do not use any contact information contained in any debt collection communication you receive via any electronic method.  As I start receiving such scam messages, I will post it here.

TEXT MESSAGE FROM "FED EX" SCAM ALERT. OCT 28, 2020 
I just received a text message, allegedly from Fed Ex with  a link that I am supposed to tap on to check for a delivery. I do have a Fed Ex account, but they do not have my cell phone number. Also the web address shown is NOT Fed Ex. If you get such a text, DO NOT TAP OR CLICK ON THE LINK. I don't know what will happen but I am sure it is nothing good. 


CALL FROM "CHASE" REGARDING MY CREDIT CARD OCT. 19, 2020

I just got a call from "Chase" about my credit card. First of all, I do not have a Chase Credit card. Secondly, they called my cell phone and I don't use my cell phone number for business. The call was a recording that required me to connect by pressing 1 on my keypad.  The recording told me to have my credit card ready. Well, we all know what that means. They were trying to get me to reveal my credit card number and security code. Chase will never call you with a recording. If Chase wants to help you with your credit card, THEY KNOW THE CARD NUMBER! It is just another scam to steal your private information.

XFINITY SCAM ALERT: SEPT 24, 2020

I just received a call on my cell phone offering me a discount on my Xfinity service. Of course, I don't give out my cell phone number and I don't ,have Xfinity. Bust just for fun I played along and when the scammer asked what services I had, I said, "You should know, you are calling me from Xfinity." Well, he tried to wing it and told me what services I had. Remember, I don't have Xfinity. So after my quiz, he said he was NOT a scammer. Really? He certainly was, because I have no relationship with Xfinity. Beware....Scammers are everywhere.

CREDIT SCORE SCAM ALERT:  SEPT 11, 2020.

I just received an e mail with the subject: "There have been Huge changes to your September-cred!t score". THIS IS A SCAM to get you to click on a link. I checked out the address the scam came from in Google and Google would not connect stating it was "INSECURE." This is clearly a spearfishing expedition to get you to click to look at your credit score, but most likely will put malware on your computer. AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS!
As I have said time and time again: NEVER CLICK ON A LINK IN AN E MAIL UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE IT CAME FROM SOMEONE YOU KNOW AND TRUST. You may even get emails that appear to come from friends that are very dangerous. If I get an e mail with a link, I make sure to contact the apparent sender to make sure they really sent the link. 

CREDIT CARD INTEREST REDUCTION ALERT. SEPT 3
 2020.

I just got a call on my cell phone. A recording of course claiming it was from Chase Bank offering me lower interest on my credit card. It should be no surprise that I do not have a Chase credit card and the call was NOT from Chase, but rather another phishing expedition, probably trying to obtain personal information or offering me a "lower" interest rate on the balance on an existing card. Of course it is a trick.  Why would Chase call you offering you a lower interest rate? All they want to do is collect interest at the highest possible rate. An unsolicited call from ANYONE claiming to be an official call, such as a bank, Social Security, IRS or any other legitimate business is most likely a scam. Just HANG UP!

SCAMS UP 65% DURING COVID.  AUG 31,2020.

 It has recently been reported that scams have increased by 65% since the COVID  crisis began. As usual, many of the scams have been targeting seniors. One new scam involve an e mail that says Congress has passed a law that gives seniors $800 per week in additional benefits. All you need to do is provide a bunch of personal information.  Of course Congress has passed nothing and the scam is an attempt to get you to provide your personal information so your identity can be stolen. NO GOVERNMENT AGENCY WILL EVER CONTACT YOU, BY ANY MEANS, REQUESTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. IN FACT NOBODY EXCEPT SCAMMERS WILL.  Never give up any personal information, no matter what. 

JOB SITE FRAUD ALERT. AUG 14, 2020.
I just received a message on my phone offering a job and asking me to click on a web address that was part of the message. Of course, I did not click on it. Rather, I searched Google using the first part of the address and found that it was available for purchase. That means that the entire address is a scam. DO NOT CLICK ON IT. IT WILL PROBABLY HIJACK OR PUT MALWARE ON YOUR PHONE!
The site address starts with https://zfmz.com. The job title is Jeffrey Kitchen's. Notice the name makes no sense because of the apostrophe. 

INSTAGRAM FRAUD. AUG 10, 2020.
This appears to be a new twist. Fraudsters use an Instagram account name very similar to that of a business you do business with. In this case, a financial educator's name was used for the Instagram account, but the fraudster added an underscore after the name, which made it unique.  Then the scammer posts Instagram messages hoping that a customer or student responds . Then the fraudster tries to obtain personal information and recommend a "broker," asking the student to send money to that "broker." Obviously, there is no broker and a money sent will end up in the pocket of the scammer.  I know this cold be rampant, as once the real company put warnings on its Facebook page, the fraudster changed the name of the Instagram address to that of ANOTHER educator, again using the same technique to mimic the real educator. This has been reported to Instagram, but it is too soon to know what they will do about it. BE VERY CAREFUL TO SCRUTINIZE AN INSTAGRAM ADDRESS. If it is not perfect, you know there is a scammer out there.

YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY IS CALLING...REALLY? ALERT DATED AUG 10, 2020.
If you get a call claiming it is from your electric utility company apologizing about an overcharge by a third party provider, guess again. Your electric utility is not calling, it is a scam. I admit, I am not sure what the scam is, but I think it may be an attempt to get you to switch electricity provider to something outrageous with a long term contract. I can tell you, whatever it is it is a fraud. When I connected, a man with a thick Indian accent said he was "Zack." That was the first giveaway . I then asked how he knew who my provider was. He hung up. Again, the calls are coming in on my cell phone, a number which I do not give out to any businesses so I know it is a robocall fraud. The number will likely show the same area code as your phone number and appear legitimate, but it is not. The second you hear a recording, HANG UP, no matter who the call is from. NO GOOD WILL EVER COME OF IT.

MULTIPLE ALERTS: AUG 8, 2020

ALERT 1
You get a call, purportedly from Microsoft, telling you your license will expire.
THIS IS UTTER NONSENSE! Your Windows license NEVER expires. Your software license, if you bought MS Office, does not expire, although Microsoft will stop supporting MS Office 2010. THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT STOPS WORKING. It means that you cannot contact them for support if you have a problem and they will no longer provide any updates. If you get this call HANG UP!

UPDATE ON THIS SCAM.  When they call they try to convince you to go to your computer, hit two keys to bring of the RUN command, and give you an instruction to look at a "License Number". I suspect the number you bring up is the same on EVERY COMPUTER WITH WINDOWS. I know this is a fraud because I was called on a phone number that Microsoft does not have. These scammers are using an automatic dialer to caller every number and they have no idea it is you, even though they act like it. This call claimed my IP address has been compromised, which it hasn't and THEY WOULD NOT KNOW THAT ANYWAY. As I said above, HANG UP THE PHONE!

ALERT 2
Text messages to your cell phone asking you to click on unknown web addresses. I have not followed the address, but I did enter it into Google  and no search results show up. This is a clear sign that this is fraud. DO NOT CLICK ON ANY UNKNOWN LINKS OR WEB ADDRESSES.
You can expect more texts, as many of the wireless carriers are introducing anti spam call protection. The question is --- Dose that protection extend to text messages? The fraudsters are hoping it doesn't, so if they can't call, they will text.


ALERT 3
ATT and Direct TV. I just got a call about a problem with my ATT or Direct TV Services. It starts out," If you have ATT Direct TV..." Do you really think ATT Direct T V will call everyone, not just its own customers? (I do not have ATT Direct TV.)
That is a clear sign of FRAUD. If you get such a call HANG UP.

ILLINOIS DEPT. OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEBIT CARD SCAM.

A substantial number of people who have NOT applied for unemployment have received unsolicited debit cards in the mail from IDES. Not all recipients are Illinois residents. One person said she received a card for her father who has been dead for 5 years. Even the Illinois Attorney General, who is clearly employed, received a card. So what is the scam? It appears that the claims for unemployment are fraudulently made. The state issues the card and then the fraudsters go back into the IDES account that was created and change the method of payment to direct deposit and have the money transferred to what are most likely untraceable accounts. If you receive a card, DO NOT USE IT! You will be responsible to pay the money back. What to do if you get a card? IDES is already overwhelmed and difficult to contact by phone. Take the card to you local police department, fill out a form if requested and KEEP A COPY OF THE FORM.  Stay tuned for more information.

NEW TWIST ON LOTTERY SCAM. 
I recently received an e mail saying that the winner of a lottery wanted to share some of the money with me for a charitable purpose. I responded asking them what they needed from me. Well, of course they asked for a bunch of personal information, which I did not provide. Just be careful, scams are getting worse and with some cell phone companies starting to protect subscribers from spam calls, you can expect more scams to come by way of e mail.

ADDITIONAL INFO ON APPLE FRAUD: JULY 17, 2020.
On today's Apple Fraud call, the person on the line, after I asked, said he was calling from Cupertino, CA.He said his name was Alexander Taud. He directed me to Apple.com security page where he directed me to a place where Alexander Taud's name appears. Of course it is years old. In addition, it shows a web address ending in .de, which Germany, so not in California. He didn't even have a German accent.  I questioned him about the discrepancy (not the accent) and he tried to make up another story. I finally told him he was a fraud because I do not have an I Cloud account. So he hung up after saying,"Have a nice day." REMEMBER, APPLE WILL NEVER CALL YOU ABOUT THIS!.


NEW ALERT: JULY 15, 2020. OUTRAGEOUS TWITTER SCAM NETS $300,000 FROM UNSUSPECTING FOLLOWERS.

The sophistication of hackers cannot be underestimated.  A group of hackers sent out tweets that appeared to come from some very famous people, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Conye West, Bill Gates and others stating that if the reader donated funds in Bitcoin, the celebrity would double the donation. Problem is tat the tweets were completely fraudulent. Nonetheless a total of $300,000
were sent and the money was stolen. 

Think about it though....Do you really think any of these people would actually request a donation in Bitcoin??? Of course not, but some people were foolish enough to fall for the scam. Twitter is still trying to determine how the scam was completed...how the hackers were able to send tweets that appeared to come from celebrities and other famous people. Stay tuned. If Twitter every figures it out and makes it public, it will be reported here.

NEW ALERT: JULY 6, 2020. SCAMMER CALLS CLAIMING YOUR APPLE I CLOUD ACCOUNT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. THE FRAUDSTER SHOWS APPLE INC AND AN APPLE PHONE NUMBER ON THE CALLER ID.
I received not one, but two calls today telling me my Apple account was compromised. How did I know it was a fake? Because I don't have an Apple account. But even if I did, Apple would never call you with a recording telling you your account was compromised. After playing along for a few minutes, the scammer told me I could verify it was Apple by calling a mobile number. Really, Apple would never have me verify them through a mobile number. In addition, the fraudster had a think accent.  Although that might not be conclusive proof, added to the other BS, it was obvious. Oh, by the way after I said Apple would never call me from a mobile number, the scammer hung up. Be aware of this scam and all of the others listed here.
So after you tell them you have a computer, when they ask, they then tell you to go to your browser and open ANYDESK.COM. That is a website that allows them to access your computer. DO NOT DO IT.  Any time a stranger asks you to let them access your computer it is a sure sign that they will put malware on it. DON'T FALL FOR IT.  HANG UP THE PHONE!

NEW PAYPAL SCAM: YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE CLOSED N 3 DAYS!
This latest scam e mail threatens to close your PayPal account in 3 days if you don't click on one of the buttons on the e mail. Of course, the email comes not from Paypal, but payapal@ account-update.com. Well account-update .com is NOT Paypal's web address. DELETE THIS EMAIL PERMANENTLY FROM YOUR MAILBOX. That is why I have said time and time again: Before clicking on any link or button in an e mail, CHECK THE EMAIL ADDRESS IT CAME FROM. That is the sure way to know if it is real. If it came from Paypal, it would be paypal.com not account-update.com.BE CAREFUL.

EXTREME ALERT! CORONA VIRUS SCAMS MULTIPLYING
UPDATE: Phony drive up testing in Louisville, KY!
It has been reported that scammers have set up phony dire up corona virus testing sites, charhing $250 for a fake test. The people taking the test are not using sanitary practices and may be in fact SPREADING THE VIRUS. DO NOT take a test where they are charging. Do not take a test unless you have verified with your local health officials that the testing site is legitimate.
MORE SCAM NEWS ON CORONA VIRUS:
Just like the uncontrolled spread of the Corona Virus, Scammers are already trying to cash in on the panic. Some offer cures, others offer protection at outrageous prices.  THERE IS NO CURE and paying outrageous prices for products such as masks and hand sanitizer Is makes no sense. All of the experts state that soap and water is the best way to clean your hands and sanitizers should only be used when soap and water are not available. Masks don't protect you from the corona virus. They only protect OTHERS from catching if from you if you have it.  No one will be calling you about the virus. Rely on public announcements from reliable and trusted media sources. National network news is the safest place to get information. Because they must maintain a license to continue to  broadcast, they are required to provide accurate information. 
 
EXTREMELY URGENT ALERT: PHONY CORONA VIRUS EMAILS CONTAIN MALWARE

It has just been reported that phony e mails offering information on the Corona Virus contain MALWARE. Some of the e mails claim to come form the U.S. CDEC, The World Health Organization and other legitimate sources. DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN EMAILS TALKING ABOUT THE CORONA VIRUS. This will most likely infect your computer with malware  that will lock up your computer and demand a ransom to unlock your computer. Further, even after you pay the ransom you cannot be sure what was left on your computer to steal your personal and private information.
THE LATEST SCAM DANGER: DEEP FAKES COULD REALLY COMPLICATE YOUR LIFE.
It was recently reported in the Wall Street Journal and later in the Washington Post that a new technique is being employed to steal significant sums of money from large companies. You must be asking: what is a deep fake? A deep fake is a broad term used to describe audio, video or both that mimics the voice and appearance of an individual but uses artificial intelligence to alter it in such a way that it appears that the person being mimicked is actually saying the words shown in the deep fake when in fact the deep fake is not real. One example of a deep fake was a video produced appearing to show that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was slurring her words and acted as though she was drunk. In fact the video had been altered using deep fake technology to make it appear that she was drunk when she was not. Deep fake technology is getting more and more sophisticated every day. The frightening example described in the Wall Street Journal involves the CEO of the division of a petroleum Company. The deep fakers obtained voice samples of the CEOs boss and then manipulated it in such a way that it sounded exactly like the boss. The deep fakers then called the CEO posing as the boss using the technology. In the conversation the deep fake boss ordered the CEO to send a wire for 200,000 British pounds to a fraudulent account. Since the CEO thought he was talking to his boss, and the CEO had the authority upon instruction to send such a large amount, he complied. Apparently, there was a second attempt and during that attempt the CEO had his real boss on one line and the fake boss on the other line and realized what was going on. Of course, because of transferring the money from account to account to account, the company was not able to recover the 200,000 pounds however because the CEO realized it the second time, no more money was lost.

The technology has become so widely available that an app can be downloaded not only to computers, but smart phones as well. This is extremely frightening. It means that someone could call you posing as your spouse or child saying that he or she was in trouble and needed some money very quickly. Or the fake loved one could ask you to send money to an account for purchase that is actually a fraudulent account. I expect and predict that it will not be long before people start getting telephone calls from fake spouses and children or parents purporting to be the actual person and giving you instructions to send money or to provide information of one sort or another. How do you combat such deception? Right now, the only way would be to, in advance, talk to your spouse your children and your parents about this possibility and tell them that if they ever call and need something like that, you will then call them back on their own device. If the deep faker tells you they’re not available then you know it is a fraud. It is quite disgusting that scammers are invading our private lives in this way, but in this brave new world, we have no choice but to accept that it is going to occur and that we need to preempt such activity by making sure all of us have laid out a predetermined plan to check and verify any request for money or information from anyone you know. Of course, you already know that if you are unable to identify the person on the other end of the line, you never provide any information at all. Your job is to just hang up. Remember, that if you do get what may possibly be a deep fake call, DO NOT tell the person on the other end that you are going to verify. Rather just say, “I’ll take care of it.” Then call the real person and verify.

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NEW ALERT: SOCIAL SECURITY SO CONCERNED ABOUT SCAMMERS IT SENDS OUT ITS OWN E MAIL ALERT!

The Social Security Administration is so worried about scammers that it has sent out its own alert warning about not only e mail scams but phone scams as well. It contains the same warnings I have given on this web site.  Here is the text:

Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams

Scammers are pretending to be government employees. Scammers will try to scare you and trick you into giving them your personal information and money. They may threaten you or your family and may demand immediate payment to avoid arrest or other legal action.
DON'T BE FOOLED!
IF YOU RECEIVE A SUSPICIOUS CALL:
1. Hang up!

2. DO NOT give them money or personal
    information!

3. Report the scam at OIG.SSA.GOV!
  cell phone image
What to look out for
image of SS card

The call or email says there is a problem with your Social Security Number or account.
image of a credit card

Someone asking you to pay a fine or debt with retail gift cards, wire transfers, pre-paid debit cards, internet currency, or by mailing cash.
image of a cell phone

Scammers pretend they’re from Social Security or another government agency. Caller ID or documents sent by email may look official but they are not.
caution symbol

Callers threaten you with arrest or other legal action.
Social Security may call you in 
some situations but will never:
  
    Threaten you
    Suspend your Social Security Number
    Demand immediate payment from you
    Require payment by cash, gift card, pre-paid debit card, or wire transfer
    Ask for gift card numbers over the phone or to wire or mail cash
 
Protect yourself, friends and family!

    If you receive a questionable call, hang up and report it at oig.ssa.gov
    Don’t be embarrassed to report financial loss or sharing information
    Learn more at oig.ssa.gov/scam
    Share this information with others

      Report a Scam      



NEW ALERT: FED EX SCAM E MAILS

It was just reported on NBC National Nightly News that scammers are sending out phony e mails claiming to be from Fed Ex and claiming a package is to be delivered. After clicking on the e mail the site you are sent to asks for a lot of personal information.  FED EX WILL NEVER SEND YOU AN E MAIL WHERE, AFTER CLICKING ON IT, THEY ASK FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION. THEY ALREADY KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!N This is just another attempt by scammers to collect personal data on you and sell it to criminals or use it themselves in their own criminal activity.

NEW ALERT: THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH! MATTRESS SCAM

A new scam that was just reported in Chicago appears to be a nationwide epidemic. Gravity Cool Mattress Company is offering free lunches, as long as you agree to a very hard sell presenetation. Gravity Cool offers you lunch, but you must agree to attend their “presentation” about the mattresses they are selling. After lunch, it seems that invitees are herded into a room or remain in the dining room rented by Gravity Cool where they first receive a hard sell presentation on Gravity Cool mattresses and then a second small group or one on one hard sell to buy one of their mattresses. Of course, the mattress comes with a money back guarantee. One older woman in the Chicago area was high pressured and ended up spending $4000., on a mattress and bedding. After the mattress came and she did not like it, she tried to get a refund. The mattress company demanded that she donate the now used mattress, send the receipt to Gravity Cool and she should get her refund. The problem is, in Illinois at least, there are very tight restrictions on the trafficking in used mattresses, so tight that no charity would accept the mattress. She was stuck, as was another person who paid approximately $1000. It took the local news station investigators to get involved to help both people recover their money.

The point is that There is no free lunch. It is extremely important to avoid hard sell presentations, as the perpetrators know how to convince you to fall into their trap. The trap begins with the guilty feeling of getting the free lunch and feeling obligated to purchase something. This is very similar to the free vacation, where you are required to attend a hard sell presentation on a time share vacation license.


NEW ALERT: VARIATION ON REFUND SCAM

Her is the latest variation on the Computer Service Refund Scam.  The call comes in as a recording, telling you your are entitled to a refund for service completed on your computer by the "computer Department." If you press 1 after the recording, you are told that you havd used some type of computer maintenance service that you paid $199.95 for. Overnight the company had a problem with their server so now you can either continue the services for $199.95 or cancel it and get a refund of the same amount. (Really, this makes absolutely no sense.) Anyway, either way you need to login to a particular web site, or you will receive a link by e mail. All these people want to go is to get into your computer so they can hold it for ransom. Just hang up. No need to even go beyond the recorded message. I do that so you don't have to. 

UPDATE ON MICROSOFT SCAM

Normally, when I get a scam call, either I do not answer it or I hang up fairly quickly. However, to help all of you, I have been letting some of these people go on for a while so I can figure out how they plan to perpetrate their scam. Today I received a call from someone claiming to offer me a refund for a Microsoft subscription. I have no Microsoft subscription so I knew there was a scam right off the bat. Nonetheless I stuck around for a while. The whole purpose of the call was to try to get access to my computer, either by them sending me an email which I would have to reply to  (and by clicking on their email giving them control over my computer) or sending me to a website where, after entering some information, they could take control of my computer. MICROSOFT IS NOT OFFERING REFUNDS. Microsoft will not call you out of the blue. If you get a call from someone claiming to be Microsoft, hang up immediately.

NEW ALERT: CALLS SHOWING CITY CALLER ID AND POLICE DEPT. PHONE NUMBER DEMANDING MONEY

Skokie, IL is a suburb of Chicago. It has recently been reported that residents are receiving phone calls from scammers. The caller ID name shows the Village of Sckokie and the phone number is that of the police department. The callers ask about immigration status, demand money or insist that your install what is most likely malware on your computer. This, of course is a total scam, and since this is happening in the Chicago suburbs, it won't be long, if it isn't happening already, that this scam will move nationwide. Remember,  no one from a municipality will call you demanding money or demanding  that you click on links or surrender your computer over the internet. 

NEW ALERT: Scam CALLS INCREASING. 

If you don't already know, the U. S. Congress is in the process of passing legislation that would require phone companies to institute technology that would block scam and Robo calls. It has already been passed in the House, and hopefully will pass the Senate in the near future. It is hoped that the President will sign the legislation. Once that takes effect, telephone companies will be required to develop and institute technology that will drastically reduce the number of scam calls. The scammers are aware of this and it appears have really stepped up their activity to try to rip off as many people as possible before there fake calls are curbed. I received two separate calls today from people claiming to be from the Social Security Administration and telling me that there was a warrant out for my arrest. Now, as an attorney, I know that such a claim is totally ridiculous, but many out there apparently do not and are being scammed by these criminals. You must be extra careful and very vigilant because the calls will keep on coming at a greater frequency until the technology is in place that should stop the calls. However, don't get too excited about this because it is likely that the scammers themselves will find ways to get around the safeguards that will be put in place in the near future.

NEW ALERT: Scammers steal checks, modify them and then use smart phone deposit technology to steal your money.

Recent reports allege that scammers stole mail containing checks written by businesses, altered those checks and then deposited those checks using smart phone technology to steal thousands of dollars from business bank accounts. The fact is the business did nothing wrong. They sent the checks through the regular mail. They did not alter the checks. The checks were then altered and processed using smart phone technology so that the alterations could not be seen because they had not been presented in person at the bank. The bank accepted those bogus checks. The bogus checks were then cleared by the businesses' issuing banks. Based on the scam, should the depositing bank stop accepting smart phone check photos to deposit checks? Should the accepting bank be liable for failing to properly screen the checks deposited? Should the issuing bank be liable for accepting checks deposited in a manner that permits fraud? These are thorny questions but my strong suggestion is, that before it happens to you, ask your bank how they would handle such a situation. Certainly, in no event should you be liable but the question is whether the bank is willing to take responsibility.

NEW ALERT: RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET PAY SCAM IN CHICAGO?

NBC NEWS 5 in Chicago recently reported that a woman, who was trying to pay a red light camera ticket on line, ended up connecting with a site that WAS NOT apparently associated with the city of Chicago. The victim claimed that when she entered her ticket by its number, all of her information came up. She made the payment.  Some time later, she received a delinquency notice that the ticket had not been paid. When she checked with the city, she realized she had paid the money to what appears to be a fraudulent scam website. She does not know where her money went and, so far, she has been unable to figure it out. If it is happening in Chicago, it is most likely happening in other places. Be very careful. When you are paying a ticket online, make sure that the website is the website of the governmental jurisdiction. One way to check is to look at the web address. Almost all government web site have .gov or .(state abbreviation.us.) It is unlikely that any official website is a .com.
 
NEW ALERT: CALLER WANTS TO GIVE YOU A REFUND ON OVERCHARGED UTILITY BILLS.

A new scam call came in today. A recorded message says that your third party energy provider overcharged you and you are entitled to a refund. The call goes on to mention both electric and gas in the same breath. This is clearly a scam. I did not connect with them because I do not want them to think that I am a target. If you get a call like that, IT IS A SCAM! They are probably trying to obtain personal information so they can use it to steal your identity or sell it on the dark web.

NEW ALERT: WE WANT TO REFUND MONEY TO YOU

I just got a "New Jersey" call, as it showed up on the caller ID. The recorded message (already a strong scam indicator of a scam told me that a company I had used for Microsoft support was closing and they wanted to refund my money. They then left a 908 area code number to call. First of all, I never sent anyone any money for Microsoft Support. Also, I have not used Microsoft support, which is free, for nearly 2 years. So I KNOW it is a scam. Who knows what the scam is, but you should never want to find out.  Either don't answer or hang up and never call the number they give you.

NEW ALERT: COSTCO COUPON SCAM AIMS TO COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION. 

 A new scam, just reported by Costco, is now appearing on social media. Previously, it was contained in e mails. The scam offers a $75 coupon and provides a link. When you click on the link, you end up on a page that APPEARS to be a Costco sponsored page, but isn't. You are urged to spread the word and the site requests personal information to obtain the coupon. The coupon, of course is fraudulent and the purpose of the scam is collect your  sensitive personal information that can be used for nefarious purposes or sold. Sadly, this is not the first Costco scam. CLICK HERE to go to Costco's fraud page website to learn about other Costco scams. It is important to note that Costco's business model is not designed to offer coupons on line, especially to non Costco members. Costco "coupons" either appear in store or in Costco's monthly flyer sent to members offering specific discounts.  You can expect other similar scams for Sam's Club. 

NEW ALERT: FOREIGN LOTTERY SCAM.

Actually, this is nothing new. Lottery scams have been around for a long time. There are scams involving the Irish Lottery, the German Lottery and this one using the Jamaican Lottery. It satarts (as almost always) with an enticing sob story The person writing has just won the lottery but must make an advance payment to collect the winnings. She is so poor she does not have the advance money and if you help her and send her the advance money, she will handsomely reward you . Sound familiar? If you have read some on the materials on this site, it is just a variation of the Dead African Prince scam where some front money is needed to release a huge jackpot of cash. 
One of the victims in this case, as reported by ABC, was a 90 year old widow who was scammed out of $400,000. The perpetrators were caught and extradited from Jamaica to the U.S. and criminally prosecuted. However, nowhere can the money be found. According to the report the total amount scammed exceeded $6 million. 

That is why I urge you, if you receive an e mail and are not 100 percent sure it is legitimate, CLICK HERE to go to the CONTACT US page and e mail your suspicious e mail to me at the e mail address shown. I will evaluate it and give you my opinion.

NEW ALERT: VETERANS SCAMMED BY UNSCRUPULOUS LOAN COMPANIES

 A scam that began in 2011 has finally been exposed; but are there others out there? According to MSN and federal court filings, the scam targeted vulnerable veterans just trying to get a short term advance on their disability payments. In this case a veteran searches online for "Veteran disability Loan." Yes, there was a company that would give the veteran a loan, but at what price? In return for a loan of $5,000 the victim signed over a portion of his disability payments and then was charged 100% INTEREST on the outstanding balance. This meant that the payments made from the benefits did not pay off the loan and the outstanding balance generated the huge amount of interest, making it impossible for the loan to be paid off with most of the disability money used to cover the ongoing and mounting interest. To add insult to injury, this veteran was being treated for a psychiatric condition, so he was totally unable to understand the mess he was getting himself into. I would also image that the paperwork was very complicated and did everything possible to hide the truth from the victim. Remember, avoid any online loan programs. They will most likely charge outrageous amounts of interest and you will never recover. I was representing someone in bankruptcy court and heard a story of a woman who borrowed money using her car as collateral. The interest was so high, she could never pay the loan off, and, in the end, the "lender" ended up owning her car. 

NEW ALERT: BY WARY OF GET RICH QUICK TRADING SCHEMES.

In the last few days, I have been receiving a rash of get rich quick trading schemes by e mail showing extremely profitable "results." Be very wary of such offers, as most of the time they are questionable at best. Remember, if you invented a trading program that was very profitable, would you share it with the world? Of course not. You would use it yourself and get rich. Trading is very risky and there are not quick fixes or shortcuts. Yes, learning about tried and true strategies can help you, but these get rich quick trading programs are most likely "exaggerating"  their claims. The only way to be sure if the results being offered are real is to see an actual compilation of brokerage statements showing the performance of a system. Even then, as the market's character changes, such systems may lose their effectiveness. Don't waste money buying a system you cannot confirm really works.

NEW ALERT: DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER TO RETAILERS OR OTHER BUSINESSES IF YOU CAN AVOID IT

It was just reported that data companies are collecting data on you and using your cell phone number to compile it, which would be an invasion of your privacy. When a merchant collects your cell phone number it then forwards that information along with your purchase information to data companies. They then collate all of the information collected on you, such as what you bought, what restaurants you visit, what stores you frequent and any other data they collect on you and then sell it to retailers and others so they can target you. If you value your privacy, DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER!

NEW ALERT: SCAMMERS CLAIM YOU HAVE PENDING E MAILS YOU ARE YET TO RECEIVE, BUT IT IS A SCAM

I just received an e mail, for the second time in a couple of days, telling me that my email, which is hosted by 1 and 1 IONOS is somehow locked and I am urged to click on a link in the e mail to "confirm ownership" of my e mail address. As I repeat again and again, DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS IN YOUR E MAIL UNLESS YOU ARE 100% POSITIVE IT IS LEGITIMATE. Notice the return e mail address on the scam piece: 1&1 IONOS <mai.erlenbach@t-online.de>. IT IS NOT FROM 1 and 1 IONOS. 

NEW ALERT: SCAMMERS POSTING FAKE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS TO SELL PRODUCTS ON LINE.

For at least the past two years, "pop up" internet stores have been selling beauty products with fraudulent endorsements. According the the NY Times, Sandra Bullock and Ellen DeGeneres filed lawsuits in Los Angeles against the offenders. The scammers will open an internet store and post the phony endorsements. When they are discovered, they close the store and open another one in a different name. Be careful if you receive an e mail offering products allegedly endorsed by any celebrity. As you know, celebrities are pretty careful and exclusive about product endorsements. The likelihood that the endorsement is fraudulent is very high. When in doubt, check the web page or Facebook page of the celebrity. You can be sure that if a product is being endorsed, it will most likely be prominently displayed on the celebrity's page.


NEW ALERT: PREMIUM TRUST BANK E MAIL A SCAM

I just got an e mail from "Premium Trust Bank" a bank that apparently doe not exist. It claims you are a beneficiary to millions of dollars from the "US Department of Treasury.:" This is outrageous, but the e mail has those telltale signs that it is a scam. 
  • The e mail address has nothing to do with "Premium Bank." It is the e mail address of a power company.
  • The reply to e mail address has a different .com from the sending address.
  • The e mail is not personalized.
  • The e mail is in broken English. 
Stay AWAY from this e mail. It is definitely a scam.


NEW ALERT: COMCAST PHONE CALL SCAM

This scam starts with a phone call from a person claiming to be from Comcast. I knew this was a scam immediately because I do not have any services with Comcast. Anyway, the caller asks if your internet has been running slow, especially when downloading large files such as movies or TV shows. THIS IS NOT COMCAST!.Then they start asking you  for information and I would assume try to access your computer by sending you to a particular website claiming they want to test your internet speed. At that point, they will probably hijack your computer and force you to pay money to get it released.
NO MATTER WHETHER YOU SUBSCRIBE TO COMCAST OR NOT, HANG UP!. Comcast will never call you and ask for any personal information or try to access your computer, unless you have contacted them and, on the same call try to get a problem resolved.

NEW ALERT: ARE MOTHER’S LOUNGE AND FREE GIFT CARD PROVIDERS SCAMMING YOU?

According to a report from BBB, there may be a new scam out there preying on expectant and new mothers. Mothers (and others) have been receiving notes of congratulations from “Jenny B”. The note appears to be hand written and there are a number of “gift cards” included. According to a number of “victims” when using the gift cards, the cost of shipping almost equals the value of the gift card, so the “gift card” is nothing more than a promotion for you to buy products that you pay for “hidden” in the shipping cost. 

NEW ALERT: TIK TOk COULD POSE THREAT

Tik Tok, a social media app for creating and disseminating short videos, is owned by a Chinese company. When a video is created on Tik Tok, it, like many social media apps, collects data on the user. The fear is that since the company is Chinese, the company may be forced to share the personal data collected by the app with the Chinese government, and the government would then, in turn, use the data for malicious purposes. Tik Tock claims all of the servers containing the date are outside of China and the Chinese government cannot access it. Or so they say. China, being a dictatorship, has the power to force any Chinese citizen to bend to its will, no matter how well intentioned a person or company might be.

This app is generally used by young people. You should consider talking to your children about its use and the possible dangers it might create. Maybe, they should stop using it and try to sue an app owned by an American company.


NEW ALERT ---PHONY NETFLIX E MAIL

Scammers are sending emails that appear to be from Netflix. The e mail says your account is to be suspended and you need to click on the link and re enter your personal and credit card information.
DO NOT BE FOOLED!!! If you do this, the scammers will get your information and use it to place charges on your credit card, and if you enter you SS number, sell that number to other crooks.

No reputable company will ever send you such an e mail. Not Netflix, not Hulu, not Amazon ---no one. 

If you get such an e mail, use Google to find the REAL phone number of the company and call to confirm. 

NEW ALERT ---SCAMMERS NOW USING GOOGLE CALENDAR TO SCAM YOU

This was first reported in July, 2019 but apparently not widely circulated. It has now been reported again by NBC.  Click on NBC to see the report.

NEW ALERT ---SCAMMERS  NOW USING CRITICAL CALLER ID NAMES TO INDUCE YOU  TO ANSWER. 

I just got a scam call with the Caller ID of a local hospital to trick me into picking up the phone....BEWARE

In other calls, they are also showing YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER IN THE CALLER ID

NEW ALERT  --  FORM JACKING  Click Here
Scam Slammer Alerts           Government Imposters

Here are some facts you must memorize to protect yourself from scammers posing as officials of government:

1. No government agency will ever contact you by telephone without first attempting to reach you by mail numerous times. That’s right, no arm of the federal government will never, ever call you out of the blue.

2. No one from the federal government will ever ask you to send them money during a phone call. A request to make payments that you may owe the federal government, or any other government for that matter, WILL ALWAYS come in writing.

3. No one from the government will ever call you and ask you for your Social Security number. Never ever give out your Social Security number to anyone. That is a recipe for potential disaster.


The latest government imposters’ scams

The Social Security Administration scam: 
If you get a telephone call or a recording claiming that the call is on behalf of the Social Security Administration, HANG UP. Social Security will never ever call you out of the blue. DO NOT ever respond to a recording from a voice claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. If you have a cell phone and can block the number permanently, block it. Many of the calls will come from what appear to be area codes where the federal government may have offices, such as the 202 area code which denotes Washington DC or a 403 area code that denotes Maryland. Of course, if you have friends or relatives or even business in these areas, make sure you recognize the full telephone number before answering. When in doubt, let the phone go to voicemail or look for a text from someone you know. In the recording the voice claims that your Social Security number or Social Security account has been compromised and you must contact the caller immediately. The voice may even claim that there are CRIMINAL CHARGES against you.Never RETURN THAT CALL. If you are really concerned, hang up and call the Social Security Administration yourself to see if they are actually contacting you. Believe me ,it wasn’t them. You may be on hold for a while but that’s a lot safer than getting scammed.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scam: 
If you get a telephone call, or recording claiming that the call is from the IRS, HANG UP. The IRS will never call you out of the blue. They will never call you and ask you for money. The IRS always contacts people by mail, repeatedly, and possibly only then, might they call. However THEY WILL NEVER ASK YOU TO PAY MONEY over the phone. If you owe funds to the IRS, they will send you notifications in the mail. Remember to put that bogus phone number on your rejected call list if your phone has that feature. DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THREATS OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OR ARREST. It is all part of the scam.  After all, if a government agent was going to arrest you, would you get a heads up? Of course not.

Other Popular  Scams

The Microsoft scam: 
If you get a telephone call or recording claiming that the call is from Microsoft, HANG UP. Unless you have contacted Microsoft first, they will not call you and they will certainly not call you out of the blue. The caller claims that Microsoft has found a problem with your computer and that it needs to be fixed. Again, MICROSOFT WILL NEVER CALL YOU unless you contact them first. These scammers attempt to convince you to give them control of your computer. Then they will make you pay a fee to get control of your computer back. Remember to put that bogus phone number on your rejected call list if your phone has that feature.

The Apple scam. 
You may receive a call from someone claiming you either have a problem with your iPhone or that he charge you made with your iPhone or using Apple pay has resulted in a problem. They may say that your Apple pay account is corrupt. No one from Apple will call you out of the blue and ask you or tell you about such a problem if you receive a call like that just hang up and put that telephone number on your rejected call list. 

The Medicare scam 
You may get a call from someone claiming that your doctor or in another health professional has contacted them on your behalf because you have a medical problem such as back pain or knee pain believe me, your doctor or your health professional will never call anyone without your OKAY. They are prohibited from doing so by federal medical privacy acts. If you receive a call like that, hang up THAT. What they are probably trying to do is to get your address, send you an unsolicited medical device such as a back support or knee support and then send a bill to Medicare to collect money. Although this may not cost you personally, it does cost all of us because that is a form of Medicare fraud.
You’ve won a free trip scam. 
This is yet another attempt to separate you from your money. No one is giving away free trips. Sometimes these calls can be from a company selling vacation licenses, where you are invited to a resort location where you pay the airfare and they pay for the “room.” Go to one of those events and you will be incessantly prorated and high pressured to purchase a vacation license. Remember to put that bogus phone number on your rejected call list if your phone has that feature.

FORM JACKING

Here is yet another incredibly dangerous scam that you may have no protection against. How scary is that? I learned about this from watching my local news in Chicago on W LS, the ABC affiliate.

So this is how this scam works. A hacker, using his evil expertise, can sometimes add malware, which is software that among other things can steal information, to almost any website that requires a buyer or an applicant to complete a form. You don’t know it’s there. It’s sort of like when you use your ATM card and you learn later that a skimmer was placed in the slot. As you are filling out the form, unbeknownst to you, that information is being transmitted to the hacker so the hacker can subsequently either use it or sell it to rip you off. Individuals have little protection because they would never know whether a site had been infected with this form jacking malware. It is quite possible that the web host itself does not know that there is malware lurking on its site. So how do you protect yourself? Well, it depends on the information that you are required to provide.

I have set up alerts on most of my credit cards so that, if a charge is made without the card being present, I will be notified by the credit card issuer. I use it with my American Express card and I use it with my Discover card as well. I tried to make sure that those are the only two cards I use when buying something online, so I feel fairly well protected. These alerts have helped me on at least three occasions when my credit card number had been hijacked. As soon as the charge showed up on my alert, I contacted the credit card company. They stopped the charge and issued me a new card with a new number. One person tried to buy over $1000 worth of merchandise in Atlanta. Another one bought a couple hundred dollars worth of shoes at Nike town in Chicago. Of course that was a slightly different situation because my number was skimmed when I used my credit card at a restaurant.

 Your Social Security number is another issue, though. I generally do not provide my Social Security number to anybody online if I can possibly avoid it. I won’t even send it in an email. The only way I will send my Social Security number to someone who I know to be reputable, is either by fax or by verbal telephone contact.

The report I watched claims that using a phone app such as Google pay or Apple pay is much more secure. Frankly, I don’t buy it. Someone is going to figure out a way to hack that as well, and we know that it seems a lot easier to hack your cell phone than it does your home computer. Any time you connect to a free public Wi-Fi service you are susceptible to having your phone hacked.

So, BEWARE! It really is a shame that we must look over our shoulders, under the table, and everywhere else because scammers are lurking. But, if you know they are out there, you know to be careful.


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CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION SCAM WEB PAGE.

CHECK BACK OFTEN TO LEARN ABOUT NEW SCAMS AS THEY COME TO LIGHT

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