Fighting The Battle Against Evil...

Mother and Son arrested in a Nigerian check scam

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:05:00 +0000

"Mother & son arrested in check fraud

A mother and son were arrested last week for fraud in connection with the so-called Nigerian check fraud scam after a counterfeit check for $4,700 was deposited at Downey Saving Bank in Banning.

Police say that last April 2 an unidentified man posing as Devin Oyervides deposited a counterfeit check into Oyervides' account. As a result, Susana Oyervides, 43, and her son, Devin Alexander Oyervides, 22, were arrested by Banning detectives for “facilitating the deposit of a counterfeit check.” Police allege they provided the son's personal and checking account information to a man known only as “Derrick Love” on the Internet to create a counterfeit check. They were directed by Love to make withdrawals from the bank and to wire the money to Nigeria. They got $300 for their participation, police said. Devin Oyervides was arrested Aug. 20, at his work place in Beaumont. His mother was arrested at her home in Moreno Valley."

Law Enforcement does not recognize ignorance as an excuse. Innocent people are prosecuted every day for fraud schemes that they believed were legit.

BBB Consumer Alert: Phony Escrow Companies Defraud Car-Buyers Out of Thousands

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:50:00 +0000

"Internet thieves are now using escrow service fronts with some new twists to steal money and personal identities. The scope and cost of Internet fraud is stunning. For 2007, the Internet Crime Complaint Center processed 219,553 complaints and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that nearly $526 million was lost via Internet fraud. FTC also reports that 28 percent of online fraud victims sent funds to scammers via hard to track wire transfer services – a favorite tactic of fake escrow services."

$526 MILLION.........that is ridiculous. Click HERE to read the full article.

PHONE PHISHING

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:44:00 +0000

I recently came across this article about Phone Phishing. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT! People, Identity theft is the number one crime in America. The scammers are coming up with better ways to steal every second. We need to know how to protect ourselves & others. The article is below:

"Dear CNET members,
Happy Friday, folks! By now I hope that most of you are all aware of phishing scams (if not, here is a quick run down from Wikipedia.org). And this week's topic is all about vishing (or voice phishing), which is a scam very similar to phishing tactics, but performed mostly through the telephone or cell phone rather than through Web sites or e-mails. This process of vishing is an electronic fraud tactic where unsuspecting people are called or left a message in one form or another, using an automated process (voice recording) stating that your financial account has been possibly compromised and your verification is needed to ensure it hasn't been compromised. What usually follows the message is a prompt requesting you to enter personal information (credit card information, PIN, Social Security number, etc.). Or if it is left as a message on your answering machine, it leaves a number for you to call back and once you call back, it will prompt you to enter your information. Either way, if you do enter that information (and I hope no one does), before you know it, someone out there has your personal information and is probably laughing all the way to the bank. These scam tactics come in all shapes and sizes; the bottom line is that they're out to get your personal information--if you allow them to! And once you read through the answers that Judie received from our members, you'll get a good sense of what's out there.

I know for a lot of you this whole vishing or even phishing thing sounds trivial, and simple common sense tells us to hang up or ignore it. But unsuspecting people will fall victim to these scams, and unless we as a community raise awareness to our families, friends, and co-workers, scammers will continue to prey on those uninformed folks. So as a community, I urge you all to do a good deed and spread the word about these malicious scams to hopefully stop this crime.

For this week, there will be no voting on the most helpful answer as there are just so many informative answers to go around. We have members providing links to report these tactics, information on how to prevent being a victim or recover from being a victim, all the way to how to stop receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls. There are even folks who were victims of vishing or phishing who have stopped by to share their experience. We are all very grateful and fortunate to have folks like you who care enough to help one another out. So hats off to you, for being kind enough to share. Please read all the answers and get informed. And if you have more advice to add, or experiences to share, do join us in this week's discussion. Take care, and be safe!

Cheers!"
Lee Koo
Manager, CNET community

Plasma TV Rip Off

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:27:00 +0000

Here in California, there is a gang of con artists posing as contractors & ripping off Restaurants & other businesses.
The restaurant manger I spoke with informed me that the individuals walked in to the restaurant, claiming to be a construction company. The manager made an agreement with the cons to have the kitchen cook vents cleaned. The fake workers had bogus insurance, a bogus license, fake paperwork & id's...the whole nine yards of made up fake credentials.
So, on a Sunday night a few weeks back after the restaurant closed, the fake workers were given the keys, the alarm & the green light to steal.
They stole one item:

No alcohol, no equipment, no money, no food, no computers......all that fabricated paperwork & creating a felony - for a TV.
NOTE TO THE CRIMINALS:
Seriously ask yourself - is it worth th risk?

WARNING SIGNS & SECURITY TIPS
1. Be Leary of walk-ins. Do your background homework.
2. Make phone calls, do research, get references - always make sure contractors check out.
3. Security cameras are a great idea if workers are left in establishments without supervision.

Was this article helpful?
Email me at FraudFlyer@yahoo.com

CHARITY EMAIL FRAUD

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:49:00 +0000

The following is an example of another fraud email, this one really laying on the God & Christ talk pretty thick.
Use common sense when receiving stuff like this. Just delete it. Do not entertain the idea that this could possibly be true.
WOULD YOU SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO A COMPLETE STRANGER IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, AND ASK THEMTO HANDLE YOUR MILLIONS FOR YOU? I think not. HERE IS THE SCAM:
{Dear Beloved in Christ,

It is by the grace of God that I received Christ, having known the
truth, I had no choice than to do what is lawful and just in the sight of God for eternal life and in the sight of man for witness of God & is Mercies and glory upon my life.
I am Mrs.Sarah Baxter, the wife of Mr ricky Baxter, my husband worked with the
Chevron/Texaco in Jordan for twenty years before he died in the year
2005.We were married for ten years without a child. My Husband died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Before his death we both got born again and dedicated christians.
Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home which the Bible is strongly against.When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$7.5 Million.(Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S.Dollars) with a Bank in Europe.
Presently, this money is still with the Bank and the management just
wrote me as the beneficiary that our account has been DORMANT and if I, as the
beneficairy of the funds, do not re-activate the account; the funds will be CONFISCATED or I rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf (note that you
need to activate this account) as I can not come over. Presently, I'm in a hospital in Jordan where I have been undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer.
I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that
I have only a few weeks to live. It is my last wish to see this money distributed to
charity organizations anywhere in the World.Because relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth since my illness,I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them.
Please, I beg you in the name of God to help me Stand-in as the
beneficiary and collect the Funds from the Bank.I want a person that is God-fearing who will use this money to fund churches,orphanages and widows propagating the word of God and to ensure that the house of God is maintained.
The Bible made us to understand that blessed is the hand that giveth.
I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husband's relatives are not Christians and I don't want my husband's hard earned money to be misused by unbelievers. I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner.
Hence the reason for taking this bold decision.
I am not afraid of death since I know where I am going to. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord. {Exodus14 VS14}says that the lord WILL fight
my case and I shall hold my peace. I don't need any telephone communication in this
regard because of my soundless voice and presence of my husband's relatives around me always.I don't want them to know about this development.
With God all things are possible.
If you are interested in help me fullfill this dream, you can email to my personal email:

XXXXXXX@yahoo.com
Your Sister in Christ,

Mrs.Sarah Baxter}

***THE FACT THAT THESE ARE STILL CIRCULATING, MEANS THEY ARE STILL DUPING PEOPLE. LET'S GET THE WORD OUT!

PROTECT YOURSELF * PROTECT YOUR FAMILY * PROTECT OUR WORLD *

ATM SCAM

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:40:00 +0000

ATM fraud is on the the highest of all time, as technology gets better and more advanced. Thieves have caught on to the benefits of using devices to access your money. Pay attention to your money, people. Check your bank statements weekly for fraudulent withdrawals, and keep up on all credit card/paypal and other accounts.

How to thieves get your information, you ask? By hacking into bank databases, phishing email scams, devices attached to retailer computer systems, and card skimming devices(like the picture above) placed on ATM machines and gas pumps. Knowing what to look for will make you one step closer to fraud proof.

The ATM card skimming devices fit right over the real card readers. There is usually a tiny camera somewhere on the ATM machine also, where the information of the ATM screen is recorded, as well as you punching in your PIN number. The scammers will now have your information, and it's bye bye bank account.
ATM scams have been reported in every major city in the world, and we can help prevent it.
If you notice anything suspicious when using an ATM machine, report it immediately to the authorities, and use another machine at a different location.

Why Online Fraud Protection?

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:48:00 +0000

Internet fraud has no limits and its anonymity has left many individuals and businesses in jeopardy. For E-commerce businesses it is necessary to have online fraud protection as the percentage of internet fraud keeps growing with time.
Getting online fraud protection helps improve the consumer confidence in your online business. If you have an e-commerce business that provides online fraud protection then you will have a higher percentage of consumer trust than those who do not provide online fraud protection. Online fraud protection will help you check for suspicious orders and help minimize the affects of fraud on your business. With online fraud protection you can provide protection to your customers against credit card theft and this will help protect you and your customers against potential fraud.

There are various kinds of internet frauds that you need protection against that include fake websites, online auctions and lotteries, emails asking for personal information, insecure servers and businesses claiming to give away hefty amounts of money as rewards.

Online Fraud Protection – Save yourself now!

With a few easy and significant steps you can get online fraud protection against potential threats.
Here’s what you can do:

• Websites beginning with ‘http’ are secure and before filling in any personal information on a webpage, you should check for its authenticity and security
• Do not trust emails asking for personal information even if they claim to be from your bank. Always call up your bank or the intended source to verify these as legitimate companies will never ask for personal information via emails
• It is not wise to trust the links given in emails. To check for authenticity, directly type the URL of the company’s website
• Don’t forget to inspect the credit card bills and other financial records that you get every month in order to protect yourself against credit card scam
• Report suspicious emails or mishaps in financial records immediately and in case of credit card scam suspicion contact your credit card issuer immediately
• Do not give out your credit card number online unless the website is secure

Tools used for Online Fraud Protection

Various software and tools are used that can protect you and your business from internet fraud. Email filters are great for detecting spam and potential fraud emails. Anti-virus and anti-spy software helps protect you against any possible virus and spy threats that might possibly pass any important information. For online fraud protection these software are essential especially while downloading. Keep these softwares updated and install a firewall that will help monitor all the incoming and outgoing traffic from your computer.

No one can ensure you a 100% online fraud protection; however taking all the needed action on your part will greatly ensure protection against any potential risk of fraud.

Online Fraud Protection and Credit Card Scam Security with Instabill's merchant accounts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_K
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Online-Fraud-Protection?&id=656616

Banks: Real Or Fake?

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:50:00 +0000

Banks in every country around the world are required to be licensed and registered. If a bank is not registered, it means automatically that it is fraud. criminal Running a fake bank is a felony criminal offense that equals some serious jail time. You can determine whether a bank is, in fact, real in the U.S.A. by using the ABA verification tool found here:

ABA Routing Number Verification Tool

http://yourfavorite.com/checkwriter/verify.htm

Mashable.com Scammer Alert !!

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:08:00 +0000

Today I logged on to my Mashable account, and I have the same message sent to me that I have seen already a dozen other times. This is what is says:

"Comment request from kate121
Message: Hello Dear, I saw your profile today in this site (www.my.mashable.com) and i stopped to take a very good look at it. I want you to know that i will be intrested to know you better because you sounded very sweet in your profile and i will like us to become friends and know eachother the more. Here is my email address (ukwak@yahoo.com) send me an email today please! Yours forever, kate. (Remember that distance,age or colour does not matter in a real relationship but love matters alot). I am waiting for your reply now"

And to my horror, when I checked my 'friend requests', this person had already been 'accepted' as my friend. ?? I did not accept this person! So I changed my password & deleted their info from my page.

Again.....the 'red flags' here are the misspellings, and the chosen words........"(Remember that distance,age or colour does not matter in a real relationship but love matters alot)"

Typical scammer statement, trying to earn trust. Be careful out in cyber space people!

Example Of A Scam on A Popular Social Networking Site

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:14:00 +0000

The following ad is a scam setup.....looking to bait the first sucker. I will point out the red flags......

"I want a boy for cybersex my mail nathaly18x@gmail.com

About

Type:
Fashion & Style

Location:
USA, California
los angeles, saint 12

Desription:
Hi, my name is nathaly I´m 18 years old and I look for boy to practice cybersex, I advise you I don´t accept your first words are:
- Offensive.
- 'Connect the webcam and undress'.
Also everybody must send an email to nathaly18x@gmail.com because I'd like to know something about the person who I want to practice sex. If anybody add to messenger without send me an email forget contact with me.
I have boyfriend and I just want to practice cybersex or ocasional meeting (I'm living alone on a flat). Obiously I must need discretion.

I'm waiting excited your answer.
XXX"

1. Notice the black border on the top of the picture. What is that about!
2. This ad was posted in 'Fashion & style", and it is supposed to be a group to join, not a sex ad
3. Read the words. Someone who does not speak very good English wrote that ad!
4. "I am living alone in a flat" - What the hell is a flat? I live in L.A., as does this 'alleged' person in the ad. We do not call places we live 'flats'. Ever.

5. Of course, it is a new profile on the social networking site, with no friends, no info, zip.
6. A gmail, hotmail, & yahoo email accounts are widely used by scammers, so always be skeptical when you see these free email contacts. Note: I said WIDELY used. Not completely. I have a yahoo account!

Looking out for the good, by exposing the bad. Protect Yourself. Be Informed.

Recent Email Scam To Beware Of

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:41:00 +0000

Local women unwilling centerpiece of e-mail scam

By Mary Beth Smetzer

Published Saturday, February 16, 2008

Vickie Moyle of Nenana and Margaret Sanders of Fairbanks want people to know that neither one is trapped in Africa — and please don’t send money.

Moyle is director of the Nenana Tortella Council on Aging, and Sanders, 83, was director until three years ago.

And that is where things get confusing for anyone who received an e-mail Tuesday from Sanders, signed by Moyle, saying that Moyle was in Kano, Nigeria, attending a program on “Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education” at Bayero University.

None of it was true. And neither was the rest of the e-mail that described Moyle as being in desperate straits since she left a bag with her money, passport, documents and valuables in a taxi and was now in need of $500 to pay her hotel bill and another $500 to get home.

“It has been sent to everybody in the world,” Moyle said Tuesday afternoon, after a day spent trying to explain the Monday “phishing” e-mail she received at the senior center and unfortunately answered.

Even though Sanders isn’t the current senior center director, her name is still part of the center’s e-mail address.

When Moyle took on the directorship, she and the center’s bookkeeper each tried to change the center’s Yahoo e-mail account address to reflect the change, but neither succeeded. So it was left as is, and all was fine until Monday.

On that day, Moyle responded to an e-mail from what she thought was Yahoo asking for an update on the center’s account information. Moyle complied, answering the request in between the many other duties she attends to daily.

“I got something from Yahoo that looked official and answered, and that’s where the danger arises,” she said. “I know better, too.”

Arriving at the Nenana Senior Center Tuesday morning, Moyle found that she wasn’t able to open the center’s Yahoo e-mail account — the password had been changed — and that’s when she realized she had been caught in a phishing scam.

Then the phone calls started coming in — from as far away as Oregon — to get more information about Moyle’s and/or Sanders’ Africa plight, depending on how it was read by each e-mail recipient. Moyle surmises that everyone on the senior center’s e-mail address list had been sent the bogus e-mail.

The e-mail had just enough pathos that people were truly concerned and were willing to send money.

“At first I thought it was some kind of a joke,” Moyle said. “Come on, everyone knows I’m not in Africa and I’m not starving — I’m over 200 pounds.”

But the calls didn’t stop, and Carol Switzer at Denali Center faxed Moyle the original e-mail.

“I’m also insulted if people think this is from me,” Moyle joked. “The grammar is awful and the punctuation is terrible.”

Moyle takes responsibility for the problem. And she contacted the bank and authorities, including the FBI. But Moyle has no way of knowing whether anyone actually did send money. The e-mail said respondents wanting to donate would be sent details on how to transfer the money through a Money Gram or the Western Union.

FBI special agent Eric Gonzalez of Anchorage said similar scams happen all the time and will continue to be launched on unsuspecting Internet users.

“The Internet is anonymous,” he said. “If it looks suspicious, it probably is.”

E-mails received from banks, Pay Pal, AOL or Yahoo may look entirely credible but should never be responded to.

“What they are hoping to do is obtain identification such as a date of birth or password, and once they have that information they can wreak havoc with your information,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez offered advice for Internet users.

“AOL, Yahoo or the bank, they already have your identifying information. They are not going to ask you via an e-mail,” he said, adding that scammers also use the telephone to obtain personal information from trusting people.

“There are bad people out there,” he said. “That is just the reality, and people have to be more cautious.”

Don't Fall For FREE

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:02:00 +0000

Consumer fraud steals BILLIONS from us each year. To avoid becoming a victim, learn to spot the warning signs. Be wary of offers advertising free merchandise - especially if it is in high demand and expensive like the iPhone. This is what the BBB has to say about it:

"Don’t fall for the promise of a free iPhone

BBB warns that offers for “free” merchandise can cost you in the end

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is helping people to spot and avoid legal, but deceptive advertising that lures unsuspecting consumers with free product promotions. Offers to consumers range from low-end gift cards, to high-value items such as iPods, video gaming systems, laptop computers, high definition televisions, and even the much-anticipated Apple iPhone – despite the fact that it won’t even be available until late June. Last year, the BBB System logged more than 5,200 complaints against online and direct mail marketers. Many consumers complained that, despite jumping through the considerable hoops – which often included buying pricey merchandise and services or providing friends’ e-mail addresses – they didn’t receive the “free” merchandise they were promised or were billed for other merchandise they didn’t want."

To get more information about this scam, or for a great list of recent scams, visit CPB Recent Scams Here.

This Site Was Almost Murdered

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:32:00 +0000

If anyone has seen some of the designs this site has seen in the past....Lame! For months, I was only receiving two kinds of emails; 1. Emails from countless spammers & scammers, and 2. People wanting me to spend my time researching people & websites, which is most likely why they are getting scammed - Laziness. (Although sometimes people just have no clue, and I welcome those emails!)
However, upon checking my email for what I thought was going to be the last, there 3 little emails that turned it all around - these good folks were actually thanking me for having this site. One lady even threw in a "I Love Your Site!"....I don't know about all of that.....the way it was set up....but I highly appreciated it nonetheless.
So I found the spark back as to why I started this site in the first place, and from this day forward, I will stay committed to informing the world about the risks & solutions to Internet Fraud.
Let me know what you think of the new site!!

The Most Recent Scam - Calls/Emails From The Alleged 'IRS'

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:45:00 +0000

The most recent scam? Scammers are making phone calls or sending emails to people, stating they are calling from the
IRS about a refund check.To read the full story, CLICK HERE to go to the IRS article.
The goal of the scams is to trick people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, which the scumbags can use to commit identity theft. I highly recommend Lifelock, for $10 a month they moniter your credit & back up your identity with a million bucks. A small price to pay for peace of mind.

The best piece of advice I can give in this situation is NEVER, EVER EVER, under any circumstances, give ANYONE financial or personal information if they contact you. You should be the one making the phone call/email (i.e. to your bank) if any type of personal info is going to be discussed.

Be careful my fellow friends, and protect your hard earned cash.

Scammer Convicted For 2 Years For Internet Fraud

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:54:00 +0000

ONE MORE SCAMMER PUT WHERE HE BELONGS !

A Seattle man convicted of defrauding would-be customers of more than $94,000 through phony deals on the Internet has been sentenced to serve two years in prison and pay $73,873 in restitution to his victims.

U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez handed down the sentence Friday to Jordan Edward Dias, 40, saying the man "is good at what he does: defrauding other people."

Dias, who was convicted of mail fraud, used a number of names and online identities when he offered computer and camera equipment and other items for sale on the Internet auction site eBay, federal prosecutors said. The items were never delivered to customers.

Dias established a number of accounts on eBay and PayPal and changed Internet service providers, e-mail addresses and bank and credit-card accounts in an attempt to avoid being caught, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Ha Ha, Dias, you are an official internet scumbag. We hope you have a good time in prison!

What Alibaba Says About Fraud

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:47:00 +0000

This week, my focus has been on fraud occurring through trade sites like Alibaba.com. I contacted Alibaba.com recently, concerning fraud that occurs through their site. This is the email I wrote to them:
I wrote an article in your forum about the dangers of paying via western union, and I also started an internet fraud help website. I know that you are only a website that offers buying & selling leads, and that you do not get involved from there. I love Alibaba, and know that it is one of the best websites in the world. However, there are so many scammers, it is ruining Alibaba's reputation at the least. I feel that there is a way to get a handle on it, and this is my idea:

Similiar to the feedback system on Ebay, there could be a feedback section added for members to leave a feedback comment for the person/company that they just did business with. I believe that this cuts down on fraud in a huge way.
The members solve most of the problems among each other through feedback, and Alibaba has less to do because the thousands of fraud emails that pour in will dramatically decrease.

Thank you for your time,

Angela Schvaneveldt

And They Responded With The Following:

"Dear Ms. Angela Schvaneveldt,

Thanks for your email.

It is Alibaba's great concern to get rid of frauds or scams on Alibaba. But it is a very difficult and long way for us to find an effective way to rip off them completely as Internet frauds and scams are existing and circulating on Internet for quite a long time.

If you are aware of any parties sending spams or engaging in possibly fraudulent activity, please notify us immediately about their email addresses or links on our website.

Meanwhile, thank you for your suggestion. We will forward it to the related department for their reference.

If you have any further question, please feel free to contact us"

I am trying everyone. I will do all that I can to make a dent in the scammer's profits, and protect the honest through information. Together we will make a difference!

Identity Theft Is A Headache That No One Wants

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 01:09:00 +0000

There is no way to describe the extreme frustration that a victim of identity theft goes through. the only words that come to mind is that is really sucks. Let me go into detail about the recent events in my life.
My significant other and I went to Circuit City to buy a new entertainment system for our living room less than a month ago. 99% of the time we pay cash for everything, but this time, since they had one of their '0% interest for 12 months' credit promotions, we decided to open a new credit account, and pay it off in a month or so. That day, the credit card was started with a $7,000 limit. We charged
$4,000, so there was $3,000 credit still available. The transaction was completed in the store, and we were informed that our new credit card should arrive in the mail within a couple of weeks.
After two weeks, we received a bill in the mail for the full $7,000. WTF? We are still waiting for the credit card to arrive.
The credit card was issued through Chase Bank, so we called them up. After explaining to them that we have not even received the card to make an additional $3,000 worth of charges, they informed us that our address was changed,
(which, according to Chase, can only be done with the account holder's social security number), and the card was sent somewhere else. (Chase refused to give us the address). How ironic is that- scammers can steal our identity, but the credit card company will not give us the information of the scammer.
Next, after obtaining a new credit report, there was 3 new accounts opened- Macy's, Citibank, and Landsafe. We then called each of these companies, explained that it was fraud, and asked for the accounts to be closed.
Of course, all of the new fraud accounts have to be 'investigated' before they take any action. Chase has a completely idiotic system. They asked that we make copies of all personal documents, (Drivers license, Social Security Card, etc.) And send it all to them. We told them that they are crazy. A credit card never made it to us, yet you want every piece of our identity sent through the same system? When we had nothing to do with the fraud? Ya, right. We told them no, and to handle it. We then contacted the police, filed a report, and gave them the lead to Circuit City. Which reminds me....

The most uncooperative was Circuit City. When we called them up,
and explained that they were the only ones in possession of all of our personal information that is now being used fraudulently, they did not want to have anything to do with us. Hmmmm.....My advice? Trust No One.
I had been procrastinating on practicing EVERYTHING that I preach. But no more. Today we signed up with Lifelock, and I encourage everyone to do the same. Do not be a fool like us and wait until a situation like this occurs to take action.
So, the police are on the case,and we will see what happens. I'll keep you updated!

P.S. Scammers, we have a message for you:

Banks : Real Or Fake?

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:56:00 +0000

Domain Name Scam from ILSCORP.net (AKA Internet Listing Service Corp.)

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:43:00 +0000

I received an email from ILSCORP.net (A.K.A. Internet Listing Service Corp.), stating that my bill was due for my domain name, InternetFraudHelp.com.

The thing is, I do all of my domains and web hosting through Go Daddy, (who are AWESOME, by the way). At the bottom of the email, in teeny tiny writing, was the following: "This is not a bill. This is a solicitation. You are under no obligation to pay the amount stated above unless you accept this offer."

What A Bunch Of Jerks. So this is my message to you, ilscorp: If I wanted your stupid service, I would of let you know. Instead, since you want to be shady and try to scam people, you are now exposed here. My advice is do not ever do business with anyone that tries to use deception to gain your business.

CUFF - Citizens United To Find Fugitives

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:13:00 +0000

I believe I stumbled upon what we all look for: How To Find & Arrest The Scammers!
C.U.F.F. stands for Citizens United to Find Fugitives. It is a non-profit corporation that works to obtain justice for fraud victims, and helps track fugitives so they can be arrested. CUFF is supported by donations. If their research determines that you are the victim of a fugitive or con artist, they will work with you for FREE to obtain justice and locate the fugitive. Right on, they rock!! You can visit the website HERE.

$300,000 Refunds Issued To Scam Victims

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:59:00 +0000

$300,000 refunds to scam victims

More than $300,000 will be returned to victims of 37 North American-based scams after Australian Competition and Consumer Commission court intervention.

"The ACCC, with valuable assistance from the Queensland Police Service and the Competition Bureau Canada, acted to freeze the funds gathered under a mass mail-out to consumers," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.

"Consumers received letters which were carefully written to create a sense of excitement about a huge and unexpected win or prize, including as a result of a lottery, sweepstake, award or other unclaimed funds.

"Sometimes the scammers explain that the reader was 'specially selected'," Mr Samuel said. "Most ask for the payment of a fee before the win or prize can be paid and others offer (often misdescribed) trinkets associated with a bigger win or prize. Some resemble official or legal documents.

"Once the victim has responded, they are guaranteed of one thing: they will receive more and more letters promoting yet further wins. Scammers often work hard to create a personal relationship with their victims, enabling them to elicit ongoing fees and charges for money that never arrives.

"Some victims become so certain that they are only one more small payment away from getting a fortune that they find it impossible to accept that they have been scammed even when bank or police officers explain the scam.

"This investigation was initiated after an observant credit union employee of Adelaide based Powerstate Credit Union, became concerned that a long time customer was making many small payments to overseas 'lotteries' believing that he had already won a major prize. While many of the victims are older consumers, this is not always the case: scammers are happy to take anyone's money, they don't discriminate.

"The joint action has severely disrupted the operations of 37 scam promoters, but the battle is not yet over.

"These particular promoters used Pacific Network Services Ltd and related companies to move their money around the world. PacNet group cooperated with the investigation. It has paid $316,936 in to a trust fund that will now be handed back to some of the victims. Further it has ended its business relationships with promoters identified in the ACCC's court action.

"If all businesses providing cheque transfer services took appropriate steps to monitor their customers' activities for potential scams and then refused to provide services to the operators, the life blood of the scams would be cut off."

Niche Government Consulting and Assurance, will administer the refunds process. Consumers who can show that they paid money to one of the listed scams between 1 March 2006 and 28 February 2007 can apply to the Refunds Administrator for a refund. Details of how consumers can apply for a refund are attached or can be found on the ACCC's web site.

In the event that claims by victims are less than the available funds, the residual will be paid to a suitable consumer group for promoting consumer scams awareness.

Mr Samuel advised consumers that they can reduce the risk of losing money to scams by asking themselves:

if I have never bought a ticket or entered a competition, how could I have won?
should I really send all my personal details to a complete stranger?
if I have won all this money why do they keep asking me for more?
"If in doubt ask your bank or credit union, call your local State/Territory Office of Fair Trading or the ACCC's Infocentre on 1300 302 502 and remember …if it is too good to be true, it probably is."

Both the ACCC and the Queensland Police Service are members of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce, a grouping of law enforcement agencies responsible for coordinating enforcement and educational activities between member agencies. Investigations by the ACCC and several overseas counterparts are continuing.

Media inquiries
Mr Graeme Samuel, Chairman, (02) 6243 1131, or 0408 335 555
Ms Lin Enright, Director, Public Relations, (02) 6243 1108, 0414 613 520
General inquiries
Infocentre 1300-302-502
Release # MR 209/07
Issued: 9th August 2007

Counterfeit Checks: How To Verify A Bank Account

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:08:00 +0000

Thousand are being ripped off daily through emails and classified ads, by what is known as the Nigerian 419 scams,Nigerian Counterfeit Check Fraud, and Overpayment Fraud.

You can read the recent FDIC alerts here for more information if you are not familiar with these scams.

Do you think you've been victimized? Do you think you may be in possession of a conterfeit check or money order ?

Verify it with theABA Routing Number Verification Tool

This tool is great- its free, and the results come directly from the Federal Reserve's database.

Unsecured Loan Scam

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:20:00 +0000

Okay, here is a new one to me......a 'private investor' that has nothing better to do then send out emails, offering money to complete strangers. Yikes! This letter is so poorly written, it made me laugh when I first read it.

*****LOAN SCAM*****

Good Day,

I am a private investor i give out unsecured guarantee loans to
Business Men and women who are into Business transaction, automobile
purchase, house purchase loan and other personal loans E.T.C. we give
out long term loan for five to fifty years maximum with 4% interest
rate in this you can as well tell us the amount you need so that we
will send to you the terms and condition that is if you are really
interested in getting a loan from us, Loans are given out in Great
British Pounds and United States Dollar the maximum I give is
50,000,000 both in pounds and $USD and the minimum 5,000 pounds and
USD$.

OUR PACKAGES INCLUDE;

*Home Loan
*Auto Loan
*Mortgage Loan
*Business Loan
*International Loan
*Personal Loan

I also render Collateral And Non- Collateral Loans For Your Business
Startup. If you are interested you Fill out the application details
below so that we can start the processing of your loan sum.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Full Name:................................
Contact Address:..........................
Country...................................
Phone:....................................
Purpose of your loan......................
Amount Needed as Loan:....................
Loan Duration:............................
Annual Income:............................
Occupation:...............................
Date of Birth.............................
Marital Status............................

In acknowledgement to these details, I will send you a well calculated
Terms and Condition which will include the agreement.

Furthermore be informed that you will also need a form of
Identification which can be either a Driver's Licence or your working
Identity card.

******END OF SCAM*****

Everyone Claims To Be A Wholesaler Of Today's Hottest Electronics

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:03:00 +0000

Electronics are the hottest commodity online. Everyone wants to get in on a piece of the pie. Including the scammers. The hottest products are what the scammers look for. They are in high demand,and wanted by the masses. This makes it easy for scammers to convince unsuspecting buyers to buy from them. By offering low prices, victims are lured in, blinded by the dollar signs that have blinded them.
Newbies that have no idea of the electronics industry, find a website like Alibaba.com, post a buying lead for...let's say iPods, and within days there are tons of replies from 'alleged' suppliers.

Let me elaborate a little about the requirements of being a legitimate supplier:

iPods - In order to be a legitimate retailer, you must purchase $100,000 worth of inventory. If you are not an authorized retailer for them, they will not offer support, cover warranties or any guarantees.

Gaming Systems - There are licensing and retail sales territory agreements. You must be licensed directly through those companies. That kind of licensing, generally require large brick & mortar retail based operations and large order requirements. Meaning, You have to be a well established company with hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest in your products.

Cellular Phones - Contracting agreements. You have to be an authorized dealer through each cell phone manufacturer for the brand that you want to sell. So you will have to contact each company to find out how to become an authorized dealer.

Brand Name Clothing - (Think Juicy Couture, Gucci, Abercrombie & Fitch, Etc. )
There is a major problem with counterfeits. The manufacturers/brands will not allow their products to be sold on the Internet, unless they give you direct permission to do so. You will need to buy the products up front in large quantities, because they don't want to handle the returns. Most of these name brand companies only work with large brick and mortar stores that also supplement selling online. Ebay has a huge issue with conterfeits. Always check where it is coming from. Overseas for something like Abercrombie & Fitch - counterfeit.

Not to be a rotton apple, but If you have been thinking about selling these types of products, I would recommend changing your direction.
I feel that you will eventually figure out though that competing in these areas is futile. You are better off finding a niche and selling "everyday" items to that niche.

Take me, for example. This whole website was created because I thought I wanted to sell Nintendo Wii's & Playstations. After almost getting scammed and wasting my valuable time with a very good scammer, I knew that my 'niche' was to help others from these scammers. To learn more about why a niche is so valuable, there is a very good article here at thebillyAblog.

If you still are convinced that electronics is your yellow brick road, these are the only suppliers that I know of that are legit and deal with smaller resellers:

HLDalis
Chinavasion
IngramMicro

So, after countless hours of research and dedication, here we are. Spread the word. And together, we can make a difference.

Example Of A Fraud Website

noreply@blogger.com (Fraud Flyer) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:12:00 +0000

Thank You, Tim, for your email:

Hello,

First off I would like to say "great site"! Honest people trying to make a living are being scammed every day. Many of us cannot afford the price. I recently lost $500 USD when I attempted to buy a sample from yongdatrade.com. I should have known. Never again.

Good luck!

Using your tip, I researched yongdatrade.com, and this is a perfect example of a fraudulent website. Let's disect this website. Go to http://yongdatrade.com.
The front page looks decent - to someone who has never built a website. They even stole a legit company's image on the top of the page. Let me point out the red flags:

- Red Flag #1: The email address is a hotmail account. Legitimate Companies doing International business with customers do not have free email accounts.

- Red Flag #2: The physical address does not match up. On the fraud website, the adress is 152# chengxin road, Yongchun. Zip code 51000. I looked up Zip Code 51000 and it is Guangzhou, China. Area Code is 20.

- Red Flag #3: Phone number. The phone number on the website is 86-159-89055780. 86 is China's country code. 159 is the area code- which happens to be a mobile number. A mobile phone number is the only listed phone number. Oh yeah, the fax number is the same mobile number. Again, businesses selling these kinds of products will have a landline phone number and seperate fax number. I found the area code info HERE.

- Red Flag #4: The grammar looks like a 5 year old wrote it. Go to the 'About Us' page for a good example. Also, under the 'Shipment' page, the last line says, "we do assure you can get your goods after you pay!!"
Have you ever seen a statement like this on site like Amazon.com? Like, I was thinking that there is a chance I 'can't' get what I pay for?

- Red Flag #5: There are no security seals. No verisign, No BBB - nothing to verify that the site is legit. When buying products, always look for these seals.

- Red Flag #6: Payment Method. Western Union, Moneygram, or Wire Transfer. The 3 ways to never pay for merchandise over the internet. THIS IS THE BIGGEST RED FLAG AND GUARANTEED TO BE SCAM EVERY TIME.

There is a legitimate company by the name of Yongda International trade Co, Ltd, and they sell Industrial supplies. You can see the real Dun & Bradstreet company profile Here from Manta.com. (Manta offers free company research and pay-as-you-go business information enhanced by user generated content--empowering all business professionals to compete on an equal platform through the open web.

Manta gives Web users access to data and analysis from the most trusted business publishers in the world, including D&B, Newstex, Snapdata, Datamonitor, and ICON. Millions of customers around the world use Manta to research competitors, prospects, suppliers, markets and more. It's an invaluable resource for unbiased and trustworthy on-demand information.

With a simple search of the Manta site, you can access a wealth of free and premium business listings, profiles, and reports that can give you a competitive advantage.)

Gone are the days when you could leave your door unlocked, your keys in your car, and everyone told the truth. Trust No One. Always research things for yourself, and follow your instincts.