The Scam Alert Blog

Be careful when donating to your candidate via the internet. Most candidates for major offices have a well designed and efficient web presence these days. Many take in millions of dollars in donations through the internet. This has opened the door for scammers to put up sites designed to make you think you are trulyon the candidate’s website, but in truth you are not. Scammers trying to get your money while posing as legitimate campaign sites is a real concern and one you should be aware of. Don’t let scammers separate you from your money.

Fortune Magazine recently had a great article about the process that a Nigerian scammer goes through to scam people out of their money using phishing and auction fraud. Very informative piece that examines the issue including the Nigerian end of the transaction.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) recently released it’s list of top ten online scams. Right at the top of the list is a type of scam that has touched many people recently, internet auction fraud.

The entire list is as follows:

-Internet Auction Fraud
-Internet Service Provider Scams
-Internet Web Site Design/Promotions - Web Cramming
-Internet Information and Adult Services - Credit Card Cramming
-Multi-level Marketing/Pyramid Scams
-Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home Scams
-Investment Schemes and Get-Rich-Quick Scams
-Travel/Vacation Fraud
-Telephone/Pay-Per-Call Solicitation Frauds (including modem dialers and videotext)
-Health Care Frauds

Keep this list (at least mentally) handy and remember that the next time you are entering into an online transaction… it may be with a scammer.

It looks like scammers are trying to come up with better sounding phishing and hoax emails. It appears that there is an underground network of scammers that are hiring people fluent in english to write or re-write their phishing and other hoax emails. This mean that you have one less way to spot a scam email as it may no longer stick out because of the broken english. Stay one step ahead of the game and check out any business or organization on the internet before you open their emails or enter any transactions with them.

There is yet another banking scam making the rounds. It seems people are calling or contacting people through email and asking them to take a survey about their banking experience. Eventually the questions get down to account numbers and other sensitive information. Don’t answer these questions. This is just another case of scammers trying to separate you from your money. Contact your bank, in person if possible, to verify or report these scamming attempts. Protect yourself, your finances, and your identity.

It seems that scammers are always on the lookout for an opportunity to make a buck. Tickets have appeared online at Ebay and other locations for the upcoming Hillary Clinton - Barack Obama debate in Texas. One problem, there are no tickets being sold. The site is opened to invited guests plus a total of 100 “tickets” will be available through a drawing held by the Texas Democratic Party. So, if you see someone… anyone… offering tickets to the debate. There’s no doubt about it - its a scam!

If you are an actual charity, Krispy Kreme Donuts has a deal you may be eligible for. If you bring in proof of your tax exempt status (tax id card), they may supply you with dozens (the quantity varies) of free donuts for your organization to sell or raffle off in order to raise funds. It’s great to see a major corporation make this type of service available to charities. Mmmmm, Donuts!

Here we go again. It seems that weekly, if not daily, online dating scams from Russia to the orient are in the news. Here is another example, remember to be careful and do tons of research when dealing with anyone online… even when “love” is involved.

A fake job site that lures applicants into thinking it is actually related to employment in the United Arab Emirates has been discovered. Remember, one of the more popular places for scammers to target is the employment industry, don’t let them capitalize on you when you are most likely in a time of need.

Here is a story of a guy who says he received a counterfeit $100 bill from his bank. He is now out the one hundred bucks. Pay attention and don’t trust anyone when it comes to your identity or your money.