Posts Tagged ‘scams’
Fake Site Helps People Spot Loan Scams
April 26th, 2010
by Amy
Esteemed Lending Services
A loan for every situation…guaranteed. Loans for a new business, college, or even a vacation. Consolidating the debt you already have. The loan you need, even if you’ve been turned down by other lenders because of a poor credit history. Loan specialists waiting to help you.
The website looks reliable, the company sounds reputable, and the offer is just what many people are looking for. Unfortunately, this is the pitch for an advance fee loan scam. Scammers promise you a loan, but you soon find out there’s a fee you have to pay first. If you pay, it’s unlikely you’ll see the promised loan, and you run the risk of someone using your personal information to steal your identity.
That’s why the FTC created the Esteemed Lending Services website. The company and site are fakes, designed to tip you off to the signs of an advance fee loan scam (and an important reminder that just because a site looks trustworthy doesn’t mean it is). Click on any link, and you’ll go straight to a page letting you in on the truth behind the site and telling you what you need to know to recognize advance fee fraud.
I hope you’ll link to, write about or talk about the site with your audience, members or anyone else in your network. It’s an opportunity for people to see what an advance fee scam looks like, and avoid losing their hard-earned money.
The FTC also offers other “teaser sites.” Learn to weigh the evidence in diet products and spot claims that signal a rip-off at our phony FatFoe site, or to evaluate health claims through Glucobate, a made-up diabetes treatment. Find them all at wemarket4u.net.
Tags: advance fee, debt, diabetes, identity theft, loans, lose weight, scams
Posted in Credit and Debt, Scam Watch | 9 Comments »
Census Scams
April 9th, 2010
by Colleen
No foolin’… April 1 was the deadline to mail back your U.S. Census form. If you didn’t, you may get a knock on your door from a Census taker.
Now I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of strangers knocking on my front door, especially when con artists, pretending to be Census takers, are out there, scheming to steal your personal information or commit some other type of fraud.
So I thought this might be a good time to put the old saying, “To be forewarned is to be forearmed” to good use. Here are a few facts to help put you at ease if a Census taker comes a calling:
- Census takers must show you an ID badge that has their name, a Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. If you ask, census takers also will give you information so you can verify their identity with their supervisor or the Local Census Office.
- Census takers will not ask to come into your home, and will ask you only the 10 questions on the census form, including name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, whether you own or rent your home, who is in the home at the time you are completing the form, and your phone number. They will not ask for your Social Security number, PIN codes, passwords, or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
- If you aren’t home or can’t come to the door, the census taker will return up to three times, each time leaving a door hanger with a phone number so you can call to schedule a visit.
For the full list of questions on the 2010 Census, visit www.2010.census.gov. To read more about Census scams, check out the FTC’s Consumer Alerts: How to Recognize and Report 2010 Census Scams and 2010 Census Job Scams.
Tags: 2010 census, census, phishing, scams
Posted in Scam Watch | 4 Comments »
International Scams
April 1st, 2010
by Guest Blogger
[Today's guest blogger is Michelle Bernier-Toth, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State.]
One of the primary missions of the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the U.S. Department of State is to protect the lives and interests of American citizens overseas. So, for April Fools’ Day, I’m reaching out to educate U.S. citizens about common international scams that fool hundreds of people out of thousands of dollars every year. In fact, one third of our callers report losses of over $10,000.
Romance scams make up nearly 80 percent of the incidents we see. Victims report that they meet scammers in chat rooms and on well-known dating websites. Scammers also can be found on special-interest sites for Christian singles, widows, and singles with disabilities. Not even the most reputable sites are guaranteed to be scam-proof. The U.S. Embassy in London created this video to help people spot and avoid romance scams.
We also see scams that involve alleged business ventures or bank holdings. The FBI regularly publishes alerts about new e-scams on its website.
In addition, citizens have reported fraudulent websites directing them to pay their passport fees online. To avoid these scams, follow the passport application instructions on our official State Department website.
Similarly, non-U.S. citizens sometimes fall victim to scams when they trust unofficial websites, e-mails or print advertisements with fraudulent information about the visa application process. Read our Fraud Warning for more information.
Report frauds and scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
Here in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, we routinely provide services to U.S. citizens in distress abroad. Citizens may reach out to any of our embassies and consulates overseas. We also provide emergency financial assistance for U.S. citizens abroad. If you, or someone you know, needs emergency assistance abroad, you may call our overseas citizens services line at 1-888-407-4747, or if you are overseas you may call 202-501-4444.
To learn more about our office, visit travel.state.gov, become a Facebook fan of the U.S. Department of State: Consular Affairs, follow us on Twitter @TravelGov, or read the DipNote blog – Travel section.
Tags: dating site, International, online dating, romance, scams
Posted in Money, Scam Watch | 6 Comments »
Real People, Real Stories: Avoiding Foreclosure Rescue Scams
March 24th, 2010
by Julia
Yesterday, NeighborWorks America shared some information about what to do if you’re facing foreclosure, and how to avoid scams. This is an important issue right now, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its partners have been cracking down on so-called “foreclosure rescue companies” that take advantage of homeowners in distress.
Of course, education is your first line of defense against these scammers. That’s why the FTC produced the video Real People, Real Stories (also in Spanish and on the FTC’s YouTube channel). This video features the stories of real people taking action to save their homes and encourages homeowners to get the help they need.
As the video says – if you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, avoid any company or individual that:
- requires a fee in advance
- guarantees to stop a foreclosure or modify a loan
- advises you to stop paying your mortgage company
Free help is a phone call away. Call 1-888-995-HOPE or visit www.hopenow.com for free personalized advice from HUD-certified housing counseling agencies.
For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/YourHome. To report a foreclosure rescue scam to the FTC, visit www.ftc.gov/complaint. And for free information about the President’s plan to help financially strapped homeowners in mortgage misery, visit www.makinghomeaffordable.gov.
Tags: foreclosure, loan modification, mortgage, scams, your home
Posted in Mortgages, Scam Watch | 4 Comments »
What Have You Got to Complain About?
February 25th, 2010
by Amy
One of my favorite things about online shopping is reading user reviews, whether it’s for a pair of jeans or a digital camera. I still read articles and talk to friends, but it can be useful to see if a lot of people have the same kinds of complaints about the product I’m pondering. While there are obvious differences, I think filing a complaint with the FTC is similar — you’re helping the FTC and the 1,700 other federal, state and local law enforcement partners that have access to the information spot patterns and identify not only the scams and frauds that are happening, but the people behind them.
So what do you complain to the FTC about? And how do you do it? The FTC has a new animated video (also in Spanish and at the FTC’s YouTube channel) that shows just that, including examples of the kinds of experiences you might share with the FTC. Complaints can help stop scams, rip-offs and fraudsters, so I hope you’ll share this video and encourage people you know who’ve been ripped off or spotted a scam to file a complaint with the FTC.
On a related note, check out the FTC’s just-released top complaints from consumers for 2009.
Tags: complain, Federal Trade Commission, Money, scams
Posted in Scam Watch | 19 Comments »
BBB Lists Top Scams of 2009 and New Year’s Resolutions for 2010
February 22nd, 2010
by Guest Blogger
[Today's guest blogger is Alison from the Council of Better Business Bureaus.]
The Better Business Bureau has released its list of the top scams and rip-offs of 2009. Free trial offers capped the list, including online offers for acai berry diet supplements and teeth whiteners.
If you were ripped off by a free trial offer last year, you’re not alone. According to a survey by Visa, 29% of Americans believe that they have been deceived by a free trial offer online.
Other high ranking scams were grant assistance scams, robocalls, and lottery sweepstakes scams.
With the economy still climbing out of a slump and the unemployment rate still in the double digits, consumers literally can’t afford to waste money on scams or with untrustworthy businesses.
This year, resolve to be a savvier consumer. The BBB can help. For simple ways to become a savvier consumer in 2010, check out this list of top ten New Year’s Resolutions.
Tags: BBB, scams, tips
Posted in Money, Scam Watch | 3 Comments »
Job Scams
February 17th, 2010
by Amy
Many people looking for work are being ripped off by scam artists. These are people who say they’ve got jobs to fill, promise you access to special job listings or interviews, or guarantee to place you in a job. All you have to do is pay them a fee or give them your credit or debit card information. Unfortunately, once you pay, you find out there is no job.
That’s why the Federal Trade Commission has produced Job Scams (also in Spanish), a new video warning job hunters not to pay for the promise of a job. The video tells you how to spot a job scam, and how you can stop them — by reporting them to the FTC.
Tags: classifieds, employment, job search, jobs, scams
Posted in Scam Watch | 2 Comments »
A Behind-the-Scenes Look with a Convicted Business Opportunity Scam Artist
February 1st, 2010
by Alvaro
During uncertain economic times like these, a lot of people are looking for ways to earn some extra money and make ends meet. If you’re among them, maybe you’ve noticed ads on TV, in the papers or online that tout business opportunities. They guarantee you can make a lot of money, in a short period of time, with little to no effort. The offers can be awfully tempting, but many of these operations are run by scam artists who take your money up front and never deliver on the earnings they promised.
Fraud: An Inside Look is a video from the Federal Trade Commission that takes you behind the scenes with a convicted business opportunity scammer as he reveals the tricks he used to cheat people out of their money. You’ll also hear first-hand from two people who got caught up in bogus business opportunities and learn what questions to ask to tell if a business opportunity is a scam or the real deal.
If you’re considering buying into a business opportunity, do your homework first. Our publication Could ‘Biz Opp’ Offers Be Out For Your Coffers? tells you how. And if you think you’ve seen a business opportunity that is a scam, report it to the FTC.
Tags: business, franchise, invest, opportunity, scams
Posted in For Business, Money, Scam Watch | 1 Comment »
Helping Haiti? Give Wisely.
January 14th, 2010
by David Vladeck, Guest Blogger
Sometimes, the most difficult situations bring out the best in people. In the aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti, many people are making financial contributions to support charitable organizations helping with the recovery and reconstruction.
In the past, the FTC has investigated and prosecuted scammers who pretended to represent charities during a crisis. Given this experience, we hope you’ll put some thought into choosing which charity to support.
Our Charity Checklist consumer alert offers tips to ensure that donation dollars benefit the people and organizations you want to help. Be wary of appeals that tug at the heart strings, but are short on details about how disaster victims will benefit.
You don’t have to give to someone who calls, writes or emails you out of the blue. It’s a good idea to give through a website or phone number that you know is legitimate.
To help with relief efforts in Haiti, the U.S. Department of State advises that you can visit InterAction to contribute. Or text “HAITI” to “90999″ and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill.
Fake-charity scammers are among the most despicable rip-off artists we encounter. It’s difficult to comprehend how someone could see a catastrophe affecting millions as an opportunity to steal, but it happens. So before you give, take a moment to ensure that you’re supporting a legitimate charity.
And if you think you’ve seen a scam, please report it.
Tags: charity, scams
Posted in Scam Watch | 4 Comments »
Today’s Fortunate Youngsters
January 14th, 2010
by Nicole
The kids today have it so easy. When I was kid, we couldn’t just google something to find information. We had to walk to the library and use the card catalog. If we wanted to watch cartoons, we had to wait until Saturday morning—there was no Cartoon Network. And if we wanted to learn about avoiding frauds and scams, we couldn’t visit the FTC’s online mall.
If the internet had existed, I’m sure my friends and I would have headed to the East Terrace to learn how to spot and avoid frauds and scams. We could have started at Maggie’s Miracle Cart, where visitors examine the claims of several “miracle” products and learn that they don’t live up to the hype.
Then, we could have wandered over to the Clothing Co, where Isaac nearly falls for a modeling scam. With the help of his friends, he realizes that he shouldn’t be fooled by flattery and shouldn’t pay for the promise of success.
At Kablamo! Comics, we could have commiserated with poor Keno, who tells visitors how he lost twenty bucks to a job scam. Across the store, we could have helped Captain Noscam by blasting keywords and phrases that are used frequently in scams.
Finally, at the vacations kiosk, we could have won a free vacation only to learn that there’s a catch. We wouldn’t have gotten that free trip to Smithington Castle, but we certainly would have been wiser after our trip to the mall.
Tags: children, internet, kids, scams, teaching, YouAreHere
Posted in For Kids, Scam Watch | No Comments »