Scam Squad

Today's special guest is Dayton Aldrich, a colleague of Vicki's and the Restitution Specialist for the District Attorney's Office in Santa Barbara. He shows real-life footage of a woman having second thoughts about stealing from a carport. When she notices that she's being filmed on a security camera, she quickly puts her loot back.

The topic then turns to mail fraud. Dayton recommends that unless your mailbox is locked or behind a gate, you should get a PO Box. Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson and Dayton remind us that much of our information is already available on the dark web and that often the fraudster only needs one more piece of information to steal your identity. Don't let them get it from your mailbox! Once again, they urge us not to put outgoing checks in your own mailbox with the flag up as this is a signal to the crook to come and get it!

Other mail recommendations include:

- Picking up your mail promptly.

- If you are depositig mail in your own mailbox for pick-up, do it close to the

time your mailperson comes.

- Limit the amount of mail you receive. Contact banks and credit card

companies and ask them to stop sending pre-approved offers, which

crooks love to get their hands on!

- If you expected mail and didn't receive it, inquire about it. (It may have been

stolen.)

- Make arrangements for your mail to be picked up when you're out of town.

- And of course, never send cash in the mail.

Scmsqd - 2022 - 09 - 17 - Identity Theft by Hub for Podcasting

Scmsqd - 2022 - 09 - 10 - Kidnapping Scam by Hub for Podcasting

Senior Fraud Specialist Shawn Dyer, from Montecito Bank & Trust, reports that several scams are still rampant.

1. Most recenty, people are getting emails from a scammer pretending to be from Norton Lifelock, telling you that your account has been compromised. Of course, when you email them back, or call the number in the email, they'll try to get the banking information they need to hack into your accounts.

While most recently the scammers are saying they're from Norton, they could say they're from any company. Don't fall for it!

2. Business Email Compromise: A scammer pretends to be a business that is expecting a payment from a vendor. They contact the vendor and tell them that the payment method or bank account information has changed. (The scammer often contacts the vendor through an email thread making the scam less likely to be detected.) The vendor sends the money directly to the new account the scammer gave them and large sums of money are lost. Unfortunately, this scam is often discovered weeks later when the business asks the vendor why their payment hasnt' been received.

3. People are still having their mail stolen and checks are washed and made out to someone else. Don't use your own mailbox or blue bins to mail checks. Take them into the post office instead!

At the end of the episode, Vicki shares some good news! A money mule was convicted of taking advantage of seniors with the computer tech scam.

Scam Squad Special Guest--Dr Judy Christman Yates, (Criminologist and Financial Exploitation Specialist)

SMISHING

1:15 Dr. Judy Christman Yates explains Smishing & Gives Tips to Avoid it. Here’s an example of smishing. You receive a text message. It may claim to be from a company, such as Amazon, saying that there’s a problem with your account. However, when you open the text and click on the link, a virus or malware is installed on your device. Or the text instructs you to call them (for some made-up reason) and when you do, the scammer tricks you into giving them enough personal information to steal your identity or hack into your accounts.

Tips to Avoid Being Smished:

- Don’t click on links!

- Don’t call the phone number from texts you receive. (Even if you call and hang up before speaking, you’ll be added to an active ‘suckers’ list.) Instead, look up the businesses’ phone number from your own account statement.

- Be careful when you click a link that takes you to a business or if you google a business online. Instead of being taken to the legitimate businesses site, you may be on a look-alike site, set up by the scammer.

- To report scams, dial 7726 or go to reportfraud.ftc.gov

9:22

TIPS TO AVOID SCAMS WHEN SELLING ONLINE

There are Four Main Scams:

1. Fake payments: Just as it sounds, a seller may try to pass off a phony cashier’s check.

2. Bogus Refund Request: The buyer overpays you for an item and then asks for a check or cash to make-up for the overpayment. Unfortunately, the check that the buyer paid with is not good and adding insult to injury, the seller also gives the buyer a refund for their so-called overpayment.

4. Fake Verification Codes. Scammers work in pairs to intercept legitimate verification codes. Here’s a previous episode describing this scam. https://youtu.be/zqHi_e6n-tY

12:55

THE FCC IS FINALY CRACKING DOWN ON AUTO WARRANTY ROBO CALLS.

SIMPLE T.I.P. TO DETERMINE IF YOU’RE BEING SCAMMED.

T is for Threat (Many scams involve a threat which the scammer says he’ll help you solve.)

I is for Immediacy; the scammer will also make it sound urgent and that you have to do something quickly.

P for Payment: Someway, somehow, the scammer will try to get you to pay them.

Chief Deputy Clerk in Santa Barbara County, Melinda Greene, works to protect seniors with capacity issues.

If an older adult comes into the Hall of Records with someone who takes over the conversation in order to obtain a marriage license or a real estate record, the staff at the Hall of Records are on high alert and are unlikely to process the request. Instead, they are likely to contact Adult Protective Services, the District Attorney, or even the FBI.

Recently, fraudsters in various cities have been taking advantage of elderly adults by requesting a memorandum or exclusive right to sell agreement. Here's how the scam works. Elderly homeowners who are financially distressed are offered around $1,000 . In exchange, they sign an agreement to use the specific real estate listing agent for a period of 40 years! If they try to cancel the agreement they have to pay back thousands of dollars. As if that isn't bad enough, the agreement can also be viewed as a lien on their property.

Melinda also described a recent case under investigation; a caregiver transfered $100,000 from her client's account into an LLC under the client's name. In other words, the caregiver who was taking care of 'Jane Doe' set up an LLC called 'Jane Doe LLC.' But the elderly client was not a member of the LLC. In a frightening turn of events rhe elderly client's recent death has been ruled a homicide and the caregiver is under investigation.

With crimes against vulnerable seniors on the rise, we are very glad that people like Melinda Greene are doing their very best to protect them.

Scmsqd - 2022 - 08 - 13 - Summer Scams by Hub for Podcasting

Special Guest, Doris Roof, (Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust), says that email compromise scams are on the riise, especiallly for businesses. Here's how it works. A business receives an email from a vendor, asking them to change the routing number and account number on

their ACH deposits. If the person who receives the request believes it and makes the change, (without double checking that the request is legitimate), they may be tricked into making a deposit directly into the scammers account!

Another scam that's on the rise is the Tech Support Scam. Here's how it works: The scammer manages to cause your computer to start flashing a warning on your screen, urging you to contact them immediately because your computer has been installed with malware. Don't believe it! The scammer is trying to get you to call or let them take control of your computer. Then in addition to stealing your information, they'll charge you to 'supposedly' fix your computer. If this happens to you, immediaatelly turn off and UNPLUG yor computer.

GRANDPARENTS SCAM by Hub for Podcasting

Special guest, criminologist Dr Judy Christman Yates, gives advice on the legitimate way to find out if you have unclaimed money just waiting for you!

But don't be fooled! Scammers are contacting people, telling them that they are a claimant in a class action lawsuit that was settled for $4,800,000. To get your share, you need to send $30 - $50 to a processing center within five days. While this is a scam, many people are legitimately owed money. To find out if that includes you, go to https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money

Dr Yates says that unclaimed money could be owed to you from many sources, including: bank accounts, the contents of safetly deposit boxes, stocks, mutual funds, uncashed checks or money orders, certificates of deposit, insurance policies that have matured or terminated, mineral rights, royalty payments, unclaimed property, escrow accounts and utility accounts.

Dr Yates also reviews the most common scams and shares advice on how we can protect ourselves. She invites you to send her an email at [email protected] if you'd like to subscribe to her financial exploitation newsletter.

To report a cam or share your story on Scam Squad, contact Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson on her FRAUD HOTLINE at 805-568-2442.