Scam Squad

It's difficult for some people to understand how anyone falls for a Romance Scam. In this episode, Vicki explains how it happens and gives a real life example.

An older woman named Sue lost her husband of 40 years and began reminiscing about him--posting old vaction pictures and beautiful memories on Facebook. A scammer, pretending to be a widower too, send an encouraging note, telling her to stay strong and that while the pain never goes away, life gets better. Eventually, he won her over and they chatted several times a day. He told her that he was a hard-working widower from Eastern Europe, who was saving money to come to the US. By this time, she trusted him and sent him money when he asked.

In a recent article, Psychology Today wrote an article on the psychology of Romance Scams. They reported that people who fall for them are not gullible, stupid people with no critical thinking skills. They point out that when people are being romanced, emotions trigger dopamine and oxytocin. They truly feel like they're in love!

If you have a friend who is being taken in by the Romance Scam, show empathy and be patient. Point out discrepencies in what the romance scammer is saying. If you yourself are worried that someone is trying to draw you in with the Romance Scam, educate yourself about these types of scams. Talk to a trusted friend or family member and get their input.

If you'd like to report a scam or share your story on Scam Squad, call the FRAUD HOTLINE at 805-568-2442.

Shawn Dyer, Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, shares the scams they're seeing more often. Here is a brief description of them:

You are asked to verify a purchase. (Often, the purchase in question is said to be from Amazon or Paypal. People often panic when they think that they've been charged for a large purchase they didn't make. But BEWARE! Instead of corresponding with Amazon or Pay Pal, you may be speaking to a scammer who is trying to get your banking information.

Shawn reports that the Utility Scam is still rearing its ugly heard. Someone will contact you, pretending to be from your utiility copany, threatening to shut off your services unless you immediately pay up! While scammers previously asked for payment by Gift Cards, (always a scam), more recently the scammer is likely to request payment with a p to p app such as Zelle of Venmo. (That's because the money is transferred to the scammer quickly!) Don't Fall For It! Companies are NOT going to ask you to pay this way.

Lastly, people are getting calls from scammers who say you were overcharged and they want to give you a refund. Then they say that they mistakenly sent too much money, eliciting sympathy from the victim by telling them they're afraid they'll be fired if they don't get the overpayment back. (For example, the scammer said they were sending $350, but accidentally sent $35,000.) The scammer begs the victim to wire back the overpayment. Many people would not fall for this scam. But the particular woman that Shawn spoke of was elderly and very vulnerable. Even though the bank refused to make the wire transfer because they were suspicious, this elderly woman is now on the Scammer's Sucker List and it's likely they will continue to harass her with other scams. If you are caring for an elderly person who is vulnerable to these types of scams, ask them to use an answering machine or voice mail and to NEVER answer calls if they don't recognize the name on the caller ID.

If you'd like to report a scam, please call the Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442.

Just in time for your summer vacation, this episode delivers a warning about Airbnb Scams. Some people are shocked to find that when they arrive at their destination, their lodging is not available. There are several possible explanations that the scammer may use. You may be told that there are plumbing problems or that the lodging was damaged by the previous tennant. You may be offered inferior lodging but it's likely to be more expensive. In desperation, weary travelers are likely to accept the offer!

Here's are some Best Practices to Try & Avoid Airbnb Poser Scams:

- Stay on the Airbnb site when having conversations with the property owner.

Ask a lot of questions.

- Read reviews. If the reviews came in at about the same time, they may

have been falsely created by scammers.

- Make sure you see pictures of the inside of the property, not just the

outside.

- Be VERY suspicious if you're asked to pay with Bitcoin or Gift Cards.

- Do a reverse search of the Airbnb rental property photo.

- If the problem crops up before you leave for the trip, ask the owner to

cancel the reservation. Then look for another place to stay.

Another scam that travelers need to watch out for are phony airline booking sites, pretending to sell airline tickets. Be sure to double check the URL code and phone number of the business and always check with the airline to be sure your tickets were actually booked. Also, use a credit card to purchase the tickets; you'll have a better chance of disputing the charge and getting your money back.

Vicki also warned about a phone message that people are receiving, telling them their iCloud account was breached. Don't take the call!

Then at the end, we'll hear some GOOD NEWS!

Special Guest, Dayton Aldrich, discusses victim restitution before describing Skimmers & Malicious QR codes. These days, skimmers are harder to spot than ever before, because they may be miniscule cameras--which can record your credit card number and pin codes. The best practice to avoid skimmers is to go into the store or the gas station and to use your credit card (rather than a debit card) because you are more likely to be able to dispute the charges.

Malicious QR codes have also been springing up more and more and Dayton reminds us that QR codes are just a representation of a url link. When you scan the code with your camera or an app on your cell phone, it can take you to a malicious website, steal info from your phone, or install junk & pornography. We talk all the time about not clicking on mysterious links but remember, QR codes are just links,. Don't hold your camera up to one unless you're sure it's from a safe source. Also, teach your kids not to scan every QR code they come across!

Vicki reports about a woman who contacted her FRAUD HOTLINE after realizing that she had unknowingly been a money mule. (Thankfully, she figured it out and was generous enough to share her experience to warn others.) And finally, Vicki shares a story about a romance scammer who was apprehended and sentenced. It was a very full episode!

Workers are drawn to Cambodia through social media advertisements promising high-paying jobs. As soon as they arrive in the country, their travel documents are seized and they are held and forced by racketeers to make scam calls in their own languages. Those who refuse are subject to various forms of abuse and mistreatment. They are assaulted, whipped, and electrocuted. Some get beaten up and others get locked in dark rooms without food.

In mid-March, 35 civil society groups urged the Cambodian government to address “a crisis of forced labor, slavery, and torture” in facilities that it described as “slave compounds.” Since October, more than 800 Thai men and women have been rescued from scam call centers in Cambodia.

It's estimated that more than 1,000 Thais are still working in scam call centers in cities like Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and Poipet.

There is mounting evidence that these are regionally coordinated, and linked to other illicit activity, such as the massive drug trafficking syndicates that operate in eastern Myanmar. If the criminals continue to outpace regional law enforcement capacities, it is likely that we will see many more such stories in the months to come.

Doris Roof, Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust warns us about fraudsters who work in pairs to intercept the verification code sent by your bank.

Here’s how it works:

One crook (who pretends to be the bank customer/debit card holder) calls the bank. Most often, the crook asks for an address change, an increase in their card limit or a travel exemption. (With a travel exemption, the crooks pretend they are traveling out of their typical area and ask for out of area charges to be approved…a very convenient way for the crook to get their charges approved!)

A second crook is waiting for the verification code and gives it to the first crook so they can provide it to the bank, assuring them that they’re a legitimate customer. If the bank believes they are really talking to their customer (and not a crook), they are likely to approve the address change, increased limit, or travel exemption.

How to Avoid this Scam:

Do NOT respond to an unexpected text or call from your bank, even if they say there has been fraud on your account. (Remember, the caller ID can be spoofed, making it look as if the call is from your bank.) Instead, hang up and call the 800 number on the back of your debit card.

Are You Responsible for the Loss?

Often, the bank or merchant will take the loss. With debit cards, Regulation E protects banking customers who use electronic methods to transfer money. However, the fraud must be reported within 60 days, so be sure to check your bank statements monthly, or preferably more often.

Jeanne never thought she'd be taken in by a scam. But when she received an email from her elderly neighbor, asking her to purchase gift cards for her, she never thought that it might really be a scammer... As Deputy District Attorney often says, "There's a scam for everyone."

At the end of the show, Vicki shares some good news from the Department of Justice, who cracked down on medical providers who took part in Covid-Related medicare fraud.

Don’t miss this special episode with dynamo, Debbie Deem, who formerly worked as an FBI Victim Specialist. Rather than calling herself retired, Debbie prefers the term UNLEASHED, as she continues to tirelessly advocate for fraud victims, who are often shamed and treated differently than violent crime victims. Debbie wants to break the stigma that fraud victims face. These are NOT victimless crimes. Often people lose their life savings, face bankruptcy, or are extorted. Debbie points out that the words we use are important. Rather than calling perpetrators scammers, she prefers words that call them out for what they are—perpetrators, criminals, and fraudsters. We need to stop blaming the victims and stop making them feel foolish. Often, they are so embarrassed and ashamed that they don’t report what happened to them. She reminds us of something that Deputy District Attorney often says, “There is a scam for everyone.”

Two scams that former FBI Victim advocate Debbie Deem talks about in this episode are the Sim Swap, where scammers get your personal information and are able to get your mobile phone carrier to transfer your phone to them and scams that involve artificial intelligence (AI).

It may seem like science fiction, but more and more, scammers are able to produce audio and video recordings that sound and look like someone you know personally or a famous person. It is getting to the point where we can’t believe our own eyes and ears! Debbie feels that this type of scam will be more common in the near future and wants people to be on the lookout for it.

Patti - In this episode, I describe a part-time job solicitation and offer that I received via email. In some ways it seemed legitimate. The email said that they would not ask for any money from me, and that I would receive a 1099. For just a few hours of work a week, I could make several thousand dollars. They said they wanted me to process payments--quite a vague job description. And I wondered, why would they want me to process their payments? I did not pursue it any further but Vicki felt it was most likely an overseas scam that wanted an American to launder money for them. I ended communication with them and don't know for sure what they really wanted me to do, but it was most likely a scam. Vicki said that a common scam involves having Americans send and receive packages, perhaps containing illegal goods. That may have been what they meant by 'processing.' Remember, if a job offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Dang it!

Here are some tips for spotting scams involving job offers: 1. Search for the company website online. Keep in mind that fake websites can look very real. 2. Don't give out your personal, banking, or credit card information. (Legitimate jobs may eventually ask for some of these things but not until after you've signed a contract and have thoroughly checked out the company. ) 3. If you have to pay start up fees, pay for a background check or use your own bank account it's likely a scam.

To talk to Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson, or to report a scam, call the Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442.