Scam Squad

Shawn Dyer from Montecito Bank & Trust says that several of their customers have been scammed out of money just when they needed it the most. They went online searching for fast cash and unfortunately, applied for loans on fraudulent sites, giving thieves access to their banking information on the loan applicataion. Usually, they also provided the crooks with personal information that could lead to identity theft. She advises people to read reviews and to call loan companies before applying for a fast cash loan.

Shawn reported that check fraud is on the rise, especially for businesses. Companies are mailing checks to their vendors but their mail gets stolen by crooks who change the payee on the check. She explains the lengthy process to try and get your money refunded after the forged check is cashed by the fraudster. Once again, we're reminded not to drop checks in a public mailbox and to NEVER leave it in your own mailbox with the flag up. If you feel as if you or someone you care about has been the victim of a scam, call Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson on the FRAUD HOTLINE at 805-568-2442.

Don't miss this episode! A brave college student, (who we'll call Mary), shares her story to help others. Mary had just moved out of her family home when she received a phone call from a woman who claimed to be from Border Control and Customs. The officer told Mary that they had a package addressed to her. Inside the package, they claimed they'd found $70,000 in cash, illegal drugs, and fake IDs. Mary spoke to two other people who claimed to be law enforcement officials. Each time she spoke to someone, they gave their names and Badge Numbers--making them seem legitimate. Mary had the presence of mind to look up their names online and found that they were the real names of law enforcement officers in her area. The scammers told Mary they'd found six bank accounts under her name containing hundreds of thousands of dollars. They threatened her with prison and fines and said that if she didn't comply with their demands, they'd immediately issue a warrant for her arrest. The crooks said that all the bank accounts would be closed (including Mary's legitimate account) and demanded that Mary withdraw all her money and use it to purchase a financial bond. The scammers scared Mary and wore her down.

She withdrew the money from her bank account and continued to follow their directions to purchase the financial bonds, which turned out to be Gift Cards. Mary was in the middle of giving the scammers the numbers on the Gift Cards when she realized that this was an elaborate scam. She called 911 and went to the San Luis Obispo Police Station. The police officer who met Mary told her that there was no warrant for her arrest and confirmed that it was a scam.

Follow Up: Mary said that a friend of hers recently received the same threatening phone call. Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson pointed out that people from all walks of life are targeted by scammers and as a follow up to Mary's story, shared information on how scammers purchase data that allows them to obtain personal information to contact their victims.

In this insightful episode, we'll gain an understanding of why young people become scammers in Jamaica. A woman (who called herself Candance) told her story in the Jamaica Gleaner. She describes how she followed in her brother's footsteps and quit high school to begin working as a lottery scammer. Candance said, "I left school because while it could prepare me for the future--I needed a way out NOW! My now situation was hunger, discrimination and the many distractions that come from living in the garrison." She went from living in poverty to making $90,000 in her first three days. By the second week, she'd made nearly $500,000. She has been able to purchase homes and has invested in several money making ventures. Candance says she feels bad for her victims and would like to quit. However, it's not so easy...

The Lottery Scam is run by criminal gangs who demand a percentage of what the scammer brings in. If you don't pay them--you could be killed. Eighty per cent of the murders and shootings in Jamaica are related to Lottery Scams. Candance says, "We have police, teachers, politicians and even doctors who are scamming. The current law was hastily established but it is just another basket given to carry water so there is very little that the police can do about lotto scamming."

The scams target the elderly, especially those living in the United States. Victims are told that they've won the lottery or are a finalist for a grand prize worth millions. There's only one catch; they have to send money to pay the taxes before they can collect their winnings. This leads them down a rabbit hole as they continually are asked to send more and more money in hopes of receiving the Grand Prize. Often, the scammer becomes best friends with the elderly victim, all the while increasing the pressure on them to send more and more money until finally, it's all gone.

Charity Scams have been around for quite a while. Unfortunately, because of the heartbreaking situation in Ukraine, many scam artists are trying to take advantage of the situation by pretending to be legitimate charities when they're not. Beware of charities that use copy-cat names that are similar to a well-known charity. Don't click on unknown links or give out your personal information. If a charity asks you to give with a gift card, peer to peer app or wire transfer, it's a scam! Make your donation through a check or credit card.

Some charities may not be out and out scams, but can they effectively deliver aid in war-torn regions? Do they have experience getting into impacted areas? Do your research before you give!

Here are some sites where you can research charities:

https://www.give.org

https://www.charitynavigator.org

https://www.charitynavigator.org

BBB also has an article on tips to help Ukraine Relief Activities:

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-rele...

In this episode an older man is targeted by a young woman from the Philippines who claimed to be a victim of health issues and a devastating typhoon. Rather than being a young woman who was having a string of bad luck, this was a scammer who came up with one sad story after another, convincing the big-hearted gentleman to send money.

Remember, NEVER send money to someone you have not met in person. If you suspect you are being conned by someone who is perpetrating the romance scam, talk to someone you are close to for their input and advice. You can also call AARP’s Fraud Watch Network Hotline and speak to a Fraud Specialist at 877-908-3360. Or, call the Santa Barbara Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442.

The episode ends with a Good News Story. Two brothers in Maryland were convicted and sentenced to three years in Federal Prison after laundering money for Romance Scammers in Ghana to the tune of more than six million dollars!

Doris Roof, Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, warns listeners to only use Zelle to pay people you know! Scammers are pretending to be from companies who are requesting payments through Zelle. Don't fall for it! A legitimate company will not request a payment through Zelle. The scammers are talking people into letting them access their computers remotely, pretending that they want to help them set up a Zelle account to make an instant payment. Once the money has been sent through Zelle, there is very little chance that it can be recovered! Call Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson on the Santa Barbara County Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442, to report a scam.

NEW AMAZON SCAM by Hub for Podcasting

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there has been an 80% increase in 'Romance Scams' in the last year. In one common scenario, scammers target lonely widows. (This typically takes place on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram.) Often, the scammers say they have also been heartbroken by the loss of a spouse and send a warm and empathetic message. Gradually, the scammer wins the trust of their victim--and they chat frequently. Eventually the scammer asks for money. Rather than asking for money for themselves, they may pretend to be giving their victim information on an investment opportunity, which often involves cryptocurrency. This is a particularly cruel scam because in addition to losing money, the victim is heartbroken and humiliated to have fallen for the scammer's lies. The victim may unknowingly break the law by becoming a 'money mule', following the scammers instructions to transfer money into other accounts--inadvertantly helping the scammer to 'launder' money. To avoid falling for this cruel scam, the FTC shares the following tips:

- Don't send money to someone you haven't met in person.

- Don't buy gift cards or wire money to someone you haven't met in person.

- Don't follow the financial advice of someone you haven't met in person and

be especially wary of requests to purchase cryptocurrency or to wire

money.

- Talk to friends and family about the online relationship.

- If your new friend has sent you a photograph, do a reverse image search.

- Google their name.

- Report suspicious profiles or messages to dating apps and social media

platforms.

- Report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov

- If you live in the Santa Barbara area, call Deputy District Attorney Vicki

Johnson on the Santa Barbara County Fraud Hotline at 805-563-2442

Shawn Dyer, Senior Fraud specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, warns listeners about QR Scams. They have received a warning from the FBI about cyber criminals who tamper with QR codes which redirect victims to malicious sites. When scanning QR codes, be sure they have not been tampered with, (such as having a sticker placed over them), and that the URL address you are taken to is legitimate. Also, do not download an app from a QR code and if a person you know sends you a QR code, confirm it's really from them.

Investment Scams take people in most often followed by romance scams. Oftentimes, scammers are able to trick their victims by using information found on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. While it's often assumed that seniors are scammed most often, people between the ages of 18 and 39 are twice as likey to report losing money to scammers. The phony kiidnapping scam, (where a scammer demands ransom money in exchange for the release of a loved one), continues to terrorize victims. In reality, no one is kidnapped but once again the scammer uses information found on social media, giving them convincing details to make the kidnapping believable so that their ransom will be paid.