Fake Netflix Emails

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers of a new scam involving fake emails that appear to be from Netflix. The emails warn customers that there is a problem with their account, and urges them to click a link to update their payment information. This link will take customers to a site created by the scammer to steal your information. To avoid the scam, don't click on links in unsolicited emails from Netflix. In addition, only make updates to your account on the official Netflix site, not via email.



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The Truth Behind the Area Code Scam

Rumors are circulating about so-called "scam area codes." According to emails, blog posts and social media on the subject, consumers are led to believe that they will be charged thousands of dollars for accidentally calling scam numbers. That's not true. While you should always check an unfamiliar area code before dialing, here's the real story. 

How the Scam Works:

 

You get a voicemail from an unknown number. The person on the message claims there is an emergency and urges you to call a number starting with an 809, 284, 649, or 876 area code. The "emergency" varies, but common scenarios involve either an injured (or arrested) relative, an overdue bill or a cash prize to claim.

 

When you return the call, a variety of things may happen.  The scammer may try to keep you on the line for as long as possible, wracking up fees on a toll number. Other times, the scammer may ask you to send money or share personal information.  It seems like a normal phone scam, but what's so special about these area codes? 

 

What's Really Happening:  

 

The 809, 284, 649, or 876 area codes are actually for international calls. (809 is the area code for the Dominican Republic). Sometimes calls between neighboring countries do not require the usual "011" international prefix; for instance, calls between the U.S. and Canada, or calls from the U.S. to the Caribbean. Callers may not realize they are dialing an  international phone number. 

 

Operating outside the US provides scammers with many of benefits. For example, scammers don't have to inform callers in advance of any special rates or fees. This means that when consumers think they are dialing a normal domestic number, they may actually be calling the international version of a 1-900 number. Other times, scammers use these numbers to pretend they are based in the U.S., lending credibility to their claims.  

 

If you call a 809, 284, 649, or 876 phone number, you will be charged for an international call and potentially extra fees. However, you will not automatically wrack up thousands of dollars in charges. 

 

How to Protect Yourself Against This Scam:

• Only return calls to familiar numbers. As a general rule, only call familiar area codes or do a quick Google search before placing a call. 
• Read your telephone bill carefully. Make sure that you have authorized all additional fees on your bill.
• Like with any other phone scam, the best way to protect yourself is to just hang up.  
• If you believe that you have been scammed:
  • Contact the carrier with whom the charge originated. The name of the carrier and the telephone number should be printed on your bill. Often, the problem can be resolved with a single phone call.
  • If the carrier with whom the charge originated does not agree to resolve the problem, contact your carrier. They should work with you to help remove fraudulent charges.

Scammers taking advantage of healthcare law confusion

According to a recent Pew poll, roughly 36 percent of Americans say they don't understand what the Affordable Care Act means for them.
With open enrollment in federal healthcare exchanges beginning next week, scammers are already taking advantage of the confusion associated with the nationwide mandate.
Telephone scams are nothing new in South Carolina, but with sweeping healthcare reform affecting virtually everyone in the country, scammers are following the headlines and taking advantage of what you don't know.
The state Department of Consumer Affairs says they're seeing an increase in healthcare scams across South Carolina.
The goal of fraudsters is to separate you from your sensitive personal information. In one such scam, scammers represent themselves as Medicare representatitives who need your Social Security number so they can issue you a new Medicare card.
Other scammers may try and coerce you to sign up for "Obamacare," or offer to send you a new medical alert device. Fraud experts warn, if you receive a cold call asking you to divulge any sensitive information regarding healthcare, someone is likely trying to scam you.
"Scammers use scare tactics to try and get you to do something," said Juliana Harris, Consumer Affairs official. "So it could even be that, 'Oh we're offering this great deal. If you don't sign up now, you could pay double,' or 'If you don't sign up now, you're going to jail, because it's illegal to have health insurance.'"
Fraud experts say they expect to see more of these scams in the coming months as people start to feel the pressure to purchase healthcare before the Jan. 1, 2014 deadline. To report suspicious calls or emails, contact the Department of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-922 1594.


Scammers taking advantage of healthcare law confusion - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |



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How a Fake Facebook Giveaway Fooled Fans

Facebook scammers are at it again. They impersonated JetBlue's Facebook page, pretending to offer a free vacation to a user who "liked" and shared the post. The fake account collected 1,000 likes in a single day, demonstrating that Facebook scams are as lucrative as ever.


How the Scam Worked:

A post from "JetBlue" appears in your Facebook newsfeed. The airline is offering the chance to win a free vacation for four. To enter, all you need to do is "like" and share the message.


The Facebook page looks real. It uses JetBlue's logo, colors and cover image. And the contest could be real too; businesses often run giveaways to bolster their Facebook likes.


However, there are two clues that this is a fake: the awkward grammar ("an all paid vacation" instead of "an all expenses paid vacation") and the fact that JetBlue's real page has 800K likes.


What's the Point of Facebook Scams?


Savvy spammers set up Facebook pages that urge users to "like," share or comment on the posts. Scams run the gamut heart tugging images of sick children with captions that falsely promise "a dollar donated for each 'like,'" to fake celebrity accounts to fraudulent contests. The more times the images are shared or "liked," the more it boosts the spam page's "edge rank," the score a Facebook page is given to dictate how it interacts with other Facebook profiles. After the page accumulates enough fans and a high enough "edge rank," the spammers sell it. Of course, scammers can use fake Facebook pages for more "traditional" scams like phishing for personal and/or banking information. If you want to be absolutely sure, go to the company's website and click on their Facebook link.


How can you avoid these scams? Do a quick search on Facebook before you "like" a business or other organization. You can make sure you have the right account by picking the one with substantially more "likes." For example, the real JetBlue page has 800,000 "likes."


I Spotted a Fake Facebook Page. What Should I Do? 

Don't share, like or comment on the posts. That just perpetuates Facebook spam.
Be sure to report fake profiles to Facebook. 

How Scammers Fool Ebay Sellers into Giving Away Goods

Thinking about selling electronics or other valuables on eBay? Be sure to watch out for this scam. Using a few tricks, scammers fool sellers into shipping goods without receiving payment. 

How the Scam Works:

You list an item on eBay. For this example, let's say it's a laptop. Someone purchases it, and, in addition to the official notification email you get from eBay, you also receive a message from the buyer.

In this email, the buyer claims he has an emergency and needs the laptop immediately. He may say it's his son or daughter's birthday gift. In other cases, the buyer claims to be in the military, and he's shipping out in a few days. The buyer may also ask you to send the item to an unconfirmed address, often in another country. You reply and agree to send the item that day... as soon as you have confirmation of payment.

The next email you receive appears to be from PayPal. It looks like a message confirming the buyer's payment. But before you ship the laptop, you log into your PayPal account and check the transfer history. The buyer never sent the money, and the "PayPal" email was a fraud!

How to Spot an eBay Buyer Scam:

• Check the buyer's profile. It's important that a buyer's profile shows positive feedback, a history of eBay use and their location. However, this isn't a guarantee that the buyer is legitimate. Scammers often hack into eBay accounts and use them to bid. Then, they request that the item be shipped to another address. 
• Make sure the email is really from PayPal. Read the email carefully, and check that the "sender" address is really from an "@paypal.com" domain. Also, hover over URLs in the message to make sure they link to the real PayPal website
• Watch out for bad grammar and misspellings. Official company emails, such as notifications from PayPal or eBay, aren't filled with typos and awkward English. Poor grammar is a sure sign the email is a fraud. 
• Log into PayPal directly. Before you ship an item, always confirm payment by logging into PayPal and checking your account. Go to the URL directly. Don't use a link from the buyer's email. 
• Contact PayPal: Think an email is a fraud? Forward it to spoof@paypal.com.

Scam Alert -- How Fake Facebook Profiles are Fooling the Faithful

In a new Facebook scam, con artists are impersonating popular church pastors. Once they gain a following, scammers use their influence to drum up donations for non-existent causes. 

  

How the Scam Works:   

You see your church's pastor or a popular minster on Facebook. The profile looks normal; it has photos and inspirational posts. To show your support, you "friend" the pastor.

A post from a Facebook account impersonating Joel Osteen

But as the profile gains more "friends," you notice that the content changes. Now, the posts are frequently, even redundantly, about the importance of giving to charity. And the pastor starts requesting followers donate to a specific charity. When you do a search, you find that the charity doesn't exist and your pastor has another Facebook profile with 10x the number of friends. The account you followed was a scam. 

The latest trend in Facebook scams is for con artists to impersonate popular religious figures. Once they gain a following, scammers use their influence to drive donations to fake charities. The "pastor" then pockets the funds raised. (Above is a post from a scammer impersonating Joel Osteen and asking for donations.)

How can you avoid these scams? Do a quick search on Facebook before you "friend" a public figure to make sure you have the correct account. The number of friends/likes is a giveaway. Also, always check out a charity before you donate. BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a great place to start.   
 

I Spotted a Fake Facebook Account. What Should I Do?  

• Don't share, like or comment on the posts. That just perpetuates Facebook spam.
• Be sure to report fake profiles to Facebook following these instructions.

How Doing a Favor for an Unknown Caller Can Cost You

Consumers are reporting a resurgence in a classic phone scam. Victims who fall for this con allow an unknown caller to run up their phone bills without their knowledge. 

  

How the Scam Works:   

You receive a collect call and accept the charges. When caller comes on the line, it's clear you don't know him. But he begs you not to hang up. He claims that he has been arrested for a minor violation and is trying to reach his family. Unfortunately,he's dialed the wrong number and will only be allowed one phone call.  

 

The caller asks you to help him by forwarding his call. He instructs you to dial *72 and the phone number he needs to reach. You dial the numbers, thinking you are doing him a small favor. But you really just allowed the scammer to bill unlimited collect phone calls to your account. 

 

The *72 code causes all your subsequent incoming calls to be forwarded. The scammer can make collect calls to your number and have them automatically forwarded to the person he wants to reach. Even though you aren't answering the calls, the charges will still be billed to your account. You may not realize this has happened until you receive your next phone bill.

The scam is most frequently used by inmates looking for a way to make "free" collect calls. But identity thieves can use this technique to "steal" your phone number. They set up your number to forward to themselves and answer when your bank calls to check up on suspicious charges/withdrawals.  

How to Spot a Scam:

Protect yourself from call forwarding scams by following these tips: 

• Place a collect call block on your account. If you don't need to make or accept collect calls, telephone service providers often allow you to block them for free. 
• If you receive unwanted calls from a nearby correctional facility, contact them directly and request that your number be blocked.
• Read your telephone bills carefully. Watch for any unusual charges.
• Pay attention to your phone's ringing. If your phone frequently rings only once or is not ringing at all, this could be an indication that your line has been forwarded.
• If you believe your phone is being forwarded, dial *73 or #73 to deactivate 

Scam Alert -- How Doing a Favor for an Unknown Caller Can Cost You - morganservice.net@gmail.com - Gmail