The key scam issues currently facing our law enforcment agency are listed here. You can also find more information at the following links: http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm
FRAUDSTERS CONTINUE TO EXPLOIT TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES (TRS)
07/08/09—The IC3 continues to receive complaints pertaining to scam artists using Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) to defraud U.S. businesses and consumers. Under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act, all telephone companies must provide TRS for individuals with hearing impairments or speech impairments.
This IC3 alert is to make the public aware of the continuing abuse of TRS to exploit U.S. businesses. Recent reports indicate scam artists are using TRS to exploit auto repair shops. The scam entails the fraudster using TRS to request services for a vehicle. The fraudster claims the vehicle has to be shipped to the auto repair business and requests the repairs and shipping fees be charged to a credit card. Unbeknownst to the business, the credit card is fraudulent or stolen; however, the charges initially go through without any complications. The business is then directed to wire the money to the shipper to cover the shipping costs. It is not until the shipper’s money is wired that the business is notified of the fraudulent credit card; therefore, the business bears the loss.
A previous PSA titled Notorious “Reshipper Scam” Transforms was released on February 9, 2004, covering this exploit. To view the PSA in its entirety, please visit the following link: http://www.ic3.gov/media/2004/040209.aspx.
Individuals who receive a communication, such as the one described above, are encouraged to file a complaint at www.ic3.govreporting the incident
OR
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/scamsdesc.htm
December 4th, 2008
The Eagle River Police Department is investigating a scam that has affected a local resident, resulting in the loss of a substantial amount of money.
The victim in this case was solicited by mail to participate in a program by “Shoppers Market Research” out of New York , NY . The scam involves “hiring” the victim to evaluate customer service at various businesses in the area. The victim is given a check to cash with instructions to return a large portion of the money via Western Union to a designated terminal ( in this case, Bronx, NY) and retain the remaining amount to use for the purchase of products at businesses that are to be evaluated. The victim in this case became suspicious when the fax number where the evaluation forms were to be sent was not working and an additional check was sent overnight express out of Calgary Canada , immediately after the first check was cashed.
The check that accompanies this scam has the words “Official Check” at the top and the only identifying information about who is issuing the check is an alleged business name “BB&T.” The particular check the victim cashed had the name “Jeff Phillips” in the memo portion of the check.
The individual or individuals who are running this scam change the name of the company quite frequently. Area residents may receive similar material from a different company in the mail but they are strongly cautioned about acting on these types of offers.
The Eagle River Police Department wishes to warn our area residents of this scam and urges anyone who receives this scam or any other similarly suspicious offers to contact their local law enforcement agency before acting on these offers.
Phishing Attack Underway At Facebook. Don’t Sign In To Fbaction.net107 Comments by MG Siegler on April 29, 2009
We’ve received multiple tips of a new phishing attack that has broken out on Facebook. If you get an email message that looks to be from Facebook with the subject, “Hello,” and featuring the text below, don’t bother clicking on the link included. Doing so takes you to a site called fbaction.net that mimics the look of the main Facebook login page, hoping to get you to sign in. Naturally, if you do that, the site will have access to your account and can send out more of these messages to your friends.
The message body will apparently read something like this (with YOURFRIEND being replaced by the name of a friend of yours):
YOURFRIEND sent you a message.
Subject: Hello
“Visit http://www.facebook.com/l/4253f;http://fbaction.net/”
We’ve contacted Facebook about the situation to see what it is doing to remedy this. In the meantime, be on the lookout for any link related to fbaction.net.