On July 4th (and every other day), your patriotism helps fraudsters in some of the nations biggest scams. How? Sweepstakes and lottery scams Mailed letters promising an unexpected jackpot arent worth the paper theyre printed on. The gotcha is in providing the requested upfront payment for taxes, insurance or other fees to collect a prize that never arrives. So why do so many folks still fall victim? Notice whats often printed on the envelope: images of American flags, eagles and even a familiar Dont tamper with under federal penalty notice to suggest these letters are from the U.S. Postal System. Such patriotic symbols are purposely used by scammers to increase the odds that recipients will open the envelope and take the bait. CHARITY SCAMS Although the most lucrative charity cons now involve fake charities that spring up following a natural disaster, those alleging to benefit disabled military veterans and active duty personnel remain a popular hot button hoax. (Others include phony charities purporting to aid sick children, police and firefighters.) Historically, military-related charity scams tend to increase around July 4, along with Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Before donating - especially when contacted by telephone - know how to check out a charitys legitimacy. ROMANCE SCAMS Sweetheart swindlers often pose as soldiers or officers on online dating websites and chat rooms. After weeks of cyber sweet talk, romance scammers (who often steal photos, and sometimes names, of legitimate military personnel to make their lies more convincing) inevitably ask for money - typically via wire transfer - claiming some type of financial crisis or personal emergency. According to the U.S. Army, victims are most often women between 30 and 55 years old. The average per-victim loss exceeds $10,000 but historically, older women have lost the most. In 2012, the FBI reports that American women in their 50s and older were swindled of at least $34 million in romance scams - more than any other age group. ONLINE GREETING CARD SCAMS As with other holidays, Independence Day is prime time to receive fraudulent online greeting cards that unleash malware to give cybercrooks remote access to your files, online banking accounts and passwords for possible identity theft, or enlist your computer as a spam-sending botnet In the past, malware-infecting e-cards distributed around July 4th touted patriotic-themed subject lines including American Pride on the 4th, Celebrate Your Nation and America the Beautiful. If you receive an email promising an electronic greeting card, dont click on embedded links - especially if the sender is an unnamed friend or fellow patriot. Legitimate e-cards will have a confirmation code, which you can enter at the card companys website to read the card. Spotted a scam? Tell us about it. Our scam-tracking map gives you information about the latest scams targeting people in your state. You’ll also find first-hand accounts from scam-spotters who are sharing their experiences so you know how to protect yourself and your family. On July 4th (and every other day), your patriotism helps fraudsters in some of the nations biggest scams. How? Sweepstakes and lottery scams Mailed letters promising an unexpected jackpot arent worth the paper theyre printed on. The gotcha is in providing the requested upfront payment for taxes, insurance or other fees to collect a prize that never arrives. So why do so many folks still fall victim? Notice whats often printed on the envelope: images of American flags, eagles and even a familiar Dont tamper with under federal penalty notice to suggest these letters are from the U.S. Postal System. Such patriotic symbols are purposely used by scammers to increase the odds that recipients will open the envelope and take the bait. CHARITY SCAMS Although the most lucrative charity cons now involve fake charities that spring up following a natural disaster, those alleging to benefit disabled military veterans and active duty personnel remain a popular hot button hoax. (Others include phony charities purporting to aid sick children, police and firefighters.) Historically, military-related charity scams tend to increase around July 4, along with Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Before donating - especially when contacted by telephone - know how to check out a charitys legitimacy. ROMANCE SCAMS Sweetheart swindlers often pose as soldiers or officers on online dating websites and chat rooms. After weeks of cyber sweet talk, romance scammers (who often steal photos, and sometimes names, of legitimate military personnel to make their lies more convincing) inevitably ask for money - typically via wire transfer - claiming some type of financial crisis or personal emergency. According to the U.S. Army, victims are most often women between 30 and 55 years old. The average per-victim loss exceeds $10,000 but historically, older women have lost the most. In 2012, the FBI reports that American women in their 50s and older were swindled of at least $34 million in romance scams - more than any other age group. ONLINE GREETING CARD SCAMS As with other holidays, Independence Day is prime time to receive fraudulent online greeting cards that unleash malware to give cybercrooks remote access to your files, online banking accounts and passwords for possible identity theft, or enlist your computer as a spam-sending botnet In the past, malware-infecting e-cards distributed around July 4th touted patriotic-themed subject lines including American Pride on the 4th, Celebrate Your Nation and America the Beautiful. If you receive an email promising an electronic greeting card, dont click on embedded links - especially if the sender is an unnamed friend or fellow patriot. Legitimate e-cards will have a confirmation code, which you can enter at the card companys website to read the card. Spotted a scam? Tell us about it. Our scam-tracking map gives you information about the latest scams targeting people in your state. You’ll also find first-hand accounts from scam-spotters who are sharing their experiences so you know how to protect yourself and your family.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 06:01:42 +0000
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