Watch Out For Fake Attorneys

Another scam that seems to be getting more popular these days is one where the scam artist pretends to be an attorney. The phony lawyer contacts people with news that there is a buyer interested in property they have for sale or that they have won the lottery. The scam artist them attempts to convince his potential victims to send money for any number of fictitious reasons relating to the real estate
sale or lottery winnings. There are bound to be other variations on this scam as well.

What lends a little more credibility to the scam is that the scam artist has selected the name of an actual attorney that he pretends to be.

If you suspect someone is trying to victimize you with a scheme similar to this, it would probably be a good idea to look up the name of the attorney that contacted you and then contact them to verify that the information is legitimate. Make sure you look up the information to contact the attorney on your own and do not trust that the information provided to you by the person that contacted you is legitimate.

Elderly Massachusetts Couple Victims of Credit Card Fraud

An elderly couple from Acushnet, Massachusetts were surprised to receive recent credit card statements that showed the purchase of some big-ticket items like LCD television sets.

The original newspaper story suggests that the couple may end up being responsible for the debt, but I have serious doubts about that. As far as I know, a credit card customer’s debt from fraudulent transactions is limited to $50 per card. Furthermore, as someone who runs a small business, trust me, the merchant is the one who loses in these situations. Been there, done that.

The unlucky Massachusetts couple is baffled with regard to how the crooks could have obtained their credit card information. They are reportedly very careful about what they put in the trash and shred anything with personal information on it, which is a very smart thing to do. I shred everything that has just me name or address on it before throwing it in the trash.

There are numerous ways for crooks to obtain credit card information. Although many people are quick to point to the internet, it is just as likely that your information could be stolen by some crooked server at the local steak house or clerk at the corner convenience store and there really is little or nothing you can do to put a stop to things like that.

Don’t worry though. Some poor merchant will likely be picking up the tab and paying a penalty on top of that for having the nerve to be a victim of a crime! Yeah, been there and done that, too.

To see the original newspaper story, click here.

Careful Dialing — That Could Be An Expensive Call

Authorities in Ohio are warning residents of a scam that involves a very expensive telephone call.

Potential victims receive an automated phone call advising them that a loved one has been injured or that they have won some kind of prize. They are then instructed to call a special phone number for more information. As always, there are probably other variations on the stories these crooks are using.

The phone number provided ends up connecting the caller to a company in the Virgin Islands where the caller is placed on hold. By the way calling that particular number costs between $25 and $100 per minute.

Calls are reportedly coming from the 809, 284 and 876 area codes, so be wary if you see one of those show up on the caller ID.

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