Posts Categorized: Fraud

Scam alert: Covid-19 related fraud is proliferating

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In early April, we noted that there has never been a crisis or emergency that criminals won’t try to exploit and we posted a roundup of fraud schemes: Be on your guard for coronavirus scammers, skimmers & phishers! It’s time to update that list. Criminals are only getting smarter and more sophisticated about capitalizing on…

Be on your guard for coronavirus scammers, skimmers & phishers!

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There’s never been a crisis that cyber criminals won’t try to exploit — rest assured, they are out in full force during the coronavirus crisis. Their goal is to capitalize on your fears and anxieties to steal your money and your credentials. They hope that you will be distracted and that your guard may be…

Crooks, cons & criminals: the 2019 Insurance Fraud Hall of Shame

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Insurance fraud is one of America’s largest crimes — at least $80 billion is stolen each year. Why should you care? This is a crime that you pay for in the form of higher insurance rates, for one thing. And often, the fraud includes theft, scams, staged accidents, and even violence. According to the Insurance…

Tax scam season: Be on high alert for these fraud schemes

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From now through April 15, it’s the top tax scam season. Not that tax scams only happen in the first few months of the year, they can occur year-round. But criminals know that taxes are on your mind and they will try to take advantage of that. Be alert for tax-related identity theft With the…

Quick best practice tip for your 2020 financial and legal documents

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It’s a new year – time to get in the habit of changing the year that you use when you write a quick check or date documents. But there’s another habit you should alter this year, according to police and other crime experts: write out the full year of 2020 in your handwritten dated documents,…

Holiday fraud: How to avoid seasonal scammers

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If it’s December, it’s prime holiday fraud season! Because it’s the busiest season of the year, scammers work double time to try to maximize their take. And as many times as we’ve issued warnings, thieves are very creative about thinking up sneaky new ways to separate you from your money. The Better Business Bureau is…

How to avoid rogue tow truck scams

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Bad enough if you are in an auto accident – that’s stressful enough. You might be injured or at the very least, shaken up. Suddenly a tow truck appears on the scene saying they are from your insurance company. While that might seem like lucky timing, it should actually raise your suspicions. High pressure tactics…

Focus on Phishing: Take these quizzes to see if you are smarter than the criminals

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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the time of year when cybersecurity experts from government, academia and industry remind us of the importance of safeguarding our digital information and reviewing our online safety practices. One of the most common ways that crooks and criminals get your personal financial data is through phishing. Phishing is using…

Scam and Fraud roundup: The latest cons

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Thieves are highly creative and spend 24-7 just trying to figure out ways to separate you from your money. Even if you are super safe and cautious, you can be a victim of a con, a phish or a fraud. Scams happen both online and off – but it’s quite efficient for criminals to mass…

Buying a used car? Don’t get scammed by title washing

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You see a nice used car at the local dealership that would be great for your college-bound son. You buy the car, and a few weeks later, you get a call that your son is being held by police on a charge of car theft. What!?! You spend considerable time to prove he is not…