[chambernews] Fwd: Top Scams of 2011

[Karen Amundson (Chamber)]

This is from Stefan - not a scam, it's good information!
/Thanks Stefan!/



  BBB Names Top Ten Scams of 2011

Better Business Bureau investigates thousands of scams every year, from 
the latest gimmicks to schemes as old as the hills. Our new Scam Source 
(www.bbb.org/scam <http://www.bbb.org/scam>) is a comprehensive resource 
on scam investigations from BBBs around the country, with tips from BBB, 
law enforcement and others. You can sign up to receive our Scam Alerts 
by email, and you can also be a scam detective yourself by reporting 
scams you've discovered.

We've divided scams up into nine major categories and picked the top 
scam in each, plus our Scam of the Year.

*Top Job Scam*

BBB sees lots of secret shopper schemes, work-from-home scams, and other 
phony job offers, but the worst job-related scam can dash your hopes and 
steal your identity. Emails, websites and online applications all look 
very professional, and the candidate is even interviewed for the job 
(usually over the phone) and then receives an offer. In order to start 
the job, however, the candidate has to fill out a "credit report" or 
provide bank information for direct deposit of their "paychecks." The 
online forms are nothing more than a way to capture sensitive personal 
data -- Social Security number, bank accounts, etc. -- that can easily 
be used for identity theft. And, of course, there is no job, either.

*Top Sweepstakes and Lottery Scam*

Sweepstakes and lottery scams come in all shapes and sizes, but the 
bottom line is almost always this: You've won a whole lot of money, and 
in order to claim it you have to send us a smaller amount of money. Oh, 
and keep this confidential until we're ready to announce your big 
winnings. This year's top sweepstakes scam was undoubtedly the email 
claiming to be from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announcing that the 
recipient was the winner of $1 million from the popular social 
networking site. These kinds of scams often use celebrities or other 
famous names to make their offer seem more genuine. If you aren't sure, 
don't click on the link but instead go directly to the homepage of the 
company mentioned. If they are really giving away $1 million, there will 
be some kind of announcement on their website. But don't waste too much 
time looking.

*Top Social Media/Online Dating Scam*

On the Internet, it's easy to pretend to be someone you are not. Are you 
really friends with all of your "Friends" on Facebook? Do you have a lot 
of personal information on a dating site? With so much information about 
us online, a scammer can sound like they know you. There are tons of 
ways to use social media for scams, but one this year really stands out 
because it appeals to our natural curiosity...and it sounds like it's 
coming from a friend. Viral videos claiming to show everything from 
grisly footage of Osama bin Laden's death to the latest celebrity 
hijinks have shown up on social media sites, often looking as if they 
have been shared by a friend. When you click on the link, you are 
prompted to "upgrade your Flash player," but the file you end up 
downloading contains a worm that logs into your social media account, 
sends similar messages to your friends, and searches for your personal 
data. The next time you see a sensational headline for the latest viral 
video, resist the urge to peek.

*Top Home Improvement Scam*

Always near the top of BBB complaint data are home improvement 
contractors who often leave your home worse than they found it. They 
usually knock on your door with a story or a deal -- the roofer who can 
spot some missing shingles on your roof, the paver with some leftover 
asphalt who can give you a great deal on driveway resealing. Itinerant 
contractors move around, keeping a step ahead of the law...and angry 
consumers. The worst are those who move in after a natural disaster, 
taking advantage of desperate homeowners who need immediate help and may 
not be as suspicious as they would be under normal circumstances. A 
large percentage of BBB's Accredited Businesses are home contractors who 
want to make sure you know they are legitimate, trustworthy and 
dependable. Find one at www.bbb.org/search <http://www.bbb.org/search>.

*Top Check Cashing Scam*

Two legitimate companies -- Craig's List and Western Union -- are used 
for an inordinate amount of scamming these days, and especially check 
cashing scams. Here's how it works: Someone contacts you via a Craig's 
List posting, maybe for a legitimate reason like buying your old couch 
or perhaps through a scam like hiring you as a secret shopper. Either 
way, they send you a check for more than the amount they owe you, and 
they ask you to deposit it into your bank account and then send them the 
difference via Western Union. A deposited check takes a couple of days 
to clear, whereas wired money is gone instantly. When the original check 
bounces, you are out whatever money you wired...and you're still stuck 
with the old couch.

*Top Phishing Scam*

"Phishing" is when you receive a suspicious phone call asking for 
personal information or an email that puts a virus on your computer to 
hunt for your data. It's almost impossible to avoid them if you have a 
telephone or an email account. But the most pernicious phishing scam 
this year disguised itself as official communication from NACHA -- the 
National Automated Clearing House Association -- which facilitates the 
secure transfer of billions of electronic transactions every year. The 
email claims one of your transactions did not go through, and it hopes 
you react quickly and click on the link before thinking it through. It 
may take you to a fake banking site "verify" you account information, or 
it may download malware to infiltrate your computer.

*Top Identity Theft Scam*

There are a million ways to steal someone's identity. This one has 
gotten so prevalent that many hotels are posting warnings in their 
lobby. Here's how it works: You get a call in your hotel room in the 
middle of the night. It's the front desk clerk, very apologetic, saying 
their computer has crashed and they need to get your credit card number 
again, or they must have gotten the number wrong because the transaction 
won't go through, and could you please read the number back so they can 
fix the problem? Scammers are counting on you being too sleepy to catch 
on that the call isn't from the hotel at all, but from someone outside 
who knows the direct-dial numbers for the guest rooms. By the time 
morning rolls around and you are clear-headed, your credit card has been 
on a major shopping spree.

**

**

*Top Financial Scam*

In challenging economic times, many people are looking for help getting 
out of debt or hanging on to their home, and almost as many scammers 
appear to take advantage of desperate situations. Because the federal 
government announced or expanded several mortgage relief programs this 
year, all kinds of sound-alike websites have popped up to try to fool 
consumers into parting with their money. Some sound like a government 
agency, or even part of BBB or other nonprofit consumer organization. 
Most ask for an upfront fee to help you deal with your mortgage company 
or the government (services you could easily do yourself for free), and 
almost all leave you in more debt than when you started.

*Top Sales Scam*

Sales scams are as old as humanity, but the Internet has introduced a 
whole new way to rip people off. Penny auctions are very popular because 
it seems like you can get something useful - cameras, computers, etc. -- 
for way below retail. But you pay a small fee for each bid (usually 50? 
to $1.00) and if you aren't the winner, you lose that bid money. Winners 
often are not even the top bidder, just the last bidder when time runs 
out. Although not all penny auction sites are scams, some are being 
investigated as online gambling. BBB recommends you treat them the same 
way you would legal gambling in a casino -- know exactly how the bidding 
works, set a limit for yourself, and be prepared to walk away before you 
go over that limit.

*Scam of the Year*

Yep, it's us -- the BBB phishing scam. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps 
millions, of people have gotten emails that very much look like an 
official notice from BBB. The subject line says something like 
"Complaint Against Your Business," and the instructions tell the 
recipient to either click on a link or open an attachment to get the 
details. If the recipient does either, a malicious virus is launched on 
their computer...a virus that can steal banking information, passwords 
and other critical pieces of information needed for cyber-theft. BBB is 
working with security consultants and federal law enforcement to track 
down the source of these emails, and has already shut down dozens of 
hijacked websites. Anyone who has opened an attachment or clicked on a 
link should run a complete system scan using reputable anti-virus 
software. If your computer is networked with others, all machines on the 
network should be scanned, as well.

For more information on these and other scams, go to BBB Scam Source 
(www.bbb.org/scam <http://www.bbb.org/scam>). Sign up for our Scam 
Alerts and learn about new scams as soon as we do.

SOURCE: http://www.bbb.org/us/article/bbb-names-top-ten-scams-of-2011-31711

-- 

*PROtective Services, Inc.*

Office: 320-679-4848

Cell:612-961-5867 (24/7)

E-mail: Stefan at PROtectiveServicesinc.net 
<mailto:Stefan at PROtectiveServicesinc.net>

WEB: WWW.PROtectiveServicesinc.net <http://www.protectiveservicesinc.net/>

Member: ASIS, INTELLENET, NLA, MAPI, SOTA

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------------------------------------------------------------------------

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com>
Version: 2012.0.1901 / Virus Database: 2109/4736 - Release Date: 01/11/12

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