Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Scams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scams. Show all posts

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Maryland State Police Warning Public about Telephone Scams

Maryland State Police Warning Public about Telephone Scams

#ALERT Maryland State Police is warning the public regarding several recently reported phone scams. As a reminder, never give your personal information out over the phone. https://www.facebook.com/MarylandStatePolice/photos/a.155263044494316/2224530824234184/?type=3&theater

For more up to date information about crime and crime prevention fo here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarylandStatePolice/
According to a release from the Maryland State Police on February 7, 2019

(PIKESVILLE, Md.) — Maryland State Police are warning the public about a reported telephone scam in which the caller cloned a state police number and requested personal information from people as part of a criminal investigation.

A woman called the Maryland State Police on Thursday morning and reported she had received a call in which the caller ID on her phone showed “Maryland State Government” and the number 301-475-8955, which is the number for the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack. When she answered the call, the person on the other end told her she was a suspect in a drug trafficking investigation and that she needed to provide them her Social Security number and other identifying personal information.

This is just one of several phone scams recently reported to Maryland State Police. The Salisbury Barrack reported that some of the scams reported include victims receiving telephone calls where they are threatened with arrest or the continued detention of family members if they do not provide money, account numbers or purchase a re-loadable gift or credit cards.

Another telephone scam includes the victim being called by a representative of the Internal Revenue Service and threatened in the same fashion. The Salisbury Barrack reported that other victims have had their computers infected with a computer virus and were prompted to take immediate action in order to salvage the computer, which included purchasing up to $2,000 in gift cards to pay the company to correct the issue.

This came after the Maryland State Police Cumberland Barrack was recently inundated with numerous telephone calls regarding a scam in which a man or woman claiming to be from the Social Security Administration requested information and threatened to have the police respond to their address to arrest them.

These scammers are using scare tactics and sophisticated technology to attempt to take advantage of the public. If you are a senior citizen, or have a family member that is a senior citizen, please be aware and ensure they are aware of these scams so they do not fall victim to them.

The Maryland State Police, along with government agencies like the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service, would never solicit such information or services over the phone from any citizen. Never give any personal information over the phone, and only allow a qualified reputable computer technician the ability to repair your computer should it become infected with a virus. Many of these telephone scams are disguising themselves by utilizing local telephone number prefixes.

Anyone who receives such a phone call should hang up and then contact their local state police barrack. Callers may remain anonymous.

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

#Block on your phone: 786-209-0861 Florida unknown caller Dec. 13, 2016

#Block on your phone: 786-209-0861 Florida unknown caller Dec. 13, 2016 1:13 p.m. No one on the phone when I answer. Telemarketer fraudster spammer scammer that says that we have "we've been pre-approved for a loan... "

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Block this number on your ph: I just got a #Unwanted_phone_call from this number: 786-209-0861 Florida Dec. 13, 2016 1:13 p.m.

#Block on your phone: 339-204-9443 Massachusetts Robot call to tell me that I qualify for a $250,000 business loan with no credit check. Dec. 9, 2016

#Block on your phone (877) 582-7457 did not hear it well. Global Insurance (?) Selling back or knee braces. 18 Nov2016

#Unwanted_phone_call, Scams Fraud, Unwanted, Unwanted phone calls

For more number to block on your phone go to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/%23Unwanted_phone_call

You may want to consider taking a moment of your time right now to add this number to your phone contacts and put it on your blocked phone number list. The time you take right now may save you time and aggravation later.



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Monday, January 11, 2016

iDNS Criminal Domain Slamming


iDNS Criminal Domain Slamming

Domain Name Expiration Notice

Jan. 11, 2016


We recently received a notice from an outfit called iDNS - Internet Domain Name Services which encouraged us to renew our domain name….

It certainly appears to be a cleverly worded letter designed for the purpose of criminally tricking you into paying an exorbitant rate for your domain registration renewal – and in the process you will have moved your domain registration to iDNS which will then charge you excessive yearly maintenance fees….

There are also reports that you can – may lose control of your domain registration, an identity theft of sorts which will result in hours upon hours of frustrating time and money lost.

If you try to remedy your mistake, it has been reported that iDNS will not release your domain name – or charge you an exorbitant rate to release it.

In addition, several sites note that “it may be a phishing scam for credit card numbers…”, i.e., for stealing your credit card…

Shred it and pass the word. And encourage your state’s attorney’s office and state legislatures to aggressively pursue these attempts at fraud and criminal enterprise.


Meanwhile, be sure to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U5mqy5YC38 “Internet Domain Name Services Scam!” 

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Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Los Angeles Times: Firm's extended vehicle warranty offer breaks down under scrutiny

Los Angeles Times: Firm's extended vehicle warranty offer breaks down under scrutiny

A letter that appears to be from an auto dealer is actually from an out-of-state company selling an expensive contract with a sweeping loophole.

March 12, 2013|David Lazarus Los Angeles Times


It was the sort of letter designed to get attention. "Final attempt to notify," it said on the outside.

Within, an official-looking "product warranty expiration notice" said that my Toyota's service contract "is expiring or has expired." It provided a number to call "to extend coverage."

This was troubling because when I purchased my "certified pre-owned" car from a dealer in 2011, I paid $1,700 for a seven-year, 100,000-mile extended warranty. Now it was expiring?

The answer, of course, was no. And the racket I'm about to run down is yet another reminder that you need to examine closely anything that even remotely looks like a financial warning. Chances are, it's a sales pitch for something you don't want and don't need.

Most homeowners have received things like this in the mail relating to their home. Maybe it's called mortgage protection. Maybe it's extended coverage for your gas line or chimney.

This was the first time I've seen one relating to a vehicle. And the format of the letter was particularly insidious, making it seem to be from my dealer and indicating that if I didn't act right away, I could be on the hook for any breakdowns.

My first call was to the Toyota dealer that sold me the car….


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Offer of an extended factory warranty from American Automotive Service Solutions

Dec. 1, 2015

Why are such companies allowed to remain in business?

And why do these letters only seem to come to Toyota owners? Anecdotally, a quick search of the web indicates that this seemingly misleading and sensational letter – or postcard only seems to come to Toyota owners? In our personal experience, we only get these offers for our Toyota – not our Ford truck…  

Other than that possible explanation; that perhaps the scammers get the information from the Toyota; is it possible that the Maryland Dept. of Motor Vehicles sells our private information and addresses?

Business information:

Principal:

Jarrett Bell (Chief Executive Officer)
Customer Contact: Michael Hall (Chief Operating Officer)
Laura Hall (Chief Financial Officer)

American Automotive Service Solutions
933 Main Plaza Dr
Wentzville, MO 63385

800-827-5528




From the Better Business Bureau – one of several negative customer reviews… “When I opened my mailbox, there was a letter that said "FINAL NOTICE" regarding my newly purchased vehicle. It had the make and model of the vehicle, then "Official Business" and "Penalty For Private Use" in the window of the envelope…” - See more at: http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/auto-service-contract-companies/american-automotive-service-solutions-in-wentzville-mo-310288545/customer-reviews?cacheit=y#sthash.ZWwJPaqn.dpuf
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Friday, October 16, 2015

Tired of junk mail – check out the “Drowning in Junk Mail” website


Tired of junk mail – check out the “Drowning in Junk Mail” website: https://drowndinginmail.wordpress.com/

October 16, 2015

In all the years I have worked hard to stop receiving junk mail, I have never seen as informative a website as “Drowning in Junk Mail” - https://drowndinginmail.wordpress.com/

The “Drowning in Junk Mail” latest post, “How to Stop Mail for a Deceased Person
OCTOBER 14, 2015 - https://drowndinginmail.wordpress.com/ is extremely informative. And timely for me since my family just got junk mail from The Nature Conservancy to a family member that passed away years ago. It made me very sad.

AARP has a great check list of things to do when someone dies. I am going to expand on the section about what to do with a deceased person’s mail….”

Two other recent posts from which I got a great deal of value are found here: Drowning in Junk Mail – How to Opt-out of Junk Mail Using a DMA Ethics Complaint - JANUARY 23, 2015: https://drowndinginmail.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/drowning-in-junk-mail-how-to-opt-out-of-junk-mail-using-a-dma-ethics-complaint/

And here: Drowning in Junk Mail – How to Opt-out of Junk Mail and Phone Calls from InfoCision - FEBRUARY 4, 2015: https://drowndinginmail.wordpress.com/tag/nature-conservancy/

In the years I have worked hard to stop the volume of junk mail I receive from marketers, charities and scams, I cannot recall finding a more informative website.

Fortunately, years into the fray, I have to realize that there is no silver bullet and that it is a never-ending fray and one needs to be constantly vigilant.

I truly believe in my heart that there is a special place in hell for the direct mail junk mail marketers.

DMA ethics guidelines:



They can send complaints to non-members, but they cannot guarantee that the non-member will stop sending mail.

There are a couple of ways to file a complaint with the Ethics Board at the DMA:

The best way is to fill out the online form, you can upload photos and emails.

Or you can go old school and mail in an example of the junk mail and a complaint letter to:
Direct Marketing Association
Corporate & Social Responsibility (CSR) Department
1615 L St. NW Suite 1100

Washington, DC 20036-5624
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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Bloomberg Business Week: Target Missed Warnings in Epic Hack of Credit Card Data

Bloomberg Business Week: Target Missed Warnings in Epic Hack of Credit Card Data

Target Missed Warnings in Epic Hack of Credit Card Data Reblogged 5 hours ago from newsweek

http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/80106052145/newsweek-the-biggest-retail-hack-in-u-s
newsweek:

The biggest retail hack in U.S. history wasn’t particularly inventive, nor did it appear destined for success. In the days prior to Thanksgiving 2013, someone installed malware in Target’s (TGT) security and payments system designed to steal every credit card used at the company’s 1,797 U.S. stores.
At the critical moment—when the Christmas gifts had been scanned and bagged and the cashier asked for a swipe—the malware would step in, capture the shopper’s credit card number, and store it on a Target server commandeered by the hackers.
Target Missed Warnings in Epic Hack of Credit Card Data
The biggest retail hack in U.S. history wasn’t particularly inventive, nor did it appear destined for success. In the days prior to Thanksgiving 2013, someone installed malware in Target’s (TGT) security and payments system designed to steal every credit card used at the company’s 1,797 U.S. stores.
At the critical moment—when the Christmas gifts had been scanned and bagged and the cashier asked for a swipe—the malware would step in, capture the shopper’s credit card number, and store it on a Target server commandeered by the hackers.


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Friday, March 07, 2014

Associated Publishers Network magazine renewal complaints

Associated Publishers Network magazine renewal complaints

March 7, 2014

Associated Publishers Network
(866) 437-7897
850 S Boulder Hwy Ste 355, Henderson, NV 89015-7564



BBB has received a volume and pattern of complaints regarding billing and collection, delivery, refund or exchange, and sales practice issues.

According to consumer complaints, magazine subscription renewal notices are received from Associated Publishers Network (APN), also know as United Publisher's Clearing House, National Magazine Services, Orbital Publishing, and Publisher's Billing Exchange.

Complainants state they send in payment for renewal of their subscriptions to various magazines, such as Wall Street Journal, The Economist, New Yorker Magazine, and the Times, however, the magazines are not received.

When consumers contact the magazine companies, directly, to check on their subscription they are informed that payment was never received.

Complainants indicate that phone calls and emails sent to APN are generally ignored.

Complainants also state that The Economist, New Yorker Magazine, the Times and Wall Street Journal all claim no affiliation with APN.

APN's typical response states, in part, "Magazine publishers have created the agency sale system for the sale of subscriptions. The publisher contracts with clearinghouses. Under these contracts, the clearinghouse is authorized to sell subscriptions. The clearing house then permits thousands of third parties, such as Associated Publishers Network, to sell subscriptions, which are then "cleared" through the clearinghouse. These third parties have no direct contract with the publisher and their identities are unknown to the publisher.

Offers are sent out periodically and are marketing pieces only. We merely send out offers as stated plainly on each offer and no one is obligated to respond."

Additional responses from APN usually state that it takes 6-12 weeks for delivery.

BBB has informed the company of the volume and pattern of complaints and asked that the company address the issue.

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MSN Money: Is your subscription renewal notice real? By Mitch Lipka


Better Business Bureau issues warning about widespread fake subscription renewal scam after the New York Times and Wall Street Journal complain.

By Mitch Lipka Aug 29, 2013


If you get a subscription renewal, make sure who you're really paying before you send the check out. After getting peppered with complaints from magazine subscribers, and learning of complaints lodged by the publishers of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the Better Business Bureau on Thursday issued a warning to consumers about phony subscription renewals.

The BBB is warning about a Nevada-based operation called Associated Publishers Network. The company has generated 112 complaints just in the past year, the BBB said. The complaints are coming from all around the country.

[…]

If you get a renewal notice, check when your subscription really expires by looking at the actual subscription label or contacting the publisher directly. If it is time to renew, do it directly through the publisher or by using a notice directly attached to your magazine.

If you get a fake one, notify the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Trade Commission.



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Federal Trade Commission
FTC Complaint Assistant

Welcome! Complaints from consumers help us detect patterns of fraud and abuse. The FTC would like to know more about your complaint and the Complaint Assistant will help guide you. To use the Complaint Assistant:

Choose a complaint category on the right. If you can't find a match select "Other". Answer a few questions related to your complaint. Tell us what happened in your own words.


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U.S. Postal Inspection Service


File a Complaint

Report these issues to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online:

Mail fraud  (may include scams or deceptive ads via the mail, or postage fraud)
Mail theft (mail you failed to receive but should have, or that you received with the contents missing)
Vandalism to your mail receptacle

If you believe you’re a victim of fraud related to the U.S. Mail, including mailed sweepstakes, lotteries, on-line auctions, work-at-home scams or chain letters, report your concern to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service as mail fraud.

All information is voluntary, but the more you provide, the more likely it is that we can help you. We may share your information with other agencies if it comes under their jurisdiction. See the Privacy Act Statement for more details. This site uses secure methods to transfer data.

The Postal Inspection Service will contact you only if more information is needed. We gather data on mail-related crime to determine whether a violation has occurred. While we can’t guarantee we can recover lost money or items, your information can help alert Postal Inspectors to problem areas and possibly prevent others from being victimized. Inspectors base their investigations on the number, substance and pattern of complaints. We ask you to keep all original documents related to your complaint.

If you would prefer to mail in your report, click here to print a Mail Theft Complaint. If this is an urgent matter, contact your nearest law enforcement agency.

Report problems with mail delivery or service to the U.S. Postal Service.

Mail correspondence to this address:

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS SERVICE CENTER
ATTN: MAIL FRAUD
433 W HARRISON STREET ROOM 3255
CHICAGO IL  60699-3255
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MSN Money: Is your subscription renewal notice real? By Mitch Lipka

MSN Money: Is your subscription renewal notice real? By Mitch Lipka


Better Business Bureau issues warning about widespread fake subscription renewal scam after the New York Times and Wall Street Journal complain.

By Mitch Lipka Aug 29, 2013


If you get a subscription renewal, make sure who you're really paying before you send the check out. After getting peppered with complaints from magazine subscribers, and learning of complaints lodged by the publishers of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the Better Business Bureau on Thursday issued a warning to consumers about phony subscription renewals.

The BBB is warning about a Nevada-based operation called Associated Publishers Network. The company has generated 112 complaints just in the past year, the BBB said. The complaints are coming from all around the country.

[…]

If you get a renewal notice, check when your subscription really expires by looking at the actual subscription label or contacting the publisher directly. If it is time to renew, do it directly through the publisher or by using a notice directly attached to your magazine.

If you get a fake one, notify the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Trade Commission.


*****

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Amazed ICLS Net is still running a phishing scam operation. I just got phished by surface USPS junk mail. Unbelievable

Amazed ICLS Net is still running a phishing scam operation. I just got phished by surface USPS junk mail. Unbelievable

ICLS is a scam

This scamming spamming phishing scumbag operation has been in existence for years. Why hasn’t New York State stopped it – like ages ago?

www.fonz.net/.../iclsnet-whois-spamming-scumbags-and-how-to-get-you...

May 5, 2007 -The scumbags at ICLS.net are well known for their scams. ...Unfortunately, they didn't respond to e-mail and their listed address is ... Additionally, I filled a complaint with the BBB and as them to contact ICLS.net on my behalf… http://www.fonz.net/blog/archives/2007/05/05/iclsnet-whois-spamming-scumbags-and-how-to-get-your-money-back/

ICLS.net – Whois Spamming Scumbags and how to get your money back
My younger sister recently had an encounter with the folks at ICLS.net. Here is how I managed to get my money back.

The scumbags at ICLS.net are well known for their scams. They mine whois data for various domains and then send a “bill” to the domain owner.  They make every effort to make the thing look like a bill or invoice…

[…]

Doing some quick googling I found that both the FTC and the US Postal Service have been investigating these practices, so we filled complaints with their online forms….  Additionally, I filled a complaint with


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Thursday, May 05, 2011

The Emergency E-mail and Wireless Network: FBI Issues Usama Bin Laden Death Email Scam Warning

The Emergency E-mail and Wireless Network:
FBI Issues Usama Bin Laden Death Email Scam Warning 
Malicious Software Features Usama bin Laden Links to Ensnare Unsuspecting Computer Users 




The Emergency Email & Wireless Network

The FBI today warns computer users to exercise caution when they receive e-mails that purport to show photos or videos of Usama bin Laden's recent death. This content could be a virus that could damage your computer. This malicious software, or "malware," can embed itself in computers and spread to users' contact lists, thereby infecting the systems of associates, friends, and family members. These viruses are often programmed to steal your personally identifiable information.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) urges computer users to not open unsolicited (spam) e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages. Even if the sender is familiar, the public should exercise due diligence. Computer owners must ensure they have up-to-date firewall and anti-virus software running on their machines to detect and deflect malicious software.
The IC3 recommends the public do the following:
  • Adjust the privacy settings on social networking sites you frequent to make it more difficult for people you know and do not know to post content to your page. Even a "friend" can unknowingly pass on multimedia that?s actually malicious software.
  • Do not agree to download software to view videos. These applications can infect your computer.
  • Read e-mails you receive carefully. Fraudulent messages often feature misspellings, poor grammar, and nonstandard English.
  • Report e-mails you receive that purport to be from the FBI. Criminals often use the FBI?s name and seal to add legitimacy to their fraudulent schemes. In fact, the FBI does not send unsolicited e-mails to the public. Should you receive unsolicited messages that feature the FBI?s name, seal, or that reference a division or unit within the FBI or an individual employee, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

    Obtained from:
    FBI National Press Office
    Washington, DC
    202 324 3681
    Received 5-4-2011
    (released 5-3-2011 PM)