FTC, State Partners Secure Proposed Order Banning Roomster and Owners from Using Deceptive Reviews

Roomster used fake reviews, phony listings to lure consumers to its platform, according to FTC, states

The Federal Trade Commission will permanently ban Roomster Corp. and its owners, John Shriber and Roman Zaks, from buying or incentivizing consumer reviews as part of a settlement over charges that they bought fake reviews to entice consumers to pay for access to living arrangement listings that they claimed were verified, authentic, and available but often turned out to be fake.

"The FTC says New York-based Roomster saturated the internet with tens of thousands of four- and five-star fake reviews that it largely bought from Jonathan Martinez, doing business as AppWinn, who already agreed to settle the FTC’s charges. Consumers who paid for Roomster’s service complained that many of the company’s listings for living arrangements were fake and that, contrary to its promises, Roomster failed to verify that its listings were legitimate and authentic, according to the FTC."

View Press Release ->  https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/08/ftc-state-partners-secure-proposed-order-banning-roomster-owners-using-deceptive-reviews

FTC, State Partners Secure Proposed Order Banning Roomster and Owners from Using Deceptive Reviews

Asked to wire money? Cut the cord

Asked to wire money? Cut the cord By Terri Miller If someone asked you to mail them $200 in cash, would you do it? Probably not. Wiring money is just like sending cash in the mail.  Once it's gone, you probably won't get it back — which explains why scammers tell you to pay that way. You'd think twice before mailing your hard-earned money — do the same thing before you wire money.  Here's what to know.  Read more ->  https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/08/asked-wire-money-cut-cord

Video link -> https://youtube.com/shorts/gsTrV41neJU?feature=share

Asked to wire money? Cut the cord

Imposters prey on families preparing for the funeral of a loved one

Imposters prey on families preparing for the funeral of a loved one By Alvaro Puig We're hearing about a new scheme that involves imposters preying on people who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  The imposters pretend to be from the funeral home and say that, unless the family pays more money immediately, the funeral will be canceled.  Can you imagine anything more despicable? Read more -> https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/06/imposters-prey-families-preparing-funeral-loved-one

Imposters prey on families preparing for the funeral of a loved one

Medicare Fraud Prevention Week

"Did you know that Medicare fraud costs Americans an estimated $60 billion per year? It also affects Medicare beneficiaries in terms of time, stress, and health.

Learn how to protect yourself and others against these scams. Join Social Security and the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for Medicare Fraud Prevention Week from June 5-11, 2023. You can remember the start date as “6-5,” as most people become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65 years old."

Continue reading about what you can do to help Medicare fraud ->

https://blog.ssa.gov/medicare-fraud-prevention-week/ 

Medicare Fraud Prevention Week

The Fraud Squad set to present at the Franklin Senior Center, Nov 10

From the Tri-County RVTHS Instagram we share: 

Today (Tuesday, Nov 8), Legal and Protective Services juniors, “The Fraud Squad,” delivered their second of eight presentations to local senior centers warning people about current scams targeting elderly people. Local police officers have informed LPS students about  trends in these crimes that aim to scam people out of thousands of dollars every year.    

The Fraud Squad’s next presentation will be at the Franklin Senior Center on Thursday at 10:00 AM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cktc4JGuSAt/

The Fraud Squad set to present at the Franklin Senior Center, Nov 10

NY’s attorney general claims she can prove Trump fraud; Appeals court sides with Justice Dept on classified document case

"New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday that she is suing former president Donald Trump for fraud after her investigation found at least 200 instances when his company either inflated the value of his assets to secure better business loans and aid personal branding or lowered them to avoid taxes.

None of the civil allegations were related to Trump’s presidency, although James said in a news conference that it was unclear whether he personally signed off on fraudulent paperwork while president. On this matter, Trump reportedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 400 times when he was under oath this summer."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) ->

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/21/nation/donald-trump-has-been-called-fraud-his-entire-life-nys-attorney-general-claims-she-can-prove-it/

"An appeals court sided with the Justice Department in a legal fight over classified documents seized in a court-authorized search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, ruling Wednesday that the FBI may use the documents in its ongoing criminal investigation.

The decision by a three-judge panel of the appeals court marks a victory, at least temporarily, for the Justice Department in its legal battle with Trump over access to the evidence in a high-stakes investigation to determine if the former president or his advisers mishandled national security secrets, or hid or destroyed government records.

It was the second legal setback of the day for Trump, who was sued Wednesday morning by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit said Trump and his company flagrantly manipulated property and other asset valuations to deceive lenders, insurance brokers and tax authorities to get better rates and lower tax liability."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) ->
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/21/mar-a-lago-appeal-court-ruling/

An image provided by the Department of Justice shows partially redacted documents with classified markings, including colored cover sheets indicating their status, that FBI agents reported finding at Trump's office in Mar-a-Lago. (Courtesy of Department of Justice)

wfpr.fm: 029 - Frank's Musings - Fraud (audio)

 "In this episode, Frank Falvey discusses internet and telephone fraud; the common scams that are affecting people, the tell tale signs of fraud, and other information to help protect yourself from fraud."

Episode link ->  https://frank-falvey.captivate.fm/episode/029-frank-musings-fraud 

wfpr.fm: 029 - Frank's Musings - Fraud (audio)

Use These Scam Tools to Spot Fraud

On March 10, we held our annual National Slam the Scam Day to raise awareness of Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams. In case you missed it, here are our top tools and resources for this year:

• Check out our Fraud Prevention and Reporting page to learn about Social Security fraud – and how we fight scammers -> https://www.ssa.gov/fraud/
• Read our Scam Alert factsheet to learn what tactics scammers use and how to protect yourself -> https://www.ssa.gov/fraud/assets/materials/EN-05-10597.pdf

Continue reading about the tools to use to spot fraud

https://blog.ssa.gov/use-these-scam-tools-to-spot-fraud/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Video link ->  https://youtu.be/1_Mkj--DOms

Fraud and older adults – what’s your story?

Fraud and older adults – what’s your story?

by Bridget Small, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Your stories help us better understand how fraud affects every community. During National Consumer Protection Week, we’re offering information and advice for some of these communities. 

Today we’re focusing on scams that have an impact on older adults.

Read more -> https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2022/03/fraud-and-older-adults-whats-your-story?utm_source=govdelivery

Fraud and older adults – what’s your story?

Slam the Scam: How to Spot Government Imposters

"Do you know how to spot a government imposter scam? 

That’s the question we’re asking as part of our annual Slam the Scam Day on Thursday, March 10, 2022. Scammers continue to evolve and find new ways to steal your money and personal information. On Slam the Scam Day and throughout the year, we raise awareness about Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams. We want you to know how you and your loved ones can avoid becoming victims! 

There are common elements to many of these scams. Scammers often exploit fears, threatening you with arrest or legal action. Scammers also pose as Social Security or other government employees and claim there’s a problem with your Social Security number (SSN) or your benefits. They may even claim your SSN is linked to a crime."

Continue reading to Slam the Scam ->
https://blog.ssa.gov/slam-the-scam-how-to-spot-government-imposters/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery 

Slam the Scam: How to Spot Government Imposters

FTC Kicks Off National Consumer Protection Week this Sunday, March 6

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will launch the annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) this Sunday, March 6. 

Joined by other federal, state, and local agencies, consumer and national advocacy organizations, the FTC will spend March 6-12 sharing information with Americans on how they can avoid scams, identity theft, and other consumer protection issues.

To support these efforts, the FTC and its partners have organized a series of programming ranging from webinars to Twitter chats and livestreams. Topics of interest include college students and cryptocurrency scams, financial caregiving, and how to recover from fraud.

For more about events coming up this week -> https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2022/03/ftc-kicks-national-consumer-protection-week-sunday-march-6?utm_source=govdelivery 

FTC Kicks Off National Consumer Protection Week this Sunday, March 6

Tri-County Students Work to Prevent Elder Fraud

Juniors from the Legal and Protective Service Program Present to Local Seniors

Students from the class of 2023 in the Legal and Protective Services Career Program at Tri-County RVTHS are bringing important public safety presentations to several local area senior citizen centers. The presentations are focused on how to prevent scams and fraudulent practices that target the elderly and become more prevalent during the holiday season.

These presentations will help seniors learn how to identify and respond to scammers. The students aim to prevent the elderly community members from falling victim to illegal practices that could drain their savings, endanger, or frighten them. The students enrolled in the Legal and Protective Services Program independently researched the information in their presentations, including interviewing local law enforcement officers. 

Topics include Phishing & Identity Theft, IRS, romantic/companionship, sweepstakes, charity, funeral, and grandparent scams. According to the local law enforcement agencies, scams like this are prevalent, and residents of the immediate communities have been scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars.

Through research, the students recognized that scammers rely on strong emotions to catch their victims off guard. They will emotionally manipulate their victims through fear, intimidation, excitement, exhaustion, sympathy, guilt, grief, embarrassment, and love. This manipulation keeps intelligent, rational people from making sound financial decisions. Victims of financial scams rarely recover the money they lose and it can take years for victims of identity theft to undo the damage. 

After the first presentation in Franklin, an attendee expressed how grateful she was that these presentations were being provided to the community. After losing her husband several years ago, she fell victim to a scam and understands first-hand how real and cruel these scammers are. 

Elder Fraud Presentations will be held at the following locations: Walpole COA on 12/2 at 1pm, Attleboro COA on 12/14 at 12:30pm, and Wrentham COA on 12/16 at 9:30am. If you would like to have an elder fraud presentation in your area, please contact Brenna Ferrick.

 

presentation in Franklin

The students in the photo in front of the Franklin Senior Center are (L to R) Emma Feeley (Plainville), Ben Bryson (Franklin), Jack Campbell (Walpole), Sophia Rodriguez (Blackstone), Jack Gagliani (Medway), Sabra Flanagan (Franklin), Samantha Bourque (Seekonk), Emily DeLuca (Bellingham), Tyler Gardner (Milford), Grace Crowell (Millis), Ava Cavallaro (Bellingham), Hayden Briggs (Medway), Tyler Girouard (Millis), Hailey Tichner (Medfield).

outside the Franklin Senior Center

Communities thrive when we work together

Communities thrive when we work together by Ami Dziekan, Division of Consumer Response and Operations Every day dedicated community advocates work to improve the lives and protect the rights of people across the country. The FTC is proud of our work with the legal services community and we are excited to share the Community Advocate Center, a new resource to help you report to the FTC your clients' experiences with fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Read more >  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/10/communities-thrive-when-we-work-together?utm_source=govdelivery

Video link -> https://youtu.be/xLGq3EcG6hA

 

New IRS imposter scam targets college students and staff

New IRS imposter scam targets college students and staff by Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC If you're a college student, faculty, or staff member, you're going to want to pay attention to this one. IRS imposters are sending phishing emails to people with ".edu" email addresses, saying they have information about your "tax refund payment." What do they really want? Your personal information. Shared from  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/04/new-irs-imposter-scam-targets-college-students-and-staff?utm_source=govdelivery

New IRS imposter scam targets college students and staff

FTC Consumer Alerts: The top frauds of 2020

The top frauds of 2020 by Monica Vaca, Associate Director, Division of Consumer Response and Operations 2020 was a tough year. Between the pandemic and the economic crisis, we all had our hands full. And scammers didn't take any time off either — 2020 was a busy year for fraud. In 2020, the FTC got more than 2.2 million reports about fraud, with people telling us they lost nearly $3.3 billion. Read more >  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/02/top-frauds-2020?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Marks Identity Theft Awareness Week with Events to Help Consumers Identify Risks of Identity Theft During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Federal Trade Commission is launching Identity Theft Awareness Week, February 1-5, 2021, with a series of events to highlight steps consumers can take to help reduce their risk of identity theft and recover if identity theft occurs.

Identity theft happens when someone steals personal information about you such as your Social Security number or credit card information, and uses it to commit fraud. Reports about any type of identity theft topped the list of consumer complaints(link is external) submitted to the FTC through the third quarter of 2020.

As part of Identity Theft Awareness Week, the FTC will participate in webinars and other events to highlight what you can do to protect your personal information, red-flag warning signs of possible identity theft, and steps to take if identity theft happens to you. 

Events include a webinar on Monday, February 1, with Identity Theft Resource Center and FTC experts discussing identity theft during the pandemic, and a Facebook Live discussion on Thursday, February 4, hosted by the AARP Fraud Watch Network, focused on COVID-19-related identity theft, current trends, and ways to protect yourself.

You can find the full list of events at ftc.gov/IDtheftweek, along with details on how to participate and tips on how to reduce the risk of identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and report scams, fraud, and bad business practices online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. 

Like the FTC on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/federaltradecommission), follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FTC), get consumer alerts, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

 

FTC Marks Identity Theft Awareness Week

Boston Globe: "State says it has recovered $242 million in fraudulent jobless claims"

From the Boston Globe, an article of interest for Franklin:

"The Baker administration said Friday that it has recovered more than $242 million in fraudulently issued unemployment benefits, in part the result of crime schemes first revealed last May.

The figures released in a statement are the latest tally of how many phony claims were filed and how much money the state has recovered.

Of the more than 2.3 million claims received since March, the administration said it has identified almost 172,000 fraudulent claims — or about 7.5 percent. The state has recovered about $1,400 per fraudulent claim.

The administration blamed an international criminal fraud ring targeting the state Department of Unemployment Assistance at a time when it was besieged with an unprecedented number of claims made by people laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/05/business/state-says-it-has-recovered-242-million-fraudulent-jobless-claims/

How You Can Protect Yourself from Hackers and Scammers

Protect Yourself from Hackers and Scammers Hackers try to exploit vulnerabilities in your computer or phone. To steal your personal information, they trick you into downloading malicious software to your device so they can take control. And scammers try to get you to let your guard down by making up a story to get your money or information. But there's plenty you can do to protect your personal information and your wallet. Protect the Devices You Connect to the Internet Take steps to protect your computer from malware like viruses and spyware. And find out how to protect your personal information before you get rid of an old computer. Find out how to protect the data on your phone and how to erase that information before you get rid of your phone. Learn what you can do to keep your voice assistant private and secure. Know How to Avoid a Scam If someone says you must pay by wiring money through Western Union or MoneyGram, by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back, or with cryptocurrency, it's a scam. Learn how to recognize and avoid common scams you might see in your inbox, on your phone, or online. Scammers send phishing emails and phishing text messages to try to steal your personal information. They may demand you pay a ransom by Bitcoin or say they have info about a FedEx package delivery for you. Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating apps or social media sites to trick you into sending money. Tech support scammers want you to pay them to fix a non-existent computer problem. Report Scammers If you spot a scam — or something you think is a scam — reporting it can help the FTC protect you and your community. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

FTC Consumer Alerts: Charity fraud awareness, here and abroad

Charity fraud awareness, here and abroad by Rosario Méndez, Attorney, Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC Today is the start of International Charity Fraud Awareness Week (ICFAW), a coordinated international effort to help charities and donors avoid charity fraud.  The FTC joins state charities regulators across the country, the National Association of State Charities Officials (NASCO), and international partners in this campaign. By joining forces, we can reach more people and more charities with information and advice. Money lost to bogus charities and scammers means less donations to help those in need. And no one wants that, either here or abroad. Read more  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/10/charity-fraud-awareness-here-and-abroad?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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Millennials and fraud: What’s the story?

Millennials and fraud: What's the story? by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle, Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer and Business Education Lots of people fall for scams. Is it any different for Millennials? That's what the FTC explores in its new Data Spotlight, Not what you think: Millennials and fraud. Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/10/millennials-and-fraud-whats-story?utm_source=govdelivery  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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