Social Security Launches New Campaign to Fight Scammers (video)

"Recently, we launched a new Public Service Announcement campaign as our latest step to caution you about the ongoing nationwide telephone impersonation scheme. The videos feature a message from our Commissioner, Andrew Saul. 

Along with our Office of the Inspector General, we continue to receive reports about fraudulent phone calls and emails from people falsely claiming they’re government employees. 

The scammers play on emotions like fear to convince people to provide personal information or money in cash, wire transfers, or gift cards. Fraudsters are also emailing fake documents in attempts to get people to comply with their demands."

Continue reading the announcement on avoiding scammers
https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-launches-new-campaign-to-fight-scammers/#more-4563

Video link -> https://youtu.be/QrHFNdjcp2s

Social Security Launches New Campaign to Fight Scammers (video)

IRS launches Identity Theft Central

IRS launches Identity Theft Central
Focuses on needs of taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses

The Internal Revenue Service today launched Identity Theft Central, designed to improve online access to information on identity theft and data security protection for taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses.

Located on IRS.gov, Identity Theft Central is available 24/7 at irs.gov/identitytheft. It is a resource on how to report identity theft, how taxpayers can protect themselves against phishing, online scams and more.

Improving awareness and outreach are hallmarks of initiatives to combat identity theft coordinated by the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry, all working in partnership under the Security Summit banner.

Since 2015, the Security Summit partners have made substantial progress in the fight against tax-related identity theft. But thieves are still constantly looking for ways to steal the identities of individuals, tax professionals and businesses in order to file fraudulent tax returns for refunds.

The partnership has taken a number of steps to help educate and improve protections for taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses. As part of this effort, the IRS has redesigned the information into a new, streamlined page − Identity Theft Central − to help people get information they need on ID theft, scams and schemes.

From this special page, people can get specific information including:

• Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft, including what to do if someone becomes a victim of identity theft
• Identity Theft Information for Tax Professionals, including knowing responsibilities under the law
• Identity Theft Information for Businesses, including how to recognize the signs of identity theft
• The page also features videos on key topics that can be used by taxpayers or partner groups. The new page includes a video message from IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, warning signs for phishing email scams – a common tactic used for identity theft – and steps for people to protect their computer and phone.

Tax professionals and others may want to bookmark Identity Theft Central and check their specific guidance periodically for updates.

This is part of an ongoing effort by the IRS to share identity theft-related information with the public. The IRS continues to look for ways to raise awareness and improve education and products related to identity theft for taxpayers and the tax professional community.

IRS launches Identity Theft Central

FTC Consumer Alert: Getting bombarded by scam calls? You’re not alone.

Getting bombarded by scam calls? You're not alone. by Jim Kreidler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC The Social Security Administration (SSA) scam is the number one scam reported to the FTC right now. As soon as a caller threatens you, or demands you pay them with a gift card or by wiring money.  It's a scam.  Even if the caller ID tells you otherwise. Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/12/getting-bombarded-scam-calls-youre-not-alone?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

FTC Consumer Alert: Getting bombarded by scam calls? You’re not alone.

FTC Summer Film Series: Unwanted calls to your mobile phone

Summer Film Series: Unwanted calls to your mobile phone by Megan Gordon, Intern, Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC Ring, ring! The film series is back, this time with help to stop unwanted calls to your mobile phone. Unwanted calls are annoying. They interrupt your day, and many are meant to scam you. But what can you do about these calls? Today's video gives you some ways to stop unwanted calls on your mobile phone, so take a look. Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/08/summer-film-series-unwanted-calls-your-mobile-phone?utm_campaign=unwanted-calls&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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https://youtu.be/NzYdsDb-_cY

In the News: Police warn on scams; Crown Vic - classic police vehicle

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Since January, more than $800,000 has been stolen from Franklin corporations and residents due to fraud, according to police Sgt. Brian Johnson. 

“Once that money is gone, there’s no hope of recovering it,” he said. 

Local police departments, including Franklin and Medway, are urging residents to educate themselves on scams and how to spot them. 

“It happens a lot,” said Johnson, adding that police receive reports of scams a couple times a month. Of the $800,003 stolen this year, Johnson said about $700,000 of that was taken from a local corporation through wire fraud."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190731/franklin-medway-police-warn-residents-of-scams

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/spread-word-about-social-security-scams.html

"Natick police received the last Crown Vic outfitted by MHQ in May 2013. The company put a decal designating it as the “Final Edition Crown Victoria.” Many MHQ employees signed the inside of the trunk to mark the occasion. 

Of the four Crown Vics left in Franklin’s 28-vehicle fleet, three are used by detectives and one is used by officers to go to court assignments or training events, according to Police Chief Thomas J. Lynch. 

“These vehicles do not accrue mileage as fast as regularly deployed Patrol Division vehicles,” he wrote in an email to the Daily News. “As the four remaining CVPIs accrue mileage, years of service and eventually meet our vehicle replacement policy, they will be replaced with Ford Police Interceptor utilities or sedans.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190731/final-crown-vic-police-cruisers-are-rarely-on-road-in-metrowest-region

https://twitter.com/milforddaily/status/1156654279198957569

Who’s reporting robocalls?

Who's reporting robocalls? by Paul Witt, Lead Data Analyst, Division of Consumer Response & Operations Have you ever reported an unwanted call to the FTC, whether it's a robocall (where you hear a recorded message) or call from a live person? If so, thank you.  Reporting, I'm sorry to say, won't end these annoying calls, but it helps the FTC and other law enforcement agencies investigate and bring cases against scammers and businesses that aren't following the law. In fact, the FTC's recent actions against robocallers show what your report can do.  Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/07/whos-reporting-robocalls?utm_source=govdelivery  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Consumer Alert: Medicare does not give out DNA kits

Medicare does not give out DNA kits by Lisa Lake,  Consumer Education Specialist, FTC Here's one that goes to show just how creative scammers can be. The FTC is getting reports that callers claiming to be from Medicare are asking people for their Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal information…in exchange for DNA testing kits.  The callers might say the test is a free way to get early diagnoses for diseases like cancer, or just that it's a free test, so why not take it? But the truth is, Medicare does not market DNA testing kits to the general public. Read more  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/07/medicare-does-not-give-out-dna-kits?utm_source=govdelivery  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Consumer Alerts: Who’s pretending to be the government now?

Who's pretending to be the government now? by Paul Witt, Supervisory Data Analyst, Federal Trade Commission You've gotten the calls: from Social Security. Or the IRS. Or Medicare. Or any number of other agencies. Except: as soon as the caller threatens you or demands that you pay them with a gift card or by wiring money, you know. It's a scam. Even if caller ID tells you otherwise – that's not the government calling. Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/07/whos-pretending-be-government-now  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC - Consumer Alerts: Are You Getting Unwanted Calls?

Are you getting unwanted calls? It could be scammers calling. Scammers can use the internet to make calls from all over the world. They don't care if you're on the National Do Not Call Registry. That's why your best defense against unwanted calls is call blocking. Learn how to block unwanted calls at ftc.gov/calls. Tired of robocalls? So are we. Find out what the FTC is doing to go after robocallers.

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This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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Get a one-ring call? Don’t call back

Get a one-ring call? Don't call back by Michael Atleson Acting Assistant Director, Division of Consumer & Business Education A while back, we warned you about the "one ring" scam. That's when you get a phone call from a number you don't know, and the call stops after just one ring.  The scammer is hoping you'll call back, because it's really an international toll number and will appear as a charge on your phone bill — with most of the money going to the scammer.  Well, the scam is back with a vengeance, and the FCC just issued a new advisory about it. Read the FCC's advisory for more detail, but the advice from both agencies remains the same if you get one of these calls: Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/05/get-one-ring-call-dont-call-back?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Alerts: What to do about robocalls

What to do about robocalls by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education Not another robocall! We've all felt that way. Wondering what to do about robocalls? Check out this new video: https://youtu.be/8rDKxLUhbUE This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Consumer Alert: Operation Donate with Honor continues

Operation Donate with Honor continues by Rosario Méndez Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC Last year, the FTC and state charity regulators joined in Operation Donate with Honor to stop sham veterans charities from lying to donors.  Today the FTC is announcing that it shut down two more operations that collected donations with false promises of helping veterans and military service members. Read more online https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/operation-donate-honor-continues?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Alerts: Robocallers, you’re out

Robocallers, you're out by Rosario Méndez Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC Most robocalls are prohibited by law, but scammers and dishonest people continue to send them. And even some legitimate companies violate peoples' privacy rights with illegal robocalls. Today the FTC announced several victories in the fight against illegal robocalls. Read more online at the FTC https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/robocallers-youre-out?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Consumer Alert: Those (not really) IRS calls (video)

Franklin Police Chief Thomas Lynch had a voice message to all residents recently alerting us to avoid phone scams. This FTC video delivers the same message

Those (not really) IRS calls by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education You've probably gotten one of these calls: They say it's the IRS and they're filing a lawsuit against you for back taxes. They may threaten to arrest or deport you. What do you do? Watch this video to learn more: Read more online https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/03/those-not-really-irs-calls?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Consumer Alerts: Hang up on spoofed SSA calls

Hang up on spoofed SSA calls by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education If you get a call that looks like it's from the Social Security Administration (SSA), think twice. Scammers are spoofing SSA's 1-800 customer service number to try to get your personal information.  Spoofing means that scammers can call from anywhere, but they make your caller ID show a different number – often one that looks legit. Here are few things you should know about these so-called SSA calls. Read more    https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/10/hang-spoofed-ssa-calls?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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"This is the largest scam of this type we've ever seen"

I have shared many scam alerts from the Federal Trade Commission and other good sources. Here is a really good article getting into the details on how one of these phone scams worked and how it was taken down. That similar phone calls are still happening shows that there is still an opportunity for the nefarious folks to make some money.

The one thing we can do to stop this is to NOT to fall for the scam.

"On Nov. 24, 2014, a woman named Diana received a menacing phone call in Hernando, Miss., a small city nestled in the northwest corner of the state. A caller purporting to be an IRS agent claimed she owed back taxes and told her that agents were waiting to arrest her unless she paid up immediately. The caller was insistent, threatening, and urging her to act quickly. 

The demands eventually produced the desired result: After the "agent" ordered her to withdraw $19,625 in cash, Diana bought 21 prepaid cards called MoneyPaks equaling that amount at a local store. After purchasing the cards, she read the unique serial number off each MoneyPak card to the caller, effectively giving him all her money. 

The caller wasn't actually an IRS agent; he was an impostor from Worldwide Solution, a call center in India. No agents waited outside. Diana owed no back taxes. Hers just happened to be one of the millions of phone numbers dialed by an international conspiracy of con artists running a series of impostor schemes, according to a federal indictment issued in October 2016."

Continue reading the full story online
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2018/sep/tigta-irs-impersonation-scam.html#.W5--uybd6Hk.email

Related link on FTC scam alerts
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts

From the Franklin Matters archives
http://www.franklinmatters.org/search?q=ftc,+scam+alert&max-results=20&by-date=true

"This is the largest scam of this type we've ever seen"

“They’re just looking for you to react to the email"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Local residents are experiencing an old email scam with a new twist: Sextortion scammers appear to be hacking into breached databases and using old passwords for leverage over their victims. 

Scammers claim to have videos of their intended victims on their laptops while they watch pornography on the internet. They threaten that if a certain amount of money isn’t paid, they will send those videos to everyone in their target’s address book. The password trick is just an additional ploy. 

Kevin Morton, owner of Franklin computer repair shop Nerds-To-Go, was working on a sextortion case when contacted on Thursday afternoon. He said scammers are usually all bark and no bite, but he has seen a higher volume of these calls for help coming from the Milford and MetroWest areas in the past few weeks.

“To fix it, just simply delete the email and change the password,” Morton said. “It’s not really necessary to get a new email address.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180729/sextortion-scam-hits-franklin-over-past-week

Regular readers will recognize that I share info from the FTC on scam alerts that they post. Being vigilant these days is required. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Several of these alerts can be found in the archives
http://www.franklinmatters.org/search?q=FTC%2C+alert

FTC Scam Alerts: Staying away from nanny and caregiving job scams

Staying away from nanny and caregiving job scams by Carol Kando-Pineda Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education Finding a new job can be a challenge. Websites can help you find work, but scammers also use these sites to find people to rip off. Do you look for work on caregiver/nanny job sites?  Sometimes scammers will offer a job but say you need to buy supplies or other equipment. They pressure you to act quickly, before you have time to think. They send you a check and tell you to deposit it and transfer money to their vendor to buy the supplies.  Don't do it — scammers post fake job listings for nannies and caregivers, then make up elaborate stories to get your money. The positions seem real, but they're not — it's a scam. The check will bounce. So, the money you sent is actually your own — and it's gone. Read more  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/07/staying-away-nanny-and-caregiving-job-scams?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC Scam Alert: Online love asking for money? It’s a scam.

Online love asking for money? It's a scam. by Carol Kando-Pineda Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education While plenty of successful relationships begin online, scammers also use online dating sites, apps, and chat rooms to trick you into sending them money. These impostors create fake profiles to build online relationships, and eventually convince people to send money in the name of love. Some even make wedding plans before disappearing with the money.  It's a big problem: reports to the FBI about online romance scams tripled between 2012 and 2016, and impostor scams were among the top reports to the Federal Trade Commission for both the general population and the military community. Read more  -->>  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/07/online-love-asking-money-its-scam?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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FTC: How to stop unwanted calls

How to stop unwanted calls Why are you getting so many calls? Odds are, many of the calls you're getting are from scammers. Here's how to stop unwanted calls. Share these with your friends and followers. This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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