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“Scam Alert – Watch out!”

Military Consumers Suffer More Loses Financially From Fraud According To BBB Scam Tracker Report

Better Business Bureau Creates the “BBB Scam Tracker” For Businesses and Consumers To Report Both Successful and Attempted Acts of Fraud

Perhaps you have been getting emails, phone calls or texts either telling you to verify information or if you don’t your account will be suspended. Or maybe you have been asked by what appears to be a credible source that you need to be in contact with them in order to get your package delivered. Maybe you have been contacted by the “IRS” and “they” are informing you if you do not get in contact with them, you will be going to jail for non-payment. Or perhaps you receive a very official looking email with what appears to be the logo of a company you have used before, such as the Geek Squad or Amazon asking for you to update your financial information or risk having your account terminated.

Unfortunately, scams such as these are becoming all too common. So, who do you turn to if you think you are a victim or a potential victim of a scam? Your local Better Business Bureau is … Read More... ““Scam Alert – Watch out!””

FRAUD ALERT: Avoid Tax Return Scams!

Fraudulent tax return preparers are back!

tax credit fraudulent

Tips On How To Avoid Fraudulent Tax Preparers

With this being tax season, the Federal Justice Department urges the public to look out for and avoid fraudulent tax preparers who illegally swindle both their clients and the federal treasury. Below are some tips that may seem obvious and others that may not seem so obvious.

Look for a PTIN. The IRS requires that all paid tax preparers register with the IRS and obtain a preparer tax identification number (PTIN).
Never allow your refund to be deposited directly into a tax preparer’s bank account. Courts have barred such a practice.
Never sign a blank return or a return without fully reading it from beginning to end first.
Never allow your tax preparer to mischaracterize expenses. By this, I mean that you should never allow personal purchases to be wrongly characterized as deductible expenses.
Never allow your tax preparer to fabricate expenses or deductions. Some common ones are the educational credit, the child care credit or the earned income tax credit.
eFile. The eFiling method is considered the safest and most reliable.
Look for professional credentials or listings with the Better Business Bureau in choosing

Beware of the “Grandparent Scam” Hitting in Our Community!

Half a million American seniors were victims of fraud due to a Grandparent Scam

The “Grandparent Scam” is not something new, however lately it has been getting a lot of media coverage both nationally and locally. Montgomery County Sheriff, Rob Streck recently commented on the increase of scam reportings by the elderly. In a recent interview Streck expressed the need for the community to be very cautious and aware of these scams targeted towards the elderly. “The emotional manipulation involved in these scams is truly troubling. We urge residents to be vigilant and verify the authenticity of such calls before taking any action and to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement.” According to the Federal Trade Commission, “In 2022, nearly half a million American seniors were victims of fraud, losing $1,000-$1,800 on average”.

What exactly is the Grandparent Scam?

Typically, an elderly person is contacted, usually by phone, by a scammer posing as a grandchild in danger. They will try to convince the victim that they are in great danger and that they need their help in the way of money. Some of the common emergencies are that they were arrested and will be going to … Read More... “Beware of the “Grandparent Scam” Hitting in Our Community!”

LEGAL ALERT – Beware of Deed fraud!

Don’t Get Scammed Over the Holidays – Use Common Sense to Protect Against Losing Your Home!

You may have heard on the news or read in the paper recently of a rise in deed fraud. Deed fraud occurs when someone fraudulently transfers ownership of someone else’s real property into the fraudster’s name without the owner’s consent. In a recent Dayton Daily News article, the Montgomery County recorder estimated that what used to be one or two complaint per month has increased to two to three complaints per week.

An ownership transfer occurs when a deed is signed by the owner, notarized by a notary and recorded. A fraudster can easily obtain the necessary information to prepare a deed, forge the owner’s signature and get a negligent or complicit notary to notarize the signature. This is the most common form of deed fraud. The second form is when the crook deceives the owner and convinces him or her to sign a deed by promising to pay overdue property taxes or refinance a mortgage.

If the property ownership is stolen, it can result in an unauthorized sale by the crook. It can also result in the crook taking out a … Read More... “LEGAL ALERT – Beware of Deed fraud!”

Online Purchase Scams Most Reported Con During Holiday Season. Avoid Being Victimized with These Tips from the Better Business Bureau

The Top Holiday Scams to look for in 2022

Holidays are a time for shopping and gift giving. With all the shopping online and with social media, holiday scams are at an all-time high. Don’t be a victim of scams this holiday season. I have updated a blog post on this topic from 2021. There are always new scams as well as prior ones to be concerned about!

According to Forbes, these are some of the top holiday scams to look for in 2022. Scammers are creating new ways all the time to rip-off the public!

Gift Car Scam – Scammers take gift cards off the display at retail stores, scratch off the PIN code, write down the card number and PIN code and apply a new coating over the PIN code on the card. Once the card is purchased and activated, the scammer uses the card for personal use and the purchaser is left with a card with no available balance left to use.
Mail Theft – This has been a big problem lately especially in the Dayton area. Holiday envelopes are usually easy to distinguish, and scammer will steal from mailboxes, look for holiday envelopes and open

Tips to Avoid Holiday Scams

Online Purchase Scams Most Reported Con During Holiday Season. Avoid Being Victimized with These Tips from the Better Business Bureau

Holidays are a time for shopping and gift giving. With all the shopping online and with social media, holiday scams are at an all-time high. Don’t be a victim of scams this holiday season. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has just released their top 12 holiday scams to look out for. A great list! Here they are:

Misleading Social Media Ads

As you scroll through your social media feed, you often see items for sale from a small business. Sometimes the business even claims to support a charity to try to get you to order, or they offer a free trial. BBB Scam Tracker receives reports of people paying for items that they never receive, getting charged monthly for a free trial they never signed up for, or receiving an item that is counterfeit or much different from the one advertised. The 2020 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report found that online purchase scams were the most common cons reported to Scam Tracker and the category with the most victims. Do your homework and research the company before ordering.

BEWARE: Cybercriminals are Trying New Scams In this Coronavirus (COVID-19) Era

Coronavirus Pandemic Brings Out Scam Artists Who Prey On People’s $1200 Stimulus Checks

Cybercriminals, slimy marketers and scammers are hard at work during the Coronavirus pandemic. They are hard at work trying to pry on frightened consumers, steal personal information and even blackmail folks. In addition, they are devising ways to try to fraudulently obtain peoples $1200 stimulus checks. We all need to be vigilant and be on “high alert”. “This is a breeding ground for scam artists. It’s kind of the perfect storm with all of the tragedies that we have going on across the country and across the world,” said John North, president and CEO of the Dayton and the Miami Valley.

Fear and confusion surrounding the coronavirus pandemic as well as people’s desire to help others, creates a fertile ground for scammers , said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Yost warns Ohioans to ignore all the online advertisements hawking cures for the coronavirus and emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other expert sources with special advice or information about the coronavirus. To download the Ohio Attorney General’s brochure about consumer scams click here.

COVID-19 Extortion

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