Latest news with #scamalert
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Thames Valley Police courier fraud warning as victims lose £2m
More than £2m was lost by victims of courier fraud in the Thames Valley in the past year, new statistics have from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) found the region's police force received 135 reports, the second most in the UK after the Metropolitan scam involves fraudsters, usually pretending to be police officers or bank employees, urging victims to withdraw funds or purchase items as part of an hand the cash or items to a courier, who promises them reimbursement before taking off with the goods. The NFIB data showed that courier fraud amounted to almost £22m of losses nationwide from April 2024 to March 2025 - with each victim losing £16,000 on the Met and Thames Valley Police, Cheshire Constabulary, Hampshire Constabulary, and Essex Police had the next highest number of reports. Det Insp Duncan Wynn, from Thames Valley Police, said: "Any telephone call out of the blue should be treated with caution, especially if it is framed as an emergency where you are required to act quickly."He said the police, or banks, would "never ask you to assist with an undercover investigation, move money, withdraw cash, share your one time password or ask you to grant them access to your computer"."We would also never send a courier or anyone else to pick up items or ask you to post anything."He said the force would "continue to be relentless" in its "pursuit of those who prey on vulnerable victims".Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, added: "We are warning people to be vigilant and aware that criminals are employing new tactics and putting pressure on victims to make quick decisions and preying on those who rightly trust institutions such as the police." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- CBS News
Port Huron police phone number spoofed during financial scam attempt
Someone attempted to enact a financial scam by spoofing the phone number to the Port Huron (Michigan) Police Department – resulting in officers issuing an alert to area residents about the circumstances. The report was issued Tuesday after someone told police that a suspicious caller attempted to scam his elderly mother out of a large sum of money. "To make matters worse, the scammer "spoofed" our department's main phone number — making it appear as though the call was legitimately from us. Thankfully, the family quickly realized something wasn't right and no money was sent," Port Huron police said in their report. "Let us be very clear: The Port Huron Police Department will NEVER call you and demand money or gift cards over the phone. These types of calls are scams — no matter how official they sound or what number shows up on your caller ID." Area residents are asked to be aware that these calls have been attempted, and let family and friends know to avoid being taken in by such a scam. Those who get a phone call falsely claiming to be from Port Huron police should hang up and call the police department directly at 810-984-8415 to report it. The Michigan Attorney General's office also shares information about common signs of financial scams and what to do in response.
Malay Mail
10-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Terengganu trader loses over RM500,000 to online job scam on Facebook
KUALA TERENGGANU, July 10 — A trader lost RM500,639.50 after falling victim to an online job scam syndicate offering fake part-time work with high commissions. Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the 38-year-old victim was approached on May 14 by a Facebook contact known as Nabila Puteri, who offered him the job via social media. 'To earn the commission, the victim was instructed to buy various items through an app downloaded from a link provided by the suspect. 'He initially received some commission for completed tasks and, lured by the early profits, made 38 more transactions to 22 different bank accounts,' Azli said in a statement today. Azli said the victim used up all his savings from selling fruits, groceries and cattle, and also borrowed from friends and used credit cards to fund the payments. A police report was lodged yesterday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. — Bernama
Associated Press
09-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Job scams are on the rise and more people are falling for them. Protect yourself with these tips
NEW YORK (AP) — As job-seekers look for work in a challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to job scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The scams start innocuously, often with a tailor-made text or WhatsApp message, and the scammers take time to build trust with the victim before cashing in on the relationship. 'Most of the people who end up losing money to a scammer are behaving pretty rationally,' said Kati Daffan, assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission's division of marketing practices. 'Scammers are sophisticated, and they keep changing their tactics.' Reported losses to job scams increased more than threefold from 2020 to 2023. In the first half of 2024, they topped $220 million, according to the FTC. Gamified job scams, or task scams, represented a significant portion of that growth. About 20,000 people reported experiencing gamified scams in the first part of 2024, compared to 5,000 in all of 2023. Daffan said that that the number is certainly an underestimate, because many people don't report their experiences of job scams to law enforcement or government trackers. 'Only 4.8% of people complain,' she said. Here's what to know: How the scams work The scam typically begins with an unexpected text or WhatsApp message from a 'recruiter' offering online work, according to the FTC. The mystery texter will say you can 'make good money' by 'product boosting' or doing 'optimization tasks' for an online platform or in an app, which might involve liking videos or rating product images. This 'job' promises to earn you money from 'commissions' per click. Once you complete the tasks, you'll see an increasing tally of 'earnings' on the platform or in the app. These earnings are fake. Eventually, the app or platform will ask you to deposit your own money, typically in crypto, to complete more tasks and withdraw your (non-existent) earnings. But if you do make the deposit, you lose your real money, and you never receive the illusory pay. Who gets targeted Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said these types of scammers typically prey on job-seekers who are new to the job market, people who have been out of the job market for some time (such as homemakers re-entering the workforce, whose children are grown), and immigrants, who may be less familiar with the employment landscape or who face language barriers. 'Often the job will have an easy interview or no interview, promise to let you work from home, and let you start right away,' Velasquez said. 'Sometimes they'll start with praise, and the person will feel their skills are recognized. 'Oh, you think I'm great? Tell me more.'' Velasquez emphasized the vulnerability of people looking for work, especially given ongoing economic uncertainty, who may choose to accept a role even if it initially feels shady. 'Sometimes the ask is to leave phony reviews for products,' she said. 'The scammers are probably selling those reviews illegally, but a job-seeker might look at a line and say, 'I'll cross that line. I've got to eat.'' Tips for spotting a task-based scam — Ignore any generic and unexpected texts or WhatsApp messages about jobs, no matter how specific or complimentary the messages. — Never pay to get paid, or to get a job. That requirement is a red flag that the position is a scam. — Don't trust employers who says they'll pay you to rate or like things online, without an above-board process for using the actual products or services you're rating. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Beware of scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks
NEW YORK — As job-seekers look for work in a challenging environment , an increasing number are falling victim to job scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The scams start innocuously, often with a tailor-made text or WhatsApp message, and the scammers take time to build trust with the victim before cashing in on the relationship. 'Most of the people who end up losing money to a scammer are behaving pretty rationally,' said Kati Daffan, assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission's division of marketing practices. 'Scammers are sophisticated, and they keep changing their tactics.' Reported losses to job scams increased more than threefold from 2020 to 2023. In the first half of 2024, they topped $220 million, according to the FTC. Gamified job scams, or task scams, represented a significant portion of that growth. About 20,000 people reported experiencing gamified scams in the first part of 2024, compared to 5,000 in all of 2023. Daffan said that that the number is certainly an underestimate, because many people don't report their experiences of job scams to law enforcement or government trackers. 'Only 4.8% of people complain,' she said. Here's what to know: The scam typically begins with an unexpected text or WhatsApp message from a 'recruiter' offering online work, according to the FTC. The mystery texter will say you can 'make good money' by 'product boosting' or doing 'optimization tasks' for an online platform or in an app, which might involve liking videos or rating product images. This 'job' promises to earn you money from 'commissions' per click. Once you complete the tasks, you'll see an increasing tally of 'earnings' on the platform or in the app. These earnings are fake. Eventually, the app or platform will ask you to deposit your own money, typically in crypto, to complete more tasks and withdraw your (non-existent) earnings. But if you do make the deposit, you lose your real money, and you never receive the illusory pay. Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said these types of scammers typically prey on job-seekers who are new to the job market, people who have been out of the job market for some time (such as homemakers re-entering the workforce, whose children are grown), and immigrants, who may be less familiar with the employment landscape or who face language barriers. 'Often the job will have an easy interview or no interview, promise to let you work from home, and let you start right away,' Velasquez said. 'Sometimes they'll start with praise, and the person will feel their skills are recognized. 'Oh, you think I'm great? Tell me more.'' Velasquez emphasized the vulnerability of people looking for work, especially given ongoing economic uncertainty, who may choose to accept a role even if it initially feels shady. 'Sometimes the ask is to leave phony reviews for products,' she said. 'The scammers are probably selling those reviews illegally, but a job-seeker might look at a line and say, 'I'll cross that line. I've got to eat.'' — Ignore any generic and unexpected texts or WhatsApp messages about jobs, no matter how specific or complimentary the messages. — Never pay to get paid, or to get a job. That requirement is a red flag that the position is a scam. — Don't trust employers who says they'll pay you to rate or like things online, without an above-board process for using the actual products or services you're rating. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
