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Watch Out for Gift Card Scams May 18, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Scammers continue to evolve their methods in the hopes of getting people to fall for their schemes, and sometimes they can be hard to spot. But one telltale sign of a scam is when someone asks you to pay for a service or help with a gift card. They might say to put money on a certain kind of... Full Article
Watch Out for "Account Suspended" Scams Feb 15, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #security #scams A new favorite tactic of scammers is to try and convince you that one of your accounts has been suspended and that you need to take action to regain access or lift the suspension. The image above is from an email recently received by a BCT staff member that says, in rather poor grammar, their... Full Article
'Tis the season to spot and avoid gift card scams By By Kira Krown, Federal Trade Commission Consumer Education Specialist Dec 12, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #tips #ftc-article #security #education Article courtesy of the  Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice blog Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Here’s one for you: Keep your hard-earned money safe from scammers by spotting and avoiding gift card scams. Then help others spot and avoid them, too. Scammers want you to pay with gift... Full Article
Amazon "Prime Account Report" Email Scam Alert Oct 18, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #news #security #scams #email ❗ Amazon scam alert ❗ The holidays are approaching, and folks are making more purchases online. Scammers take this opportunity to do what they do: try to trick you into giving up your money or personal information. Be on the lookout for scam emails from seemingly-reputable... Full Article
Don’t click on that random text. It’s a scam By Gema de las Heras, Federal Trade Commission Aug 16, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #news #tips #ftc-article #security Sorry to burst your bubble. That unexpected text from the Postal Service (USPS), Costco, or The Home Depot telling you about an unclaimed package or a survey you can complete to claim a freebie is NOT from them. It’s a scam. The FTC has seen a spike in reports from people getting text messages... Full Article
Watch out for emails from scammers posing as computer software company, McAfee. They’re fakes! By Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Jul 26, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #technology #news Have you received an email with the subject line "Thank you for your purchase!" that looks like it came from McAfee, a computer security software company? The email claims your account has been “re-approved” and your credit or debit card was charged hundreds of dollars. At the very end of the... Full Article
SCAM ALERT: Watch out for robocalls asking for personal info Jun 1, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #news #robocalls The BCT Tech Support Team has received several calls from members reporting that they had been called by robocall scammers posing as Amazon. Be on the lookout for calls like these - their goal is to get you to give up your personal or banking information. It's important to remember to never... Full Article
Not enough baby formula means plenty of scammers FTC Consumer Information By Colleen Tressler May 19, 2022 | posted by Jason Nugent #ftc-article #scams Scammers exploiting the high demand for baby formula have sunk to new lows. They’re popping up online and tricking desperate parents and caregivers into paying steep prices for formula that never arrives. Scammers may set up fake websites or profiles on social media platforms with... Full Article
Shutting down tech support scams FTC Consumer Information By Andrew Rayo May 16, 2022 | posted by Jason Nugent #ftc-article #scams With technology, it’s easier than ever to connect with others and people are just a click or call away. Nobody knows that better than scammers — who might try to contact you about a supposed virus or malware they’ve “found” on your device. So, during this Older Americans Month, remember —... Full Article
The Google Voice scam: How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it By Alvaro Puig Dec 29, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #ftc-article #scams It’s Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. If there’s one constant among scammers, it’s that they’re always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Have you heard about it? Here’s how it works.... Full Article
’Tis the season for student loan scam calls By Emily Wu Dec 15, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article If you have a federal student loan, you probably already know that the Coronavirus emergency relief program that has paused your payments is ending. Repayments will begin again after January 31, 2022. Scammers know it, too, and are looking for ways to take advantage: they’re calling, texting,... Full Article
Child Tax Credit scammers are still reaching out By Emily Wu Dec 8, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article Many people have gotten their advance Child Tax Credit payments this year, but scammers are taking advantage of this new program to try to trick you out of money or information. They’re pretending to be the IRS, contacting people by phone, text, email, and social media — and sending people to... Full Article
The Google Voice scam How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it By Alvaro Puig Nov 2, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article It’s Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. If there’s one constant among scammers, it’s that they’re always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Have you heard about it? Here’s how it works.... Full Article
Spot the pandemic scam: emergency broadband program impersonators By Carly Johnson Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Have you seen ads on social media that offer to “help” you sign up for a government program that will give you a “free” device and internet service in exchange for money or personal information? While there is a real government program to help people connect during the pandemic, there’s no... Full Article
Amazon impersonators: what you need to know By Maria Mayo Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Has Amazon contacted you to confirm a recent purchase you didn’t make or to tell you that your account has been hacked? According to the FTC’s new  Data Spotlight , since July 2020, about one in three people who have reported a business  impersonator scam  say the scammer... Full Article
Keeping older adults safe from scams By Bridget Small Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams As last week's annual report to Congress makes clear, the safety of older consumers in the marketplace is a priority for the FTC.  Protecting Older Consumers 2020 – 2021: A Report of the Federal Trade Commission  summarizes the agency’s ongoing law enforcement efforts, new research... Full Article
Watch out for charity scams By Rosario Méndez Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Every year, charity regulators from around the word get together to raise awareness about charity fraud. The FTC joins this effort again this year because it’s so important to know how to spot a charity scam. The more you know, the less likely you’ll donate to a bogus charity. Better yet, you’ll... Full Article
'Suspicious Activity' Surge, As Scammers Impersonate Amazon Phone scammers claim to be from Amazon By Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press Jun 13, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams Amazon scam calls have surged significantly over the past few months. Consumers are now regularly receiving anywhere between  100 million and 150 million  robocalls per month from fraudsters claiming to be with Amazon, according to YouMail, which has a robocall blocking app. ... Full Article
Hang up on auto warranty robocalls By Emily Wu May 20, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article #tip Have you gotten a recorded phone message from “Susie” with the “Vehicle Service Department” calling about your vehicle warranty? That’s, like, so retro. But fanny packs, scrunchies, and tie dye are back — and so are vehicle warranty robocalls. It starts when you pick up a call and hear a... Full Article
Stay Safe from Scammers. Visit the new BCT Scam Prevention Page May 20, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #tip #company information Have you ever received a text message or an email that looks or feels a little suspicious? Maybe it came from an odd email or number you don’t know, or there are several misspelled words throughout. And why does a prince halfway across the globe want to give you his $100 million inheritance... Full Article
Unwanted calls: Just block ’em and report ’em FTC Consumer Information May 13, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article Unwanted calls are annoying. They can feel like a constant interruption — and many are from scammers. Unfortunately, technology makes it easy for scammers to make millions of calls a day. So this week, as part of Older Americans Month, we’re talking about how to block unwanted calls — for... Full Article
When it’s Not Really the Government Calling Apr 20, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article Lots of people are having trouble sleeping, thanks to the pandemic and all the parts of our lives it’s affecting. And it doesn’t help when you get a call saying you owe the government money. Oh, and, they add, you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay up immediately. That’s a scam, and nothing to lose... Full Article
Fake Price Offers Don't Pay Apr 19, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #ftc-article The pandemic has caused financial distress because of lost jobs, income, and homes, and emotional distress because of social isolation. This week, during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), we want your help to reach people who might be a bit cut off from their social network. The FTC... Full Article
Fake Calls from Apple and Amazon Dec 4, 2020 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #news We are receiving reports from members about fake calls from Apple and Amazon trying to scam them. The FTC has an article out describing these scams and providing information on what you should do. For the most part, just hang up and ignore, but view the article from the FTC here for more... Full Article
"Email Account" Scam Alert Dec 4, 2020 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #email We are getting reports of members that are receiving email notifications from what looks like "BCT Support" that are fraudulent. The messages in general will say your "Email Account is near Capacity" or your "Inbox is full" and ask for your username, password or other personal information. BCT... Full Article
SCAM ALERT By Conner Williams Dec 4, 2019 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams While it may be the season of giving, some gifts can sound too good to be true. A BCT member alerted us of a text message scam in which the scammer(s) pose as Beaver Creek Telephone Company and ask users to complete a survey to win an iPhone 11. It claims to have randomly selected a user by... Full Article