But the Potty Patch "goes" where the Poo Patch, the Porch Potty, the Penthouse Potty, the Petapotty, and the Patio Potty don't go.... it seems to be a St. Bernard-sized scam! The dogosphere is full of complaints from people who never received any product at all, or who experienced extremely questionable customer service.

"Called the 800 number provided and went through the automated system…..then, and only after my order was placed and my credit card info was given, the automated voice informed me that if my dog was not a puppy and weighs more than 15 lbs, I should "upgrade my order for an additional $40.00." Now this became an $80.00 item. There was no option to cancel, or ask for customer service, just a voice pitching more items to tie into the sale. On the Web there is a small link to customer service and a phone number: 866-518-2294. I called and cancelled."

"Do not give them your credit card number. Within days of ordering it online I had two unauthorized purchases of video games on my credit card. I have never bought video games! Also, they told me that they don't have my order on file because it takes several days to update their computer system. I knew right then something was seriously wrong. Buyers beware!!"

I ordered this about the 7th of Jan and no confirmation, nothing. I have emailed them several times and no reply. I am begining to feel scammed!

I placed an order online and then e-mailed the website link to other members of my family, who told me that when they clicked on the website link my debit card information appeared! I immediately called the company. It took over 9 hours to get through. When I did finally get through I was told I could not cancel my order. I called my bank and stopped payment.

Doggies.com's "Dog Lady" did some following up, speaking to Christian Darby, the owner of PottyPatch.com. Darby admitted that his company was only now starting to fulfill orders from as far back as December 2008. Why? Because Potty Patch started running TV ads before they actually had anything to sell. But Darby says his company has now ramped up production and is fulfilling orders within about two weeks. Hmmmmm.

There have been fleeting reports of people *actually* receiving their portapiss as of July 1st, but we have to say, on esthetics alone, we'd definitely take care of our business on the white-picket-fenced Patio Potty.

(Photo: adamr.stone)

But a new crop of ads has the right mix of talent, lack of morality, and extreme vagueness to closely resemble mainstream TV commercials. The message is, essentially: You're a human, and you are alive. These ads, slickly produced as they are, have one very big Achilles' heel: Scientology.

The commercials say, "We all feel it. That unexplainable emptiness, that can only be filled by one thing: the truth." Then the tagline: Scientology.

Better to leave off there, of course, because "...the truth that king alien Xenu buried other aliens in volcanoes and now many of them are living inside you" isn't going to speak to the masses.

But if the bad news is these ads look slick enough to rope in poor chumps. The good news is that the tagline "Know yourself. Know life." is very easy to change on billboards to "no self. no life." (not that we'd ever, ever encourage that sort of thing).

Scientology will repair your awful life [Adfreak]

Carrie McLaren & Jason Torchinsky are coeditors of Ad Nauseam: A Survivor's Guide to American Consumer Culture. In previous lives, they worked together on the hopelessly obscure and now defunct Stay Free! magazine .

Alas, the cranky-pants Better Business Bureau warns you to hold off for a while — like, forever — when considering such purchases, the St. Petersburg Times reports:

The Better Business Bureau just warns consumers who want to purchase some Jackson memorabilia to carefully evaluate the source of the product and the transaction as classified advertisements and e-mail solicitations are soaring.

At times like these, scams become abundant. And while collectors and fans want to snag a great piece of history, it behooves consumers to be cautious.

"The cause of Michael Jackson's untimely death still needs to be determined, and already people are seeing suspicious and awkwardly written e-mails appear in their in-boxes offering supposedly authentic items from the pop singer's life," Steve Bernas, chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau office in Chicago, said in a statement.

Either the BBB is looking out for your best interests here or they're secretly trying to hoard all the sweat rags for themselves.

Better Business Bureau warns against Michael Jackson memorabilia scams [St.Petersburg Times]
(Photo: Paxton Holley)

The story says Callegari's situation is far from an anomaly, other than the aspect of the counterfeiter being dumb enough to try the same scam twice on the same person. Counterfeit money continues to pump through the economy:

It's a situation that's on the rise, Secret Service spokeswoman Kristina Schmidt said.

"You have these new areas and methods to pass counterfeit (bills) that are driven by the Internet economy," she said. "Instead of someone going to the store ... there are these different avenues."

On the other hand, there isn't a general increase in counterfeiting, she said.

In Tinley Park, there have been eight reported cases of someone paying with fake money this year, police records show.

It's a crime that never really goes away, Tinley Park police Cmdr. Pat McCain said.

And Callegari, who is living with his wife and 9-month-old son at his brother's house, is still reeling from getting scammed earlier this month.

"Eight-hundred dollars might not seem like a lot, but it is when you're struggling," he said.

The same thing happened to my friend when he sold a car to an old lady through Craigslist. Possibly unknowingly, she slipped him a fake $100 bill in a stack of legitimate Benjamins. He ended up spending the bill anyway, unaware he got away with a federal offense.

Craigslist seller swindled with counterfeit money [Chicago Sun-Times]
(Photo: alexbehrens)

I run a small computer repair and troubleshooting shop in Alexandria, VA and have been doing all kinds of computer/ networking jobs for more than 12 years.

Yesterday, I received a call from a very nice (elderly) couple who were having connectivity issues with their new Comcast 3 in 1 package installation (Phone, Cable, Internet). Basically, they were not able to connect to any internet sites after the installation, though; they had no issues prior to upgrading their service with Comcast. The service technician that came out and upgraded their service installed the new hardware and "helped" connect their computer, but was unable to do so. The couple said that the technician attempted to establish a connection for more than 2 hours but at the end failed to do so. All the while telling the couple that he was actually a contractor for Comcast and actually does computer repair/ troubleshooting as his primary job with his own little company.

Anyway, the Comcast technician finally told them that the issue was with their computer and that the operating system (Vista Home Edition) needed to be reinstalled. Here is the catch, the technician told the couple that he could do this for them but that it would not be part of the Comcast service contract. He offered to help provided they called him after he got off work for the low price of $199.99 (hmm... I've heard that before). The couple told him that they appreciated his effort and would consider doing so but wanted to try and get help as part of the Comcast service contract. They are on a fixed budget since they were retired.

The couple then contact every customer support number they had for their equipment to include the computer manufacturer, Router manufacturer, and Comcast once again to resolve the issue. Alas, none were able to assist since none could connect to their system and Comcast emphatically denied that it was an issue with their modem.

As a last resort they called me as I was recommended by a neighbor and asked if I could take a look at their computer. I agreed and made my way over that afternoon. Once I arrived I talked to the husband for a few minutes to get an idea of the issue and started my preliminary testing. This is how it went down:

1) I verified that the devices worked properly. Blinky lights — OK

2) I connected my own laptop to the modem. Everything was OK there too. I got an IP with no issues (68.86.X.X — I am making this number up since I do not recall the exact IP)

3) I connect to the Router (Linksys). Everything was OK there too. I got another internal IP (192.168.1.101) with no issues.

4) I verified that the Router was getting an IP from the Modem. OK there too and I was able to cruise the internet. So it must be the computer.

5) I checked the computer's security settings (Firewall & Anti-Virus) — Everything looked OK there too.

6) I check the IP that was given to the computer from the Router via the command console by typing "ipconfig". 10.1.10.1/ 24 — Screeech— What the heck? This isn't right! It should have been 192.168.1.X something. Let's see here—the network connection was assigned a static IP. Hmmm. I asked the husband if he had changed the connection to a static IP. He didn't know what I was talking about so I went back into the Router to check that the router didn't reset itself. It hadn't, all the original configuration settings that it originally had were still the same (Wireless name was the same and didn't default to "linksys", DHCP was enabled and the IP address scope was 192.168.1.100 - 200).

7) So I reset the Connection to receive an IP from the router dynamically and low and behold, everything worked.

Now here is what makes me sick to my stomach. I had the same exact issue with another customer a few weeks prior no more than 2 blocks away from the current residence. They were also not able to connect to the internet after an upgrade and were also offered to have the problem fixed for a price. I wasn't aware then that the technician was selling his reported services by piggy backing off of Comcast service calls at that time so I wasn't able to connect the two events immediately since I believed that the price was an actual Comcast service quote.

I am definitely not a conspiracy theorist, but, the similarities between the two events were just uncanny.

1) The same issues after an upgrade

2) The same price to fix the problem

3) Within walking distance of each other

4) The same misconfiguration of IPs on both systems

5) The real Comcast service call prices were nowhere near the price that was quoted by the technician

6) Both customers that I helped were elderly and limited in their computing knowledge (not trying to sound arrogant)

It is my belief that there is one rogue individual who is contracted by Comcast that is exploiting Comcast customers by intentionally misconfiguring computers to put a couple extra dollars into his pocket. This is entirely unethical behavior and probably illegal. It makes me ill to think that some sleazy technician is exploiting elderly in such a way.

In any case, I wanted to make you and your readers aware of what has recently transpired in the hopes of warning any future customers from getting suckered that live in the Burke area of Virginia.

Thanks, Rick! We hope you shared this information with the couple and urged them to contact Comcast to complain. But if not, posting it here should get the message out.

(Photo: Justin Marty)

I recently signed up on Match.com and last night got an embarrassingly long and oddly worded email from someone there. At first I was weirded out by the detail in the letter—I mean, let's face it, most people on dating sites send very tentative short flirtations in case they get rebuffed.

I noticed some of the details were off—like this dude's profile says he's in Michigan and he states in his letter he is from Empire State, NY. Even if he's indeed from NY, who says that? Also, you can see a lot of the grammar is off. I looked at his actual profile and it seemed even weirder—his personal description read very strange about how he lost his father when he was 5 to a very oddly specific description of an illness.

In the profession section he literally says this: "Sgt Mark Edwards, Stationed in Iraq, As you know we are being attacked by insurgents everyday..." So of course I Googled the name and found that that Sgt Mark Edwards is a name used in conjunction with a version of the Nigerian 411 scam. In fact that phrase appears in some versions of the emails sent out.

[Note: a real Staff Sgt. Mark O. Edwards died in Iraq in 2005 from a "non-combat related cause"; it appears certain scammers have randomly picked up his name and started using it. -Ed.]

The guy didn't actually ask me for any money because I didn't engage him in conversation at all—but I did report him to Match and they seem to have already removed the profile.

The reason I wanted you tell you is that it freaked me out that these guys are preying on lonely women and I guess men as well in this way. Being single sometimes can suck and it just makes it all a little worse to encounter people like this. Thought your readers should know.

Fortunately, there's still enough of a cultural and language gap between most of these scammers and the average American that they're easy enough to spot—but yeah, these people suck.

Below is the message our reader received:

How are you doing. It is a Pleasure sending you an Email My Name is Mark Edwards by name I am from Empire state NY ... i am 46 years old,with 1 kid that live with me. I have been single for few years now and Ever since then I have not dated anyone. I am Searching for someone to be with me for the rest of my life,It is better to find a woman that will live with you forever than a woman who will Just be with you for a while..I am Really looking for a soul mate.Well I believe in every person on Earth there is a Perfect soulmate.i love watching movies,dancing,camping,fishing and making new friends... I am a romantic and very content with my life, I just think it would be a lot more fun if there was someone to share it with. I'm a strong, independent man with a great sense of humor and have managed to remain a kid at heart.I like candles and flowers... music and reading bible... (whether it be a lake,stream or the ocean)...sunshine and rainy days...falling leaves (Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year), holding hands...cuddling...walking in the evening and kissing under a street light. I am honest and expect the same in return. I don't play games or care much for people who do so give me a way to get in touch.... I am looking for a true companion,the missing link in my life. and i am looking for this kind of lady Please, be happy and have a positive attitude. I'm sorry if you've had a bad divorced or childhood, but hopefully you will have put that behind you. I hope you will be honest, sensitive and affectionate (being a romantic would be great!).Be prepared though, I may want to take you away for a surprise romantic If you have a strong shoulder for me to lean on and allow me to cry on You ,well,that would be a real bonus! But you should know that I will be there for you a partner (in every sense of the world) who will be there to share the laughter and the tears. If you hold my heart,there is nothing I won't do for you. I read a profile once that says it all perfectly someone I am excited to spend my the rest of my life with and even more eager to spend my days and nights with"...i am a gentle Man and a kind soul i am looking for a Lady that will be my best friend and my love some one to be with forever plus more if it goes that way, someone who has a positive out look on life,caring,loving, not boring likes to go out and do things even if its just a walk..Am interested in you that's why i sent you this Message...to tell you that the age does not matters when there's love...And if u are interested you can add me to your yahoo messenger {markedwards492002} so we could chat more and more or you should send me an email Directly to my personal mail .....here is my yahoo I'm online right now... [match.com address redacted] so bye for now and take good care of your self hope to hear from u soon.

Mark.

Here are some other examples of fake Mark Edwards emails from 2006, 2007, and 2009.

(Photo: )

Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc. ("CCN"), and its Phoenix-based owner Graham Gibson have agreed to pay nearly $1.4 million total, but a million of that goes to the state. $350,000 has been set aside to distribute among customers nationwide who were victims of CCN's misleading upsells and deliberately bad customer service:

According to the complaints, consumers who purchased the low-cost "risk-free trial offers" of CCN's health supplements were also charged for costly products and services that they did not request. These included pre-selected "up-sell" products that the consumer had to actively de-select in the online order form to avoid being charged. When consumers tried to contact CCN regarding the unauthorized charges, they often faced hold times over an hour and their e-mails never received a response.

The Better Business Bureau, which says they receive over 2200 complaints about the company in the past 12 months, says consumers can file a complaint whether they live in Arizona or not.

Victims of CCN [can] file a complaint via phone at 602.542.5763 or 800.352.8431(toll free) or via email at consumerinfo@azag.gov by August 17.

Those same consumers can save even more money by not buying any more miracle drinks via infomercials or websites.

CCN Settlement Press Release (PDF) [Arizona Attorney General]

RELATED
"Careful, Those Free Acai Products Might Come Attached To A Delicious Scam"
(Photo: Ian Muttoo)

WOAI San Antonio pokes a hole in a sketchy Acai Berry offer on Craigslist:

A News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters viewer recently emailed us about some Craigslist ads that offered $1,200 to take part in an Acai Berry clinical trial. The ad included a link that sent our viewer to a website selling the dietary supplements. To take part in the clinical trial, our viewer would need to order a "free" month's supply. Of course, a credit card is necessary to pay for shipping and handling.

That's pretty much where the "free" part ends.

We've received complaints in the past from other News 4 WOAI viewers that punched in their credit card numbers for these "free" trial offers.

What they wound up getting was a costly headache from trying to cancel their membership. One viewer told us her "free" Acai Berry products cost her $184. Another said she was charged $87, then another $75.

The main lesson here: People in San Antonio are crazy gullible over free Acai Berry offers.

Consumer Alert: "Free" trial offers can be costly [WOAI]
(Photo: The Ninja Monkey)

"The only way for customers to know for sure that they are working with the real Cash4Gold is to contact us via our website www.Cash4Gold.com or one of the official toll-free hotlines featured in our advertisements," said Cash4Gold CEO Jeff Aronson.

"Cash4Gold does all of its business direct to consumers and we do not operate any physical stores. All true Cash4Gold advertising points to the company's official website and hotlines; any other use of our logo is fake, whether it is being used to advertise a website, promote a gold swap party or call attention to a gold buying event or store at a local mall.

You hear that? Your local pawn shop is only offering CASH 4 GOLD, not Cash4Gold.

PREVIOUSLY:
Cash4Gold Goes On Tour - Consumerist Waits For The Live Album
10 Confessions Of A Cash4Gold Employee
Cash4Gold Offers Blogger $3,000 To Remove Negative Post

Consumer Alert! Cash4Gold Frauds Misusing Industry Leader's Name, Logo [BusinessWire]

Matt in Indiana corresponded with one of these scammers, became suspicious, and asked Consumerist for advice. Here's the original e-mail he received when he responded to a Craigslist ad.

Hello,
Thanks for your respond and interest in tutoring my Daughter...well
we are Germans and i want her to learn more about English for now
because she is coming to visit the USA for 1month....well she is15
years old,she understand little English and i think that will help her
understand what you are teaching,i want you to be focused in the area
of grammar and writing correct sentences because we are planning to
relocate to the USA later in the year OK..she is smart and obedient
child,i want a part time tutorial for her...well i will want you to
tutor her for 2 hrs Monday and Fridays which will be 4hrs for the 2
days which will be 16hrs for the whole 1month of tutoring....well she
will be flying to the usa from Berlin for the tutorial but will stay
with a nanny...well i will prefer the tutor take place in a library
close to you,so your location will determine where the nanny will
be....well i will want the tutor to commence in two weeks time,and i
will be offering you $700 weekly....well let me know if you have
interest in tutoring my child..
I hope to read from you soon!

Jhude Kopke

The scammers will also approach tutors who post their own ads online, or who are listed in online databases. This particular tutoring scam has been showing up online for years now.

Matt responded with some information about himself, and a few questions about the girl he was to tutor. He received the following:

Hello

How are you doing today and the family...hope you are having a great weekend over there,and thanks so much for the interest to tutor my child..well my Daughter is coming for a 4weeks visit and also for the tutorial as well in the USA,she is not coming to attend school but for you to tutor her in English only and she did not have any text book for these tutorial.she understand and able to speak little English and that will help her to understand what you are teaching her.well i will like to make an upfront payment so i can be rest assure that i have secure your services,in which i want the tutorial to start soon,And for the payment You would be receiving a check drawn from a Bank in the US from my client in the United state, since i am from Germany and payments wont be honored in a bank in the US, These check would be made out for the cost of the tutorial services you are rendering for the first week, and also for the living expense, nanny fees and the taxi driver of my child. Regarding this- I hope i can trust you with these payments, as the payment would be made out in excess, so all you have to do is cash the payment, deduct your first week payment for the tutorial, and send the remainder to the Nanny who would be contacting you with further arrangements and instructions regarding pickup/drop off of my child to the library where you would always teach her. So hope i can trust you will teach my daughter good academics and some moral respects,more so i will like to let you understand that your location will determine where my child will stay because the nanny schedule is flexible to any area in your state..well i will need some information from you which enable my client to issue out your payment..

FULL NAME:
MAILING ADDRESS (no P.O.Box please):
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
CELL PHONE:
BEST TIME TO CALL:
PRESENT JOB STATUS/POSITION:
EMAIL:

I hope to read from you soon

Warmest Regards!

Jhude Kopke

Apart from the language issue, the biggest warning sign is that the prospective employer wants you to handle paying the other employees out of the money he sends you. This is a classic advance fee scam. Stay far, far, away.

Also, no offense to Matt, but it's pretty implausible that someone would send their kid to America (particularly, Indiana) and set her up with a full-time nanny and driver so she can be tutored in English by some random college kid a few hours a week, paying the tutor $700 per week for the privilege. Plus, a nanny for a 15-year-old?

Be ever vigilant and skeptical when looking for work online. Check out our archive of stories on advance fee scams so you know what to look for.

RELATED: 8 Signs That Job You Found Online Is A Scam

(Photo: robindegrassi)

Her relative, a recent widower, started off by sending checks for $30 or less for fake lotteries and sweepstakes. Eventually he fell for a $4k check fraud scam, and then later sold his car and wired that money to another scammer.

For months, family members wrestled with what to do. When confronted, our relative would acknowledge he had been ripped off and promise it would end — but then he would succumb again, a pattern experts say is common.

The debate ended this spring when our relative, unable to cash out his life-insurance policy, was conned into selling his car and wiring $4,000 to Costa Rica. In May, with his three children and a stepson present, he acknowledged to a judge that he had been financially scammed. The judge granted guardianship to two of his children, taking away his right to manage his own affairs.

The family went to lunch with him, then dismantled his cellphone and redirected his mail to another state. A few hours later, he demanded his phone back. He wanted to call some "friends" who had some money waiting for him.

One thing that becomes clear from her relative's behavior, as well as from this New Yorker profile on a psychotherapist who fell for scams repeatedly, is that regardless of mental capacity, some people seem far more likely to fall for the same cons over and over no matter how rationally you explain the techniques to them. The WSJ has a sidebar that provides some tips on how to help protect these high-risk people, including:

• Provide a printed script to use with telemarketers and leave it by the phone;
• re-route all mail to a post office box and go through it with the recipient;
• change the victim's phone number;
• find other activities to fill up the victim's time so s/he doesn't feel as compelled to engage with friendly scammers (they'll spend countless hours grooming the mark to think of them as friends).

They also point out that AARP has a toll-free number you can call— 1-800-646-2283 —to report fraudulent activity, as well as a special website called AARP Fraudfighters.

"A Family's Fight to Save an Elder From Scammers" [WSJ] (Thanks to Joanne!)
(Photo: m4rpk)

I went to a Subway restaurant in Warrenton, VA for lunch on 6/2/09, which I do a day or two per week. On this particular day, there was quite a line, so while waiting I noticed this "Vacation Giveaway" kiosk by the entrance. So, since I was already standing there, what's the hurt of entering. I would soon find out.

The evening of 6/10/09 I received (3) phone calls from a number I did not recognize (757-821-0166), so I didn't answer. Well the last call the guy actually left a voicemail. The message went to say that where I had entered the contest at Subway, they had a $125.00 Visa gift card and they were trying to contact me to collect. I thought to myself, what dumb luck that because of a line at Subway, I actually won something.

I called back the next day and was told that I had to speak with the gentleman that contacted me, and he comes in a 5pm. So a little after 5pm I called to collect my gift. While speaking with Fred, he informs me that not only did I win a $125.00 Visa gift card, but I also won a $25 Subway gift card and trip to Orlando Florida for 3 days and 2 nights. This is when I got suspicious. It sounded to good to be true, so I asked, "What's the catch?"

Fred then told me that all I had to do was spend 90 minutes of my time "getting acquainted" with the resort (aka timeshare sales pitch). He then informed me that in order to get the items I had "won" I needed to authorize them to deduct a $75.00 reservation fee, which would be returned once I was at the resort. I read your blog daily, so immediately "SCAM" jumped into my head. So I told Fred that I needed to think about it, and spent the next bit of time looking up his information on the internet—which was filled with horror stories.

When Fred called back, I told him I was not interested, which I had to tell him at least 10 times before he would give up. He has since proceeded to call me 4-7 times per night between the hours of 5pm and 11pm trying to get me to reconsider. This is totally unacceptable. I am not sure if this company was sold my information, or stole the information. But regardless, beware.

(Photo: Aidan Wojtas)

Don't give your money to strangers you've only met online, unless you're paying them for entertaining fiction. If you feel compelled to financially help out, consider donating to a related charity.

"Baby Blog Hoaxer Explains Her 'Lie'" [ABC News]

Remember to always be on your guard for stupid stunts like this. If someone is alerting you to a security risk, take the time to contact the business yourself through the standard address you've always used. And of course never click a link someone gives you as part of a security warning.

• Cancel your account with the credit report site immediately. They won't let you do this online, so you'll have to call an 800 number to cancel. They'll try to talk you out of canceling. Stand firm.
• Watch your credit card statements carefully. Some of the "free credit report" services are owned by companies notorious for slipping unauthorized charges onto your bill. Watch your statements, and pounce on those bogus charges like a kitten on a dust bunny. Dispute them, or file a chargeback if necessary.
• Your personal data is probably safe, but just in case, keep an eye on your credit report. Use AnnualCreditReport.com. I like to order a report from a different credit bureau every four months, so it remains free, but I have a broad sense of what's getting reported over time. The scammers aren't out to steal your identity. They're out to collect affiliate fees for selling you a not-so-free credit report.
• Remember, you're not stupid. Credit checks are a common part of the rental process, so don't feel stupid for not being suspicious at first.

RELATED:
Scammers Advertise Fake Apartments, Want Your Real Credit Information
Easy Weight Loss And Free Cash: A Dubious Product Online Marketing Empire Revealed
Don't Fall For The Job Hunting Credit Report Scam

(Photo: brendancox)

Hypothetically, your dumb boyfriend may have even taken that scammy Facebook IQ test and entered his cellphone number for the results (results: FAIL), and since you pay the bill, you're hit with a recurring $15 monthly fee from PlayPhone Inc. This is all hypothetical, of course.

If you're with AT&T, there's a simple fix for this: call them up and ask them to block purchases from that line. You'll be emailed a PIN that will be required to authorize any future purchases. Then, in our hypothetical scenario above, you can print out the PIN, delete the email, then eat the paper the PIN was printed on.

We couldn't locate similar free options from T-Mobile or Verizon, but if you're a customer and know of a free way to do the same thing, please let us know in the comments.

Sprint does offer a similar feature called Parental Controls. Or you can just wait a few more months to see if Sprint goes belly up. Ha ha I kid, Sprint. No I don't because I hate you.

(Don't feel too bad for Sprint; they overbilled my account by more than $900 several years ago, then tried to stall on returning the funds.)

(Photo: lizjones112)

"These funds are inherently vulnerable to bribery, fraud, conflicts of interest and collusion. There is an old adage, that where there is money to be made, fraud is not far behind, like bees to honey," FBI director Robert Mueller told an afternoon gathering of business executives.

Law enforcement agencies faced a similar scenario after Hurricane Katrina, with a task force created in the wake of the 2005 storm so far convicting 246 people of fraud and other crimes related to relief funds in Mississippi and Louisiana, Mueller said.

Given the trillions and trillions of dollars involved in the government's current moves to stem the economic crisis, "from the purchase of troubled assets to improvements in infrastructure, health care, energy and education — even a small percentage of fraud would result in substantial taxpayer losses," said Mueller, a former U.S. attorney who had specialized in white-collar crime litigation while a lawyer in private practice.

It's a not-so-surprising yet still chilling horror story from one of the nation's top law enforcement authorities. Mueller goes on to say that the FBI doesn't have the resources to track down "every criminal threat," meaning he's worried that some fraud will never be discovered.

FBI Director Anticipates New Crime Wave Of Financial Fraud [Morning Star] (Photo: peasap)

• They will have identification.
  Real U.S. Census workers at your door will have all of the following:
  • a badge
  • a handheld device
  • a Census Bureau canvas bag
  • a confidentiality notice
  The BBB says, "Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home."
• They will only ask certain questions.
  "Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information," notes the BBB. "Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers nor will employees solicit donations."
   
• They will not use email. Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail or in person at home. However, they will not contact you by e-mail, so be on the look out for e-mail scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an e-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.
• The males have a bright red stripe on their bottoms.
  No, wait. That's something else entirely.

(Photo: Ol.v!er [H2vPk])

Madoff Map (Via ResourceShelf)

T.J. wrote to us:

[The company] states that they send you "necessary" materials to take this text and quoted me at $24 at the beginning of my call, either they are outright lying or I severely misheard the number quoted to me, because at the end of the call they told me my total was 138.97 dollars, which was already charged to my account before I could say no. To cancel the order I had to call another number, which no one ever picks up at, luckily I called a number of other phone numbers I found at their website only to be informed that I had already canceled. Which was frustrating on top of the fact they had charged my account twice with the overdraw buffer so about 280 is sitting in pending limbo in my bank account right now, and for the last week.

But here's the scam part: the post office, after being contacted directly, is not hiring, period. They have no scheduled tests in this state (Minnesota) for the future at all. As someone looking for work in this world as so many are I wanted to spread that this is the case and not to call this company and buy a package from them out of desperation for a great paying job.

If you're looking for real postal employment, check the USPS careers page. Both the FTC and the real federal employment site, USAJOBS.gov, have posted warnings about this particular scam.

FTC Stamps Out Postal Job Scam [FTC]
CONSUMER ALERT - FEDERAL JOB FRAUD [USA JOBS]

(Photo: dougmcfarland)

Alex received this message from a spammer purporting to be from the "Central Bank of Nigeria," promising him a $2.8 million in exchange for...well, nobody really knows what he's been hired to do.

From: Mr Dave Walker
Date: Sun, May 24, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Subject: Your Atm Debit card Payment
To:

—
The Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), working in relationship with HSBC
London has concluded to issue you a VISA CARD with which you can access
your contract amount 2.8 million USD This card center will send you an ATM
card which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any
part of the world, but the maximum is FIVE Thousand Five Hundred United
States Dollars($5,500) per day. So if you like to receive your fund in this
way, please let us know by contacting the ATM payment department and also
send the following information as listed below:Contact Mr Dave Walker at
mrdave.walker6@gmail.com with the below details for claims.

1. Full name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to (p.o box not
acceptable)
4. Age
5. occupation
6. Nationality
7. country of residence

Best Regards.
Mr. Dave Walker
+2348051131534

I guess this is a little more plausible than the normal Nigerian fraud script involving a huge wire transfer that needs to get out of the country ASAP. Thanks, Mr. Dave Walker. Withdrawing $5K per day from an imaginary ATM card sounds like a much better way to make a living than writing. I'll spend the proceeds on the micropony with a glittering pink mane that I've had my eye on.

(Photo: selmer)

One victim tried to file a police report and was told to go to landlord-tenant court, which won't really work, since the guy isn't a real landlord.

My sympathy is mitigated by the fact that he's going around saying that they're able to steal gas and electricity from the city. Sometimes, fraudsters prey on people's greed and need, acting like they're going to help you perpetuate the scam you wish you knew how to pull off, making some victims complicit in their own deception.

Fake Landlord Scam [Fox NY]
Video: Homeboy Hookup Rips Off Craigslist Renters [Gothamist]

The service charges the fee for access to information that is readily available (often for free) from reputable sources, says AG Lisa Madigan.

"This company takes advantage of people who are looking for a place to live," Attorney General Madigan said. "Apartment hunters need to be wary of services that ask for fees in exchange for information that may be readily available at other online sites and in local publications."

Here's how the operation works:

You see an ad for an apartment in a local paper. You call the number listed in the ad, but instead of the property owner, you reach this apartment rental service. Once they get you on the phone, the AG's office says they convince you to come down to their offices where you are persuaded to pay a membership fee for access to their database.

The AG's office says the database is full of fraudulent and outdated listings, despite the company's guarantee that the listings are updated every week.

MADIGAN SUES CHICAGO RENTAL LISTING SERVICE FOR FRAUDULENT PRACTICES [Illinois AG]
(Photo:DCVision2006)

The bill in question is not fake and is in fact from a third-party vendor that Sprint has hired to help us with billing wireline charges to a customer who does not have an account with Sprint or to a customer whose local exchange carrier does not have a billing agreement with Sprint.

Although this explains the off-brand look of the invoice, we think Sprint—or perhaps their third-party vendor—should take greater pains to make the billing more seamless. This invoice is sort of like the American Express verification call that sounded remarkably like a social engineering scam—in both cases there were several things that we (and our OPs) interpreted as red flags, and they could have probably been explained away with better communication on the company's side.

From the original post:

Roderick writes,

My mother received a fake phone bill today. A few interesting notes:

• The number listed was not hers
• The collect call received was never made
• The P.O. box and 800 number are not in Sprint's database
• The bill stated that the charges would not show up on any other bill.

I suppose that last bit is supposed to snare people who realize that their "Sprint" bill went from vibrant yellow and black to white with a blue table. I was going to wait until the bill was scanned to send this email, but I wanted to make sure that the info went out A.S.A.P.

The guy's address is listed as:

Sprint
PO Box 600670
Jacksonville FL 32260-0670

From the letter:

THE FOLLOWING CALLS WERE COMPLETED USING SPRINT'S NETWORK.
THE CHARGES FOR THESE CALLS WILL NOT BE ON ANY OTHER TELEPHONE
COMPANY BILL. AMOUNTS DUE MAY BE REFERRED TO A COLLECTION
AGENCY IF NOT PAID. PLEASE PAY UPON RECEIPT. THANK YOU.

(Photo: RBerteig)

Liz writes,

I just read your article today (http://consumerist.com/5260397/nigerian-scammers-break-into-your-gmail-ask-your-friends-for-money) and was very amused.

Then, I'm on facebook tonight, and a girl I am friends with from High School, who I haven't actually talked to in years, IM's me. Very surprising.

FakeKate hey there
FakeKate how are you

Liz hi! doing good. :-):-)

FakeKate i'm in some kind of deep shit right now

Liz oh?

FakeKate i'm stranded in london

Liz oh really.

FakeKate got mugged at gun point last night

Liz that's terrible! how can I help?

FakeKate all cash,credit card and phone was stolen
FakeKate my return flight leaves in few hours but having troubles sorting out the hotel bills
FakeKate wondering if you could loan me some few $$ to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport

Liz well, first, call the american embassy. their number in london is 0-11-44-207-894-0007
Liz they will loan money to americans.

FakeKate yes, i have talked to the consulate over the phone but its taking them time and process to get me help

Liz well, they have a 24-7 number here in the US 202-324-3000. you can even call collect! isn't that super convenient?
Liz so what are you doing in london?

FakeKate well i had to visit a resort in london on vacation and i was robbed at the park close to the hotel where i lodged

Liz oh, what hotel?
Liz i can look it up on trip advisor and write a bad review since apparently it's in an area where people are getting robbed!

FakeKate D-Next Hotel

Liz hmm, I'm not familiar with that hotel.
Liz Well, how can I help????

FakeKate my return flight leaves in few hours but having troubles sorting out the hotel bills
FakeKate wondering if you could loan me some few $$ to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport

Liz Do you want me to wire you a lot of cash?

FakeKate well all i need to get on a plane back home now is $900

Liz Well, that is all? I was thinking you'd need more money to get back to the US!
Liz What airport are you flying out of?

FakeKate Heathrow

Liz And where are you flying to?
Liz What flight are you on?
Liz I'm sure my mom can come get you at the airport after all you've been through!

FakeKate Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Liz Not Midway?
Liz That's a lot closer to your house!
Liz Well gosh, let's not nitpick. Let's get you home safely!

FakeKate how long can you get the money wire?

Liz what about paypal?
Liz or sendmoneysuperfast.com?

FakeKate you can send it via western union directly to my name as i receive the few i have on me right now, you can even do it online at :westernunion.com
FakeKate ??

Liz oh?
Liz what about paypal?

FakeKate no

Liz that is the fastest way to send money
Liz once I deposit the funds, you can print it out of any color printer and its real money!

FakeKate you can send it via western union directly to my name as i receive the few i have on me right now, you can even do it online at www.westernunion.com

Liz hmm, I really think paypal is better!
Liz they even have fraud protection.

FakeKate Kate [redacted]
FakeKate 81 Kentish Town Road, London, NW1 9QB United Kingdom.
FakeKate that's the details you need

Liz isn't that the Alsham Restaurant‎?
Liz Why are you at a restaurant if you need to catch a plane?
Liz I'm so confused! Help me Kate!
Liz Are you there?
Liz How much money do you need?
Liz I should call your husband, right?
Liz You're not cheating on him are you?????
Liz He works for the government, so I know he'd be upset and know how to find you!
Liz While you're waiting, here's a really interesting article I recommend: http://consumerist.com/5260397/nigerian-scammers-break-into-your-gmail-ask-your-friends-for-money
Liz Now excuse me, I have some FBI contacts that I need to email about how you've broken into FakeKate's account.

FakeKate is no longer online. The following was not sent:

Liz Thanks for giving me the address, now they can find you more easily.

We think everyone should try to talk scammers into using PayPal with that pitch:

PayPal - Once I deposit the funds, you can print it out of any color printer and it's real money!

Andy wrote:

I screwed around with him a little bit, but in almost no time he had asked me to help him send money to a friend in Nigeria. Really... I thought it was a buddy of his messing around, but it really was someone trying to get me to send money.

I ended up talking to my friend Jeff on the phone a few minutes later, and he was livid. Turns out he had his Gmail window open, was playing X-box and heard the sound pings of a chat. He was pretty surprised to see there was a full conversation is going on. He has since changed his gmail password and contacted Gmail. (Is there an appropriate contact for this type of issue?)

The chat transcript follows, with the different identities of the real Jeff and the scammer Jeff marked. Both of them chatting with Andy at the same time is a bit confusing.

Scammer!Jeff: hello
Andy:: gmornin
Scammer!Jeff: good morning
Scammer!Jeff: how was ur night
Andy:: decent. we had a graduation party for maggie
Andy:: (grad school)
Scammer!Jeff: cool
Scammer!Jeff: wqhen was that
Andy:: it was yesterday (she didn't walk, we had the party instead)
Scammer!Jeff: ok
Scammer!Jeff: where are you now
Andy:: home
Andy:: playing with Oscar
Scammer!Jeff: oh that nice
Scammer!Jeff: can you help me for just a little things right now
Andy:: ok
Scammer!Jeff: you will help me send 500$ to a friend of mine who his son has an accident in Nigeria ..
Andy:: hahaha
Scammer!Jeff: and its was so very urgent i dont mind given you back with interest
Scammer!Jeff: not funny
Andy:: what's not funny
Scammer!Jeff: i thought you are laughning about what i said
Scammer!Jeff: will you go out and help me right now and send money to him ..... by money gramm
Scammer!Jeff: its very urgenmt
Andy:: its a line from your favorite movie. Aliens 5, remember (I was trying to test him here, not very original, but I wanted to be complete obvious, just incase my buddy Jeff was just hungover or something)
Andy:: maybe you don't remember???
Andy:: how was your friend's son hurt?
Scammer!Jeff: yes i dont
Scammer!Jeff: on his ways to airport . cause he study at UK
Scammer!Jeff: so he got an accident
Andy:: that's terrible!
Andy:: how can I help? (Now I realize it truly is an interloper, and not the real Jeff being goofy, so I play along)
Scammer!Jeff: now they need money there to buy ticket so he can be transfer to Uk and he can take a proper care over there than Nigeria ... so i need you help me send him 500$
Andy:: actually I have a shitload of band-aids and morphine. I could send that instead
Scammer!Jeff: you send the money through money gramm
Andy:: what about paypal
Andy:: or moneysukdikexpress.com
Andy:: that is the fastest way to send money
Andy:: once I deposit the funds, you can print it out of any color printer
Andy:: and its real mney!
Actual!Jeff: Andy? ya here? (This is where my real buddy Jeff chimes in)
Actual!Jeff: Someone is talkin as if they were me?!!!
Actual!Jeff: WTF
Actual!Jeff: this is scary man. Just yesterday someone hacked my PayPal
Actual!Jeff: now someone is talking in Gmail as ME
Andy:: yeah dude
Andy:: I can send you the transcript
Actual!Jeff: Im seeing it
Actual!Jeff: fucked up
Andy:: i had heard of this on Facebook, but not through gmail
Actual!Jeff: yeah like I saw words coming up from ME just now, but Im playing a damn game
Andy:: unless you're pretending to be Jeff, and you still want my money
Actual!Jeff: no this is the real Jeff
Actual!Jeff: now anyways
Actual!Jeff: what should I do>
Andy:: tell me who is the 44th president of the united states
Actual!Jeff: oh jeez hell if I know. Try another toy related question
Scammer!Jeff: am not at home (This is obviously the hacker again)
Scammer!Jeff: i told you
Scammer!Jeff: DO YOU WANT TO SEND THE MONEY THOUGH PAYPAL ??
Andy:: oooh I love paypal
Scammer!Jeff: okay will is better
Scammer!Jeff: i will ask them if they can accept paypal insted of money gramm
Scammer!Jeff: that is better
Andy:: hoooray
Andy:: hooray for paypal
Andy:: hooray for your friend's son
Andy:: may he get laid soon
Actual!Jeff: dude whoever is preytendingto be me, fuck off
Andy:: so where do I put the money? This is the first time I've used paypal
Andy:: do I put it in the disk drive
Scammer!Jeff: i will send you the paypal when i got it from the friend
Scammer!Jeff: so you can send the money through paypal

Jeff knew that his new chat buddy's poor English and mention of Nigeria were red flags, and talking about things that only his friend would know, and that couldn't be learned from a cursory scan of his e-mail, was a wise move.

Change your e-mail and chat passwords to something difficult to guess or crack in order to protect yourself from this scam. If anyone's going to beg your friends for money, it should be you, amirite?

(Photo: Spencer E Holtaway)

I woke up this morning to an email stating I had made two $50 gift card purchases [on iTunes Music Store]. I contacted my bank and apple, then did a google search and found that many others had the same thing happen to them.

Over on GetSatisfaction, there's a long thread about fraudulent iTunes charges, but no clear answer about what's going on. In fact, some people seem to be getting hit with charges on their credit cards from a fake APL*ITUNES business even if they don't have iTunes accounts, while others who do have iTunes accounts receive receipts via email for real gift card purchases that they didn't make.

One person says his bank told him that it's become a common enough fraud attempt for them that they flag all iTunes purchases. He's in Australia, but the complaints on GetSatisfaction are from customers around the world.

I'm from Australia and received a call today from my bank asking if I had made a $1.00 purchase with Apl Itunes with my card. When I said no, she said she would immediately decline the charge and said that I should also immediately cancel my card. She further said that there is an organized crime element that make $1.00 purchases on Apl Itunes with fraudulently obtained card numbers. If the charge isn't disputed by the cardholder then the criminals "get to work" making bigger purchases with the card number. Apparently it has become such a big problem my Bank specifically filter out all $1.00 card transactions for Apl Itunes and contact the cardholder within a few hours.

Here's another person's story from last summer:

Chalk me up as another victim. haven't used my itunes account to ever purchase. I set it up with a new Ipod 3 years ago. I had 4 Charges $103, $103, $51.50 and $51.50 all for "APL*ITUNES and the 800 number. Which when you call is just the recording.

I called my bank and canceled the card. Can't dispute as it's still pending. I also called the real Apple number. The CSR reported that my card had been used to purchase 4 gift cards and then provided me with the email address they were sent to which is not my email address. My Card number was not stored in the apple store so how they got it baffles me.

Here's the Fox news story. Fox points out that nobody really knows who's behind the charges or how to stop them. Our advice is the same as ever: monitor your accounts closely, and when you see a suspicious charge call your bank immediately to dispute it, and to initiate anti-fraud measures if necessary.

(You can read the transcript of the video segment at the link below.)

"Scammers Use iTunes to Drain Bank Accounts?" [MyFox New York]
"Apl.itunes has taken money from my account and I never ordered anything." [GetSatisfaction] (Thanks to db!)

When he tried to return the mattress, HealthyBack charged him $120 for the non-returnable pillows.

Tony wrote the following email to the CEO of HealthyBack earlier today:

Dear Mr. Mazlish:

In December 2008, I ordered a Tempur-Pedic mattress from healthyback.com.

I didn't like it and returned it within 90 days as per your return policy.

Your company deducted its return shipping charge of $179 from the amount they refunded me. That's fine.

They also deducted another $120 or so for two pillows that they had thrown in for free — they had a promotion where they were throwing in two pillows with every Tempur-Pedic mattress order at that time.

I called to complain about that and they referred me to the "Gift with purchase items" section buried in your return policy page: http://www.healthyback.com/90day_comfort_guarantee.htm (scroll down, way down)

I would be happy to return the pillows — unopened, in the darn box your company shipped them in — but various employees, including people named "Lianna," "Carmen," and "Kharisma Knepshield," informed me that since the pillows were a "gift" (a gift which I am now paying money for), they were not eligible for return. Sometimes these employees told me it was a "sanitary issue." When I informed them that the pillows remain unopened, suddenly it was no longer a "sanitary issue" — but just company policy.

I have these questions for you.

• 1. As Healthyback's CEO, were you aware of this practice?
• 2. Do you see how to send something unordered to a customer and then retroactively charge the customer for it — and refuse a return — appears to be a scam?
• 3. Why does your company insist on using the term "gift" for things that your company charges money for?
• 4. Kharisma Knepshield told me that it was "standard industry practice" for mattress companies to include "gifts with purchase" and then charge for these "gifts." Do you agree? If so, what are some other companies that do this?

Thank you for your time.

We hope HealthyBack's CEO gets back to you, Tony, but in the meantime you should familiarize yourself with the FTC's "Mail Order or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule," which also applies to Internet purchases:

Unordered Merchandise

Whether or not the Rule is involved, in any approval or other sale you must obtain the customer's prior express agreement to receive the merchandise. Otherwise the merchandise may be treated as unordered merchandise. It is unlawful to:

1. Send any merchandise by any means without the express request of the recipient (unless the merchandise is clearly identified as a gift, free sample, or the like); or,

2. Try to obtain payment for or the return of the unordered merchandise.

Merchants who ship unordered merchandise with knowledge that it is unlawful to do so can be subject to civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. Moreover, customers who receive unordered merchandise are legally entitled to treat the merchandise as a gift. Using the U.S. mails to ship unordered merchandise also violates the Postal laws.

You might want to send another email to that CEO and let him know that you're aware of this rule even if he isn't, and that you will report him to the FTC and your states' Attorneys General, as well as request a chargeback, if he doesn't have his reps immediately reverse the $120 charge. You can probably phrase it more politely than that, of course, but don't forget that you've got the law on your side. All Anthony Mazlish has on his side is a scam for penalizing customers who, in good faith, take him up on his return policy.

Update: It looks like Tony may be stuck paying for the pillows after all, according to reader Michael Belisle who checked out the fine print. This doesn't make it any less a scam, but the FTC rule likely will not work if Tony knew about the pillows before they were sent, and if HealthyBack notes that they'll charge for a return.

If you order a mattress and the company insists on throwing freebies in with it, be sure to check the fine print before you accept the order, or else you could find yourself in possession of a couple of fluffy "return policy insurance" pillows designed to screw you out of some extra cash should you return the mattress.

RELATED
"DSW's Dirty Trick Backfires; Now Customer Has Free Shoes"

Here's a good rule of thumb: if there are links on the bottom of your bank's website page for online casinos, drug rehab, and no deposit bingo, it's not your bank's website. (Click image for full-screen view.)

Fake Wells Fargo Site

According to the Los Angeles Times, Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mark Warner (D-VA) have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the scammers, and they expect that charges will be filed in a few days. The FTC also added an auto warranty scam alert on its website, with a link to report the caller.

After a Reddit user got the phone number for the company and posted it online for all to see, we figured that the car warranty scammers would be subjected to all the fun things we read about on Encyclopedia Dramatica. That apparently wasn't enough, though, and the robocalls continued, eventually interrupting Senator Chuck Schumer during a meeting. We're hopeful that with the FTC taking it seriously, these robots will finally be defeated.

(Photo: Jeff Sandquist)

The Syracuse Post-Standard reported:

Chase employees discovered the skimming device, which records the information from the magnetic strip of any card that passes through, said Kirk, resident agent in charge of the Syracuse office of the Secret Service.

Since the investigation began, police determined that the suspects were at the Cicero bank on at least five occasions in November, stealing about $40,000 from customers.

The total amount they scammed was $1.8 million and most of it was wired to Eastern Europe, Kirk said.

According to a purported victim in the article's comments, this wasn't a terribly sophisticated skimmer.

That is the exact ATM I used, and whammy, they cloned my card and used it at 2 Pennsylvania Walmart's. I remember thinking the bank must be cheap to fix the ATM with tape, stupid me.

Then, a comment on the local economy:

Why would thieves target Rochester and Cicero to skim money. If they visited the comments on this website they would have known that hardly anyone has a job here. I guess this is probably the only tourism we're going to get so we shouldn't complain...

In the meantime, the Daily News reports $500,000 in thefts by skimmer on Staten Island. This case sounds similar, but it's not yet clear whether these were also perpetrated by the men in Florida.

We've covered ATM skimmers and how to spot them extensively in recent months. Here are a few highlights:
ID An ATM Skimmer
Here's What A Card Skimmer Looks Like On An ATM
Video: How An ATM Skimmer Scam Works

Romanian men charged in ATM scam in Cicero [Post-Standard] (Thanks, Chris!)
ATMs on Staten Island rigged for identity theft; bandits steal $500G [Daily News]

We can't believe people still fall for this crap, but since they do, here's yet another example of what to watch out for. Personally, we like the generic stamps at the bottom. They should have picked up a "CONFIDENTIAL" stamp at the office supply store while they were at it, for added stampy entertainment.

It's a letter with a check enclosed, telling my husband that he's a big winner in the Gaming Association of America. Luckily we're both savvy on this and decided to send this into you, as well as call our local police department. This seems that it is coming from Canada and it's hitting us [in Ohio]. Every bit of Googling I've done on this seems to point that this has only arisen over the last two days.

This is what it says:

Tech City Global Services Inc.
1050 Revenue Avenue
Edmonton, AB T3L 2K4, Canada
Tel: 1-778-863-2655

April 30, 2009
Claim #: TCG/01823478 - 09

Final Notice

We are pleased to advise you that you are one of the winners in the "All American Sweepstakes Drawing" held among randomly selected individuals in North America in a bid to promoting family well-being. This drawing was held on April 24, 2009 (ironically when Chrysler was told to prepare bankruptcy filings) under the auspices of GAMES/ GAMING ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA.

An Entry Slip with serial number 4816794 attached to your name drew the lucky number winning numbers 11-67-48-55-23.

You are entitled to the sum of US $350,000.00 (Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars).

Payable to you by CERTIFIED CHECK, and will be delivered to you by you by our special courier company. You are advised to contact your Claims Agent:

LOVET FRANKLIN 1-778-863-2655

Monday through Saturday....8am... To....6pm (Pacific Standard Time), for further instructions on how to claim your big winnings.

Enclosed is a check of US $4985.00 to which you will be able to pay the non-government service tax agent (GST), payable to your tax agent by MONEYGRAM as stated below:

Tax agent: Julian Gifton
Block H, 9223 E. Revenue Ave.
Edmonton, AB T3L 8M6, Canada

Tax amount: US Money Gram or Western Union

DO NOT ACT ON THIS LETTER UNTIL YOU SPEAK WITH YOUR CLAIMSAGENT LOVET FRANKLIN who will advise you on the modalities of claiming your winnings.

Accept our congratulations.

James A. Gafield (Promotions Coordinator)
APPROVED (stamped) FINAL NOTICE (stamped)

The Better Business Bureau says:

In the last 12 months alone, BBB has received complaints from consumers in nearly every state who bought magazine subscriptions from crews of young adults selling door-to-door. According to complaints, the young sales reps might claim to be neighborhood youth trying to raise money for charity, a school trip, or even for troops in Iraq. The victim pays with a check on the spot, but the magazines never arrive.

Here's basically how it works:

• The companies employ "crews of high school and college-age people who are trying to earn money over the summer."
  [See a list of offending companies here.]
• The youths will claim they're selling magazines for all sorts of heart-melting reasons:
  • to get their lives back on track
  • to raise money for a charity
  • to pay for a school trip
  • to raise money to support troops in Iraq
• In some cases, they'll use hard-sell tactics, including becoming angry if you don't buy something.
• You'll be asked to pay for the subscriptions immediately by check.
• That will be the end of it. By which we mean, you won't receive your magazines.

We think there are better ways of buying magazine subscriptions and of supporting teens, charities, and troops, and there's no reason the two worlds need to be mashed together on your front porch without warning. The BBB takes a slightly more nuanced view of the subject, however, and they provide some tips for those of you who want to buy door-to-door magazines but don't want to get ripped off. The most important one is the person selling should always provide the following two things:

• a receipt
• "a completed cancellation form that customers can send to the company to cancel the agreement"

The BBB notes that "by law [the FTC's Three-Day Cooling-Off Rule], the company must give customers a refund within 10 days of receiving the cancellation notice."

"BBB Warns Against a Summer Scam Going Door-to-Door Nationwide" [BBB]
(Photo: Listener42)

From the Daily News:

Alan Fishman, 49, was arrested Thursday night along with Daniel Ledven, 37, of Cresskill, N.J., on securities and wire fraud charges in a scheme that dates back to 2003. A third defendant, Gary Gelman, 39, of Brooklyn, remains on the loose.

Prosecutors say the trio raked in millions by conning victims into believing that A.R. Capital Group, which once had offices at 39 Broadway, was plowing their hard-earned cash into international real estate ventures and leveraged trading.

The swindlers apparently hooked investors with cold calls, doctored statements showing big returns, and fabricated biographies touting their investing experience.

Brooklyn livery cab driver arrested for swindling $20M by masquerading as hedge fund mastermind [Daily News]
(Photo:the idealist)

Tipster Cosimo saw an ad on Facebook for a silly little IQ test. At the end, the test asks for your cell phone number, in order to text you the results, or something. But, wait! What's that at the bottom of the page, only visible if you bother to scroll below the question screen? Looks like some fine print. So fine that my incredibly nearsighted self had to copy and paste it into another program in order to read it.

Summary of Terms
Welcome to the Official Mobile IQ Quiz! After completing the mobile quiz, we will calculate your score and ask you to enter your cell phone number to gain access to your IQ results as well as a mobile content subscription. Depending on your carrier and cell phone manufacturer, the mobile content may include ringtones, games, wallpapers, or fun text messages. This content will cost as much as $19.99 per month and will be sent to your cell. If you would not like to sign up for the subscription content to your phone to see your results, simply click the Get Results link on the cell phone entry page to view how you did!

I think I'll just pass on the test, instead.

I found your site a couple months ago and I have been reading it ever since. Thank goodness because it has prepared me for my next story. My girlfriend needed an oil change and she decided to go to Jiffy Lube [#1740, 3311 Katella Avenue, Los Alamitos, CA 90720]. After dropping off her car I wondered if there was anything on your site about the company. And lo and behold, there was a full investigation about Jiffy Lube scamming customers in the LA area. After reading the posts and watching the videos I decided that I was going to check the receipts and check the oil and filter after they were done.

After a few minutes my girlfriend got a call telling her that he needed to change out the radiator fluid that was $99 and that her belts needed to be replaced which was about $70. I told her that she should decline and that we would check it later with my mechanic friend. This made me even more suspicious. Then we got a call saying her car was done.

When we went down the service man Erick was going through the whole list of what the condition of her car was like. As in, the oil got changed, wipers were good, brake fluid is good, and so on. Then what blew me away was he said that the radiator fluid was full and that the belts were in good condition. (Oh really?)

After paying 75.99 for full synthetic oil (which is a rip off the begin with) I checked out the receipt on the way out. I saw a 6.00 charge was added for "Peak Global Life Time 100%." I had no had no idea what it was so I went back in to ask Erick what this was. He told me that it was because they topped off the Transmission Fluid. I told him that they didn't ask if they could do that and that they should not have done it without our permission. What he said next blew my mind. He told us that since she paid for it she had agreed on the service. I asked him if it was right to add things to our bill without asking and he just kept saying they topped the transmission fluid off.

Then when the tech who ACTUALLY serviced our car came over and said that he DID NOT top off the fluid his whole story changed. He says that it must have been a mistake and they forgot to take it off and that he would just refund the 6.00.

Daniel's girlfriend split the bill with cash, but they wouldn't refund the $6 out of the cash portion of her payment. Daniel adds, "They said their computer would not let them [refund the cash portion]. We will see if the refund actually gets into the account.

"One thing did actually go well during her whole ordeal. They actually changed the oil and filter."

(Photo: Gregg Sperling)

Sherry Johnson Huwitt was standing at her kitchen window in her bathrobe shortly before dawn a couple of weeks ago when two strangers pulled up and started loading the portable basketball goal from the side of her house into a truck.

When the Mansfield woman ran outside to confront them, they said they weren't stealing because the item was offered for the taking on Craigslist.

"What the hell is Craigslist?" she asked.

Huwitt had never heard of the advertising Web site and hadn't posted any such ad. Someone else did: Free basket ball goal and tether ball pole.

At dead end of roadway beside my home...(address) dont knock its placed out there for you to come get. will delete when gone. thanks.

The incident boiled down to a dispute between neighbors, and in the end there's no crime that the neighbor/cop/Craigslist poster can be charged with. police aren't quite sure what to charge the officer with. Fraud? Forgery?

I'll never look at "curb alerts" in quite the same way, though.

Mansfield woman says Arlington officer offered her possessions on Craigslist without her consent [Dallas Morning News]

(Photo: moon angel)
(Thanks to commenter David Mays for correcting the error in my summary.)

My friend Amanda is looking for a new apartment, and last week she responded to an appealing ad on Craigslist. There was no apartment, though...just a credit report scam that's showing up in more and more cities.

Here's how the scam works. An ad goes up for a house or an apartment at an appealing rent. (See an example.) The ads don't change much from city to city, and are vague about where the place is located. The person who placed the ad e-mails prospective renters back with a rental application, a promise to walk them through the property soon, and a request for a copy of your credit report.

The demand for a credit report is the only part of this scam that's real. It's an affiliate link to one of the "free" credit report services. You know, like FreeCreditReport.com, only shadier and without the annoying TV commercials. The URL to the "free" credit report contains the scammer's affiliate code, and they receive money for every new customer referred to the credit report site.

Since the apartments often have suspiciously low rents for the area, the landlord scammer can just pretend that someone else was approved before you. Victims of the scam continue in their apartment hunts, never the wiser until strange charges for credit monitoring services show up on their credit card bill.

Here's an example of one of the e-mails. When my friend e-mailed the person offering the apartment asking where the place was located, she received this reply from George:

Hi,

We try to keep our costs and our tenants costs to a minimum so we can rent our units fast and keep them rented. Pets are accepted if you have any.

Hopefully I can walk you through the property either tomorrow or within the next few days.

Once you have these completed the steps below, send me an email. This really is a very nice rental especially for the price. Wont last long at this price.

Here is our Rental Application: Here
Print it out and bring it with you when we look at the property.

You'll need a copy of your credit report. Your report is free with a free trial. This will save me from charging you any fees for checking your credit history. Get it at http://www.rentalinvestors.net/freecreditreport.html

Regards,
George
Rental Investors

"Wont last long at this price," indeed.

She replied to him, again asking where the apartment was located—which, after all, was the only thing she asked in her initial e-mail. He never responded.

We reported on a very similar employment ad scam back in February. Apparently, people become suspicious when a prospective employer asks for a credit check before the interview, but a credit check as part of a rental application is much more plausible.

Many Consumerist readers have spotted this scam, and some have gone through with the credit checks. If you're one of them, carefully watch your credit card statements, dispute any charges you never asked for, and be sure to get a real free credit report from Annualcreditreport.com every year.

Here's a partial list of sham real estate companies, and the credit report companies they're sending business to. If you've run into similar ads, send us an e-mail with the fake company's information, and we'll add it to the list.

Landlords:
Equal Opportunity Rentals - equalopportunityrentals.com
Rental Investors - rentalinvestors.net
Katie's Rentals - katiesrentals.com
Metro Apartments - metroapartments.org
Anna's Rental Properties annasrentalproperties.com
Reed Apartments - reedapartments.org - marissa@reedapartments.org
ZT Apartments - zt_apts@earthlink.net
http://www.creditgradegroup.com - wayne.morrison20@gmail.com
Derek Couture - dcouture1977@gmail.com
Exquisite Rentals - exquisiterentals.com - ExquisiteRentals@mail.com
Kimberly McReynolds - kimberlymcreynolds2@gmail.com

Credit check services;
http://www.my-credit-score-now.com
http://www.creditreportamerica.com (See their BBB report and previous Consumerist appearance.)
http://www.gofreecredit.com
http://creditreporteveryone.com
http://creditreportprocessor.com
http://check-your-credit-online.com
http://CreditScoreDeluxe.com
http://www.icredit-scores.com

RELATED:
"Help, I Fell For The Apartment Rental Credit Check Scam!"
Consumer 101: Get Your Free Credit Report From "Annual Credit Report.com"
Beware Of Apartment Scammers
Don't Fall For The Job Hunting Credit Report Scam

(Photo: cincyproject)