The Buffalo News put together a roundup of common scams that scoundrels are using to swipe your money and includes advice on how to avoid them.
fraud
Protect Yourself With A Bank Firewall
By 8.22.09
Phishing emails are becoming more and more sophisticated and despite all the advice that people get on how not to get scammed, people do. So, to protect ourselves against ourselves, I recommend a bank account firewall.
Update: BoA ATM Card Dispatched To Stranded Traveler After Return To U.S.
By 8.21.09
After stranding reader Shannon in Siberia with no functioning ATM card, Bank of America has reached out to her and made up for the situation. Sort of. A new card was immediately dispatched, but the corresponding PIN didn’t show up until five days later. She did, however, receive a $100 Amazon gift card for her inconvenience.
IRS Making Life Easier For Investment Fraud Victims
By 8.17.09
Responding to all the high-profile Ponzi schemes, particularly the Madoff heist, the IRS is easing rules for fraud victims, making it easier to claim losses on taxes, Investment News reports.
ATM Skimmer Ring Hits Chicago Suburbs
By 8.15.09
Reader Kellie reports being the victim of an ATM skimming scam in the Chicago area. Mostly, she was amazed that the thefts weren’t reported in the local media, and she asked bank employees why. Here’s what they told her.
HSBC Cancels Traveler's Credit Card, Pays For Their Mistake
By 8.11.09
Bank of America isn’t the only bank that enjoys canceling their traveling customer’s credit cards. HSBC canceled my card while I was living in New Zealand, and as part of their “continuing efforts to fight fraud,” sent an active replacement card to my address 9,000 miles away.
BoA Strands Customer In Siberia With No Money
By 8.11.09
Bank of America has cut off Shannon’s debit card and says she has to get a new one. This would otherwise be a minor inconvenience except for the fact that Shannon is in Irkutsk, Russia on a 2-week Trans-Siberian trek.
Madoff's Former Finance Chief Could Expose Co-Conspirators
By 8.10.09
As convenient as it is to crucify Bernie Madoff and even his wife for the investment fraud that screwed billions out of investors, it’s foolish to believe he acted anywhere close to alone. That’s why prosecutors are giddy that former finance chief Frank DiPascali is pleading guilty and believed to be cooperating with investigators to build cases against the other culprits.
Sprint, AT&T Won't Tell Identity Theft Victim Where Thief Resides
By 8.6.09
Fearing his identity would be stolen, Mike put out a fraud alert on his credit report to insure he’d be contacted whenever new credit applications went out under his name. The move paid off because someone snagged his social security number and tried to open accounts with AT&T and Sprint.
Beware Pay-Per-Call Phone Scams
By 8.5.09
Scammers on Craigslist are ordering tough-to-identify pay-per-call phone numbers, then list them on ads, baiting people to call and pay exorbitant fees. Common area codes for pay lines are 976, 940, 915, 556, 554, and 550.
Etsy Fraudster Goes After Beadmakers Who Got Her Banned
By 7.27.09
A woman named Ullja Kuntze was booted from Etsy after word got around that she was buying handmade beads and reselling them as her own. Her original Etsy pages read, “All my beads are made by me in my private glass studio in Milan Italy.” Kuntze was actually doing business from Waco, Texas, and now that legitimate beadmakers have gotten her kicked off of Etsy and Artfire, she’s trying to get their own websites shut down under false spam accusations, and/or get them investigated by the IRS for tax fraud.
Don't Let Cash For Clunkers Become Cash For Con Artists
By 7.27.09
The government’s Cash for Clunkers rebate program offers a way to upgrade from a gas-guzzler to a vehicle with better gas mileage on the cheap, but it also opens the door for scammers to seize some five-finger discounts.
Amazonfraudcheck.com Is Amazon Fraud
By 7.27.09
No, Amazon is not contacting its members and performing regular fraud checks. Jason received this e-mail, which is associated with a rather convincing Amazon phishing site.
WaMu/Chase Doesn't Believe Your Card Was Stolen, Despite The Fact That The Thief Was Arrested
By 7.24.09
Reader Stephen says that a NYC Taxi driver tricked him into using an ATM skimmer-like-device instead of the normal credit card machine and made off with his card and PIN. The NYPD made an arrest, but Stephen says he’s still battling with Chase/WaMu.
New York AG Says Creditors Used Fraud To Collect Debt, Must Return Money
By 7.23.09
New York attorney general Andrew M. Cuomo is going after debt collectors and lawyers that seized cash from customers with more than 100,000 improperly filed court orders.
What To Do When You Discover You've Been Overcharged At A Restaurant
By 7.17.09
James discovered that the waiter at a steakhouse he and his wife ate at padded his bill by 4 extra dollars, but also ran through the charge a second time with no tip at all. Now he’s wondering what to do next.
Fraud-Spinning Hedge Fund Manager Fakes Own Death, Gets Two More Years In The Clink
By 7.17.09
Sam Israel III was busted for managing the Bayou Hedge Fund Group, which defrauded investors out of $450 million. He received 20 years in prison.
