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Here are some new ways thieves are scamming people

April 1, 2023

Don’t get fooled

April Fools’ Day is Saturday, April 1, but schemers and scammers are out to get your money year-round. Here are the statistics for past years and how technology is helping the swindlers.

A few things to look out and listen up for:

According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers are making more than ever. In 2022, the number of people who got scammed was down, but the amount of money lost is estimated to be $8.8 billion, more than any year.

If that’s not bad enough, the type of scams are more diabolical too. If you’re familiar with the “Help me Grandma” scams where an impostor calls saying they need money to help a grandchild, now it’s gone high tech.

New generative artificial intelligence tools with just a snippet of someone’s voice to work with can create speech that sounds convincingly like a particular person. If thieves can find 30 seconds of your voice somewhere online such as Instagram, there’s a good chance they can clone it — and make it say anything.

How can you tell if a family member is in trouble or if it’s a scammer using a cloned voice? Don’t trust the voice. Call the person who supposedly contacted you and verify the story. Use a phone number you know is theirs. If you can’t reach your loved one, try to get in touch with them through another family member or their friends.

Other voice scams

In 2021, the FTC warned people of another scam called the Google Voice verification scam. Scammers target people who post things for sale on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. They also prey on people who post looking for help finding their lost pet.

The scammers contact you and say they want to buy the item you’re selling — or that they found your pet. But before they commit to buying your item, or returning your pet, they feign hesitation. They might say they’ve heard about fake online listings and want to verify that you’re a real person. Or they might say they want to verify that you’re the pet’s true owner.

They send you a text message with a Google Voice verification code and ask you for that code. If you give them the verification code, they’ll try to use it to create a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. The scammer might use that number to rip off other people and conceal their identity.

Other notable scams the FTC is warning of

Fraudulent emails and unwanted mail can be deleted or tossed in the trash, telephone calls are tougher to tune out. And because telephone calls are still considered a secure form of communication, voice phishing scams take advantage of consumers’ trust to steal money and personal information.

In voice phishing — or “vishing” — scams, callers impersonate legitimate companies to steal money and personal and financial information. And these scams are on the rise. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reports that 77% of its fraud complaints involve contact with consumers by telephone.

The following list of what to look out for is from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office:

“Card Services” Scam

“Paul” receives several prerecorded calls each month that state it is his last chance to reduce the interest rate on his credit card. The calls prompt him to press “1” to speak with a representative. Paul called his credit card company, which stated that it did not place the calls. Rather, a “visher” was trying to get his financial information.

Phony Debt Collection Scam

“Cindy” and her family members received calls from an individual who claimed she owed a debt. The individual demanded payment within 24 hours, but refused to provide any information about the debt in writing. Cindy checked her credit report and saw that the debt was satisfied. She told her family to ignore the fraudster’s calls.

Medical Alert Device Scam

“Maureen” received a recorded call that asked her to schedule the delivery of a medical alert device ordered by her doctor. She pressed “5” as instructed, and the representative asked for her credit card information. After hanging up, Maureen called her doctor’s office, which told her the call was a scam.

Bogus Gift Card Offer

“Bill” received a call from an individual who claimed to be associated with his bank and told him he could receive a $100 gift card and a free iPad if he paid a small shipping and handling fee. Bill told the individual that he wanted to double-check the offer with his bank. Bill called his bank using the telephone number listed on his account statement and sure enough, the bank said it wasn’t giving anything away. Bill blocked the visher’s telephone number on his phone.

Vishing for Financial Information

“Sonja” received an automated call that claimed her VISA card had been deactivated and instructed her to press “9” to speak with a representative. Sonja does not have a VISA card and hung up before the visher could try to steal her personal information.

High-tech Computer Scam

“Stan” received a call from an individual who identified herself as a computer technician and claimed Stan’s operating system security needed updating. Stan allowed the individual to access his computer, but when she asked for his credit card information to pay a $200 fee, he hung up. Stan brought his computer to a trusted local technician the next day who told him his operating system security was already up to date.

Work-at-home Scam

“Mary” received a call from a consulting company representative who offered her a job operating a website. Mary provided her credit card information to pay the $600 start-up fee. After talking it over with her son, who found an alert for the company on the Better Business Bureau website, Mary called her credit card company to cancel the charge.

Government Grant Scam

“Meg” kept receiving calls from individuals who claimed she had been awarded $5,000 in government grants. Meg knew she hadn’t applied for a grant, so she asked her phone company to block the calls from the vishers.

New Medicare Card Scam

“Robert” received a call from an individual who claimed he was due to receive a new Medicare card and asked him to confirm his Medicare number. Knowing that his Medicare number was the same as his Social Security number, Robert refused to provide it to the individual and thwarted an attempt to steal his identity.

Sources: The Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network data book 2002, The Associated Press.

Orange County Register

News Details

Here are some new ways thieves are scamming people

Don’t get fooled

A few things to look out and listen up for:

Other voice scams

Other notable scams the FTC is warning of

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