Canada: CBC reports that Grandparent frauds in Canada have ties to the Italian mafia
Category: Uncategorized
Fraud Report April 18, 2024
Comment about revenge taken by scammers on victims by Professor Anthony Pratkanis: Historically, these sorts of revenge attacks on con grifters are not uncommon. That is why con criminals have developed extensive methods for “cooling out the mark” and “the blow-off.” And they seemed to do that in cases like this as well, either by hiring a legit Uber driver or by placing another (lower level) person who is in on the scam between them and the victim. I think people are becoming increasingly upset and angry at the level of fraud and scams we are all experiencing. A recent study found record levels of people reporting that they had been the target of a fraud attempt and a desire for action to be taken to stop these scams.
Russian hackers got access to emails between Microsoft and the US government
BBB updates my 2020 study on nonexistent vehicles sold online
- Complaints to the BBB jumped sharply in 2023
- Scammers also advertise campers, motorcyles, farm equipment
- New is scammers send people to a fake VIN search site, claiming to be like Carfax; victims enter credit card numbers, get charged
- Three quarters of victims over 45
- Original study here
Oxford and New South Wales Canberra release study on top countries responsible for cybercrime
In order, Russia, Ukraine, China, US, Nigeria, Romania, and North Korea
Fraud Report April 11, 2024
New Trend: Crooks appearing in person more and more. Until recently it was extremely rare for victims to ever met scammers in person. But of late we have increasing reports that they are sending people in person to pick up money from victims in grandparent fraud, tech support fraud, and now IRS scammers. It seems unlikely that they would send anyone who has useful knowledge of the scam organizations. But this does indicate more of an opportunity for scam victims to alert law enforcement and to see scammers actually arrested.
Fraud Report April 4, 2024
Top Stories
- These nearly half of all fraud reported to the FTC, and has jumped five-fold since 2020
- Losses of $1.1 billion in 2023
- Initial contacts by phone are down; emails and texts are up
- Scammers claim to be:
- Security alerts, phony subscription renewals, fake law enforcement, supposed delivery problems; phony giveaways
- Money sent through bank to bank transfers and bitcoin
Fraud Report March 28, 2024
Crypto romance ALERT. We really need to increase education on this one. I think it is now the most common fraud in the world. Losses to this fraud last year were more than those from all frauds together just four or five years ago. IC3 reported $4 billion lost to romance fraud; it had total losses for all frauds of $3.5 billion in 2019.
Baker Fraud Report March 21, 2024
Study looks at worldwide statistics on complaint data and types of romance fraud
Review and recommendation: I watched Judgment at Nuremburg again last night. This 1961 classic involves the trial of Nazi judges for their action supporting the Third Reich. It has a fantastic cast, headed by the great Spencer Tracy. The film reminds us that it is important for good people to stand up against the currents of popular opinion. Hitler did not just appear from nowhere, he built on intellectual currents and ideas developed in the universities.
Full report here
Fraud Report March 14, 2024
Top Stories
FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center releases data for 2023
- Reported losses in 2019 were $3.5 billion; 2023 $12.5 billion
- Crypto romance fraud was $4 billion
- Tech support fraud up significantly
- $60 million paid to ransomware
- Job and government impersonation also big jumps
Australia’s scam call center issues quarterly report
Investment fraud (crypto romance) drops 38%
Joseph Epstein in the WSJ: All scam callers get from me is a little taste of Gershwin
Baker Fraud Report, March 7, 2024
Chainalysis issues 2024 crypto crime report
FTC warns never to move your money to another account to “save it,” this is always a scam
BBB issues annual scam tracker risk report
- Those 18-24 lost the most money
- Contacts with scammers on social media were up to 64%
- Crypto romance scams also increase
Tip of the week: We know that scammers pay to post sponsored links at the top of search results. So when the public uses Google to look for the phone numbers of social media, tech companies, and many other organizations they find numbers posted by scammers and end up calling them. So let’s all do a search for our own organization to be sure scammers aren’t using our names.
Fraud Report February 29, 2024
House Judiciary Committee releases report detailing abuse of power at the FTC; assert culture of fear; abuse of power
Is this happening in the US as well? New text message scam seeking personal information claims to be Medicare Australia and threatens to suspend benefits: complaints spike to 1500
Baker Fraud Report February 22,2024
Top Stories
FTC releases fraud data for 2023
- Complaint numbers up a bit; losses jump 21% to over $10 billion
- Most money lost to “investments,” meaning crypto romance fraud, at $4.6 billion; a 21% jump
- Next most complained of were government/business imposters
- Largest amount of money lost by bank to bank transfers
- Those 20-29 years old lost money in 44% of complaints; those over 70 only 25%, though older group lost larger amounts
FinCEN sends alert to financial institutions warning of crypto romance “pig butchering” frauds