Addressing consumer fraud around the world. The Baker Fraud Report focuses on mass marketing fraud – where victims never meet the fraudster in person but communicate over the phone, though the mail, or on the internet.
Top Stories
Fifth defendant pleads guilty in Brooklyn to direct mail prize fraud
North Carolina suesTexas robocall company for allowing scam calls
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards, job scams, and online shopping fraud.
FBI warn of malicious QR codes used by crypto scammers
Russia arrests those operating REvil ransomware; took in $200 million
Review and Recommendation: The Glorious Cause, by Robert Hiddlekauff. This volume of the Oxford History of the United States covers the American Revolution through the drafting and adoption of the Constitution. It is a very interesting and enthralling account of the ideals, incredible bravery, and long odds that faced early America. This stands in sharp contrast to snarky history for the uneducated too often based on history books by Howard Zinn.
Review and Recommendation: I recently watched the original Rocky again. There is actually very little boxing in it. What makes it a classic is the portrayal of a working class young man who works to gain confidence and build a relationship against tough odds.
Scam fighters pull together. In these divided times, it has been great to see so many people, from all over the world, some in law enforcement and many just because it is the right thing to do, work together to fight the criminals who often prey on those least able to afford the money stolen from them.
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards, job scams, and online shopping fraud.
Pet Scams continue to increase over holidays
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards, job scams, and online shopping fraud.
Wishing all of you a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones!
Review and recommendation: I just finished Pandemia, by Alex Berenson, and this apparently tops the NYT best seller list. I’ve followed Alex through the pandemic, and he has been a close and thoughtful observer of the many mistakes we’ve made throughout its course. As citizens it is our duty to be informed on important issues, and The Science is, of course and necessarily, a function of learning, disputing, and testing hypotheses.
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards, job scams, and online shopping fraud.
Question of the week: What is happening with emails claiming I’m being charged for renewing Anti-virus programs I’ve never had? I get on average three of these a week, supposedly from Norton, Geek Squad, or other companies. They have a phone number to call. Who is behind these, and what is the scam?
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards, job scams, and online shopping fraud.
Top Stories
DOJ announces 2021 money mule initiative; action against 4750 in ten week effort; more than 30 charged criminally
DOJ official’s blog on this effort
BBB updates pet scam study
New FTC spotlight looks at scam losses paid by gift card
Thieves attach $29 Apple Tags to luxury vehicles in parking lots; find home location at night and steal the cars; send location to iPhones
Full report here
Top Stories
My new BBB study on online shopping fraud
Europol announces actions against money mules in 27 countries; 1800 arrested; 18,000 identified
Thought of the week: Who is behind the scams? For example, we know many/most lottery scams are conducted from Jamaica, Romanian gangs are deeply involved in selling nonexistent vehicles online and in ATM skimming, and free trial offer scams usually emanate from the US and Canada. Where law enforcement knows who is behind the scams, they can focus their efforts to fight it better. So I try to give the best information available about who the scammers are. This is an organized industry and there is a need to focus if we are to fight it. Of course nothing on criminal groups can suggest that the broader populations of countries are complicit in the scams, any more than the presence of Al Capone in Chicago tells you anything about the character of the its citizens. In these sensitive times there is a temptation to disguise countries where the scams flourish to avoid the potential of being accused of giving offense. But crime exists, it tends to concentrate in specific places, and law enforcement both in those countries and elsewhere need the best information available to combat it.
Note of the week: I hope all will have a great time with your families and those you love as the US celebrates Thanksgiving.
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards and job scams.
New study on how the pandemic has affected online fraud and policing in Europe
Europol releases 2021 organized crime threat assessment; cybercrime is flourishing
FBI says it has fixed error that allowed someone to send 100,000 emails from their system
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards and job scams.
