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Phony Amazon Messages Target Shoppers With New Tricks: What To Know Now Phony Amazon Messages Target Shoppers With New Tricks: What To Know Now
Phony Amazon Messages Target Shoppers With New Tricks: What To Know Now That email claiming to be from Amazon about a mysterious order or urgent account issue? It could be a scammer’s trap waiting for you to click. Amazon users are being warned about a fresh wave of sophisticated scams hitting inboxes.  Fraudsters are sending emails and texts that look like they're from Amazon, often claiming something’s wrong with your account or a suspicious purchase has been made.  The messages urge you to click a link or call a customer service numbe, leading you straight into a scam. According to online security firm ExpressVPN, these phishing emails are design…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do
Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do Scams targeting older Americans are surging, causing victims to lose millions of dollars to scammers posing as government officials or trusted companies. The number of victims age 60 and older who lost more than $100,000 has increased by more than 700%, the Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday, Aug. 7. Those high-value thefts jumped from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024. Older adults who lost at least $10,000 also dramatically rose by more than 300%. "While younger consumers also have reported these scams, older adults were much more likely to report these ex…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Fake CT Officer Scamming Residents; Police Urge Caution As Scams On Rise Fake CT Officer Scamming Residents; Police Urge Caution As Scams On Rise
Fake CT Officer Scamming Residents; Police Urge Caution As Scams On Rise Norwalk police are asking the public to be aware of a new scam involving a fake officer.  Police said they've received multiple reports of someone impersonating a Norwalk police officer, calling and demanding the victim pay a fine for a missed court date or face imprisonment.  The caller is using the name Jason Wilson.  He is not an officer, and police would never call to solicit money for missed court appearances over the phone.  Do not engage with the caller and call the actual police if you receive this call at 203-854-3113. Scam calls are on the rise across the co…

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by Josh Lanier
News
CT Funeral Home Owner Starts Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K East Windsor Funeral Scam CT Funeral Home Owner Starts Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K East Windsor Funeral Scam
CT Funeral Home Owner Starts Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K East Windsor Funeral Scam A group is working to help victims of an alleged Connecticut funeral scam involving a former funeral home owner accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from funds meant for burials and other services, to allegedly fuel his gambling habit. Philip Pietras, 51, of Coventry, was arrested Sunday, April 6, and charged with first-degree larceny, according to Connecticut State Police. Dozens of people had given Pietras money intended for escrow accounts, which would have been available to cover funeral costs when needed, police said. They later learned the money was never deposited, and now they mu…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Fake Facebook Ads Promote Bogus ‘Tariff Relief’ Offers, FBI Warns Fake Facebook Ads Promote Bogus ‘Tariff Relief’ Offers, FBI Warns
Fake Facebook Ads Promote Bogus ‘Tariff Relief’ Offers, FBI Warns Scammers are once again turning hot-button headlines into bait — this time with bogus offers of “tariff relief” payments showing up in Facebook and Instagram ads. The fraudulent posts have promised $750 in “tariff relief credit” or as much as $5,600 in “tariff relief benefits.”  But the promised payouts don’t exist. Instead, these ads are believed to be attempts to gather personal information or steer unsuspecting users into marketing calls where they could be targeted by spammers. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, confirmed that it removed the ads after being alerte…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Fraudulent Texts Pretend To Be From USPS Fraudulent Texts Pretend To Be From USPS
Fraudulent Texts Pretend To Be From USPS A new scam is targeting people with fraudulent text messages pretending to be from the United States Postal Service (USPS) — and officials are urging caution. The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is warning customers about a rise in phishing and smishing attacks, where fraudsters send fake texts and emails that appear to come from USPS. The messages often claim that a package is delayed or that a payment is due, directing recipients to click a link that steals personal information. Postal inspectors say these scams are becoming more advanced, but there are clear warning signs: Smishi…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns
Delete These Suspicious Texts Immediately, FBI Warns The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an urgent warning about a widespread text message scam designed to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. Known as “smishing” (SMS phishing), the scam involves fraudulent texts impersonating toll and package delivery services to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive data. According to cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, cybercriminals have registered over 10,000 fraudulent domains as part of this operation, targeting at least 11 states and one Canadian province. Key…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams
Holiday Deals Or Fraud? IRS Issues Warning For These Scams As the holiday shopping season begins, the IRS reminds everyone that it’s not just your credit card balance you need to watch — it’s also your personal information. As part of its ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week, the IRS is warning taxpayers about a rise in holiday scams.  The scammers aren’t interested in gifts under your tree; they’re after your Social Security number and financial information instead. Here’s how scammers are getting creative—and how you can stay safe: Phishing Emails: Be wary of emails pretending to be from reputable retailers, shipping companie…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Scammers Are Creating Fake Customer Service Numbers In Google Searches: What To Know Scammers Are Creating Fake Customer Service Numbers In Google Searches: What To Know
Scammers Are Creating Fake Customer Service Numbers In Google Searches: What To Know New reports reveal that scammers are trying to trick Google into showing their fake numbers pretending to offer reputable services, and many are getting away with it. Google sometimes highlights impostors during searches for airlines, banks, as well as local businesses, according to a brand-new report in The Washington Post. A victim who called what Google listed as Coinbase customer support was scammed out of $100,000 in 20 minutes by an impostor, Fortune reports. Google told The Washington Post that it uses several methods to determine whether business listings are legitimate, inclu…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Federal authorities are sounding the alarm over scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies.  In 2023, data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency, the FTC said. Combined, reported losses to these impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion for the year, more than three times what consumers reported in 2020. Reports show an increasingly blurred line between busine…

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by Joe Lombardi