Scam Alerts
Beware of the SNAP (Food Stamp) Scam
Recent reports of a scam targeting those who are receiving SNAP benefits have surfaced. Scammers appear to be using two ways of accessing accounts, skimming and texts. Skimming basically steals a person’s payment information from a card reader that’s been tampered with. Another strategy they are using is sending people fake texts saying there is an issue with a recipient's Food Stamp account, they then convince them to hand over their pin number. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service advises recipients to never share their PIN with anybody. Anyone who believes they’ve been a victim of this scam is asked to call the local Department of Social Services office.
New York State Office for the Aging Issues Guidance Against Government Grant Scams
Inspector General Warns About New Social Security Suspension Scam
COVID-19 Consumer Tip Sheet
COVID-19 SCAMS
Department of Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Justice Department Warns About Fake Post-Vaccine Survey Scams
The Department of Justice has received reports that fraudsters are creating fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine surveys for consumers to fill out with the promise of a prize or cash at the conclusion of the survey. In reality, the surveys are used to steal money from consumers and unlawfully capture consumers’ personal information.
Consumers receive the surveys via email and text message, and are told that, as a gift for filling out the survey, they can choose from various free prizes, such as an iPad Pro. The messages claim that the consumers need only pay shipping and handling fees to receive their prize. Victims provide their credit card information and are charged for shipping and handling fees, but never receive the promised prize. Victims also are exposing their personally identifiable information (PII) to scammers, thereby increasing the probability of identity theft.
Unless from a known and verified source, consumers should never click on links in text messages or emails claiming to be a vaccine survey.
Schemes that use links embedded in unsolicited text messages and emails in attempts to obtain personally identifiable information are commonly referred to as phishing schemes. Phishing messages may look like they come from government agencies, financial intuitions, shipping companies, and social media companies, among many others. Carefully examine any message purporting to be from a company and do not click on a link in an unsolicited email or text message. Remember that companies generally do not contact you to ask for your username or password. When in doubt, contact the entity purportedly sending you the message, but do not rely on any contact information in the potentially fraudulent message.
If you receive a text message or email claiming to be a COVID-19 vaccine survey and containing a link or other contact information, please report the communication to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud. Intellectual property crimes such as these also may be reported to federal law enforcement at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) at http://www.IPRCenter.gov.
If you believe you may have entered information into a fraudulent website, you can find resources on how to protect your information at: www.identitytheft.gov.
To learn more about identifying and protecting yourself from phishing attempts, visit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams or https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/spoofing-and-phishing.
Further information about major scams targeting American consumers can be found at the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force website: https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/transnational-elder-fraud-strike-force.
This alert is provided by the IPR Center and the Consumer Protection Branch of the department’s Civil Division.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
NYS DIVISION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION ALERTS CONSUMERS TO PHONE SCAMMERS SPOOFING THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND UTILITY COMPANIESPhone Scammers Claim Payment is Needed to Try to Steal Personal Information Consumers Should be Alert and Follow Basic Tips to Keep Information Protected |
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the Department of Public Service are alerting consumers of a phone scam in which scammers are threatening to suspend electricity services unless they receive payment for past due balances. Payment has been requested by means of untraceable services such as money transfer apps, including Cash App. Scammers may also attempt to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims. In these cases, the caller “spoofs” the official phone number of the Department of Public Service and calls individuals seeking payment for outstanding utility bills to avoid disconnection of service. Pursuant to Governor Cuomo’s March 13th directive, the Department of Public Service worked with the State’s utility companies to ensure no New Yorkers would have their utilities cutoff for nonpayment during the PAUSE. Similar action was taken during Super Storm Sandy, the 2014 Polar Vortex, and the 2008 financial crisis. “Unfortunately, these types of scams appear from time to time targeting unsuspecting New Yorkers with nefarious tactics, including spoofing official government agencies and utility companies,” said New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “Be alert and follow some safety tips when you are called or approached by scammers in order to avoid falling victims of tricks to get your hard-earned money.” Department of Public Service CEO John B. Rhodes said, “It is indeed unfortunate and flat-out wrong that scammers try to take advantage of consumers, and it’s especially true during these uncertain times. Consumers struggling to pay their utility bills should call their utility to understand their rights as consumers and to learn about the shutoff moratorium that is now in place as a result of Governor Cuomo’s swift action to protect consumers.” In addition, calls have also been reported to be coming from scammers purporting to be from New York electric and gas utilities. The callers ask for consumer information, including utility account numbers, social security numbers, and dates of birth, and request payment for alleged past-due bills. Similar to a Social Security scam detailed in June of 2019, in these cases the caller “spoofs” official phone numbers of state agencies or utility companies call individuals seeking information that could be used to steal identities. Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to a caller ID display to disguise their identity, according to the Federal Communications Commission. In actuality, the call could be coming from anywhere in the world. To avoid falling victim to these scams, consumers should follow the tips below:
If a consumer receives this or any other scam calls, they are encouraged to file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Protection. The New York State Division of Consumer Protection investigates Do Not Call violations and provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via Twitter at @NYSConsumer or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.
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CONSUMER ALERT - NYS DIVISION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION WARNS ABOUT CALLERS POSING AS UTILITY EMPLOYEES |
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection is alerting consumers to a scam where people claiming to represent an electric, gas or water company – whether the consumer is a customer of theirs or not - ask for consumer information, including account numbers, social security numbers, and dates of birth, and request payment for alleged past-due bills. The scammers also send emails seeking the same information and, in some instances, have visited targets’ homes. The scam has now transitioned to communities where English is less prevalent, with callers speaking in the target’s native language, including Spanish and Chinese. “Unfortunately, utility scams periodically pop up throughout the year, but scammers are now targeting vulnerable and limited English-speaking communities that may not be aware of these nefarious tactics,” said New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, who oversees the Division of Consumer Protection. “If you are called or approached by someone purporting to be from a utility company and seeking payment, take steps protect yourself.” To prevent falling victim to these recent scams, take note of the following tips: Confirm the caller. Consumers should not rely on the number that comes up on their phone. Callers can “spoof” the number to look like a local utility company. If someone has contacted an individual and they are suspicious, they should hang up and go directly to the official website for the utility company or call the number on their utility bill to confirm whether there is a problem with their account. Don’t give the caller information. Consumers should never give out or confirm sensitive information, including utility account numbers, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers unless they are 100 percent sure they know who they are dealing with. Utility companies will not shut off utilities via the phone. Real utility companies issue several disconnection warnings before shutting off utilities and they never demand money over the phone or specify a method of payment. Utility companies do not ask for payment via gift cards, Green Dot Money-Pak, bitcoin, or wire transfer. Gift cards and bitcoin allow scammers to get money without anyone tracking them. Once an individual gives them the number, they can take the full value without anyone knowing who they are. If someone on the phone asks an individual to buy a gift card and call them back with the number, transfer money with bitcoin, wire transfer, or other non-traceable payment, it is a scam. Don’t let them in before confirming. All utility company employees carry credentials. If someone requesting entry into a home or place of business does not show a valid ID card, don’t let that person in. If they do show credentials, the individual should call the utility company to confirm those credentials. Consumers can also file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Protection. The New York State Division of Consumer Protection investigates Do Not Call violations and provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via @NYSConsumer or www.facebook.com/nysconsumer. |
The Sweetheart Scam -
Beware of the Sweetheart Scam. Many older adults are falling victim to this scam. In 2013 there were 6,412 reports of sweetheart scams costing victims close to $82 million. Older people are especially at risk for fraud. Americans 65 and up are more likely to be targeted by con artists and more likely to lose money.
Sweetheart scams can happen on the Internet or in person. Con artists scour online dating sites, social media accounts and chat threads searching for targets. Those recently divorced or widowed can be especially vulnerable.
The sweetheart scam seduces victims into thinking they are in a whirlwind romance. Con artists pretend to want a romantic relationship to swindle the person. They use persuasion and emotional blackmail to hook and reel in a target.
Once the relationship is established, the criminal fabricates a crisis. A scammer might say he or she needs an operation or cash to visit the victim. Many victims are often embarrassed to come forward.
This along with other scams may be reported to the Federal Trade Commission 1-877-382-4357, or to file complaint online you may visit
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/?utm_source=takeaction#crnt&panel1-1
If you feel you are in immediate danger or experienced theft, please contact your local police.
September 18, 2018
NEW YORK — Attorney General Barbara Underwood issued a recent alert to New Yorkers about the “grandparent scam,” a common phone scam that targets senior citizens with calls from fraudsters that pose as a grandchild of the victim.
Underwood also shared a public service announcement that explains how the scam works and offers tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.
“Stealing from seniors by exploiting their love for their grandchildren is despicable,” Underwood said in a press release. “I urge New Yorkers to be on the alert for this scam, and protect yourself and your family by following our tips."
Underwood offers the following tips to protect against the grandparent scam:
Be suspicious of anyone who calls unexpectedly asking you to send money.
Never purchase pre-paid debit cards or gift cards for the purpose of transferring money.
Develop a secret code or "password" with family members that can be used to verify the identity of family members over the phone.
Ask a question that only the real grandchild would know the answer to, such as, “What was the name of your first pet?”
Verify any supposed emergency by calling friends and family before sending money.
Underwood also shared a public service announcement featuring the “Grandkids Against the Grandparent Scam” initiative, in which high school students are enlisted to warn their parents and grandparents about the scam. The PSA features television personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who shares her experience about almost falling victim to the scam.
In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission received 18,912 complaints of individuals impersonating family members and friends, up from 15,076 in 2016, the release said.
New Yorkers who have been targeted by this scam are urged to call the Attorney General's consumer helpline at 1-800-771-7755.