Scam Alert

March 2020

Scams are popping up everywhere. There is even a coronavirus scam that is starting with Robo Callers on the West Coast, but it will probably make it to the East Coast. I have a link below about the coronavirus scam.
 
Scammers have tried to defraud three of my clients as well as myself in the past month. Here are their stories:
 
One of my clients was trying to sell a Power Chair through Craigslist. Let’s call her Ann. One of Ann’s Helpers listed it for her. Someone contacted Ann gushing with excitement about purchasing it. The woman sent Ann a check for 3 times what she was selling it for. The check was mailed overnight by Fed Ex. The check was from a country club in the northeast. I called the club and asked about it. I took a photo of the check and texted it to them. They told us please do not cash that check because they did not know anything about it and the bank listed on the check is not the bank they use. It’s a scam.
 
I was contacted by a scammer wanting to hire Simple Solution Organizing LLC. Luckily, my NAPO colleagues had shared their experience online. I knew it was scam immediately. The person texted me asking if I did home organization. I texted back “yes, we do” and could I call them back in the evening. They answered back that they would send a check for our service, but she could not be there because she was going to have lungs surgery. Not just lung, but lungs.
 
You might be wondering how this scam works. When I heard about it… I was really confused. The scammer sends a check for significantly more than the Item or service is listed for. Then they ask for the overage back. It takes 2 to 3 days before your bank discovers that their check is bad. The bank usually sends a letter so it could be a couple weeks before you are notified. The scammer has already charged your credit card or cashed your check. That is how it works.
 
One of my clients received an email saying it was from Apple Support. It included a link to a fake Apple website. I told him not to answer that email. Always look up phone numbers and websites of companies yourself. You can always call back to find out if the email or phone call is legitimate.
 
Last week another client received a call from someone claiming to be Apple Support. She gave them access to her computer. There are programs where you can invite someone to view/access/control your computer by giving them an access code that shows up on your screen.
 
They were able to access her username and password to her checking account. Luckily, one of her helpers walked in on her conversation and unplugged her router to stop transmission of additional information. They called her bank immediately and they told her the scammer tried 20 times to gain access to her bank account. I called all three credit reporting agencies and froze the credit reports for her and her husband.
 
Another popular scam: Text messages from Federal Express that you have a package. I got this scam message. Lots of people have. If you question it, Call Fed Ex yourself by looking up the number. Never use the number the possible scammer provides.
 
These scammers keep getting more and more sophisticated. They know that people are short on time and patience. Don’t let this happen to you. These people go to work to scam us. They can change phone numbers so it looks like they are calling from inside the U.S. or in your town, but they might be calling from another country.
 
I want everyone to be aware of potential scams. Be safe online. Working to keep my clients safe is one of the most important responsibilities I have as a Daily Money Manager.

Be skeptical! It may save you a lot of money, headaches and heartache.
 
Adele Gross
Owner
Simple Solution Organizing LLC
Daily Money Manager * Professional Organizing * Senior Downsizing
706-714-1314
adele@simplesolutionorganizing.com
https://www.simplesolutionorganizing.com/

Resources:
 
Federal Trade Commission
 
Federal Trade Commission 2
 
Coronavirus Scam – Yahoo Finance
 
Coronavirus Scam – U.S. Department of Homeland Security