Common Scams

The Bozeman Police Department has been advised of a scam that is being committed at convenience stores/gas stations across the Western United States, to include Montana. One of the con artists will go into a store to ask about applying for a job. They obtain as much information as they can about the store, such as names of the clerk and managers, store phone numbers and general day-to-day operations of the store. This person then passes the gathered information to other accomplices, one of which calls the store, usually within minutes following the initial visit, and pretends to be the District Manager. He tells the clerk that he (posing as the manager) will be sending a delivery person to the store to exchange a key for the “day drop” of cash, which is needed at another store for the evening shift. The delivery person (one of the accomplices) arrives at the store with a key, exchanges it for the money and leaves.

The perpetrators of this theft scheme are very good and have been successful in ten states over the past two months. The name “Duck” Fraud has been given due to the fact that employees of convenience stores/gas stations are “sitting ducks” in this scheme.

While there have been no reports of this particular scam occurring in Bozeman, this has occurred in states within our region.

Anyone who suspects this crime attempt is occurring are encouraged to call the Bozeman Police Department at 582-2000.

SCENARIO: The victim receives an email or letter stating that they have an opportunity to receive a substantial sum of money. The letter states that the victim has won the Canadian Lottery (or some other country's Foreign Lottery). The letter informs the victim that they must pay a processing or transfer tax or fee before receiving the money. A check or money order will be enclosed to cover the required fees, and the victim is instructed to deposit the check into their bank account and wire the money to a third party, usually in a foreign country.

SCAM: The person who contacted the victim about the "Lottery" was a fraudster, and the victim has not won any money. The checks or money orders that were deposited are counterfeits. They are frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so they seem legitimate, but they are not.

SCENARIO: The victim wants to help charities such as those for the victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Sumatran Tsunami, so they sign up online to help out. Through a series of emails, the victim is hired to be the "middleman" or "broker" to receive donations into a new bank account they are told to open. The job description includes receiving checks, depositing the checks into their newly opened bank account, and wiring the monies when the funds are posted to the account. The victim is instructed to keep a certain percentage of the value of the checks as their "salary." The victim deposits the checks and sends the money via wire or Western Union to the charity when the funds are available and posted to their bank account.

SCAM: The "charity" was fraudulent. And the funds sent to the newly opened bank account and then on to the charity belong to fraud victims' from other banks, who may have had their identities stolen or responded to a phishing email on the Internet. The victim not only has received and kept fraudulent funds, but has also forwarded a portion of those funds on to the fraudster.

Scenario: This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. The callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. A person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by ( name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona ?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?" You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say, "No," the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

SCAM: You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. The scammers use pre-aquired credit card numbers (often acquired by hacking), and use the 3-digit PIN number to approve additional charges. If you get this call, tell the caller you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation.

SCENARIO: The victim receives an email from a foreign official or businessperson who has a business proposal. The businessperson wants to move a large sum of money from a foreign country and needs assistance. The victim is usually offered 25% to 40% of the proceeds as payment for their trouble. If the victim agrees, they usually receive a large check in the mail. The victim deposits the check into their bank account and the funds are posted to their account. However, the businessperson now needs an advance fee of $30,000 to $40,000 to bribe an official, pay transfer fees or attorney fees, settle taxes, etc. The victim believes the previously deposited check was genuine, so they honor the request and wire funds to the businessperson.

SCAM: The "official" or "businessperson" was a fraudster, and the checks or money orders that were deposited are counterfeits. They are frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so they seem legitimate, but they are not.

SCENARIO: Billings authorities have reported a recent scam involving local gas stations. In the scam, the suspect learns ahead of time the owner’s name and some personal information about the owner. The suspect calls the local station at a later time, posing as the owner, and advise the clerk that an envelope containing $350 is there for a guy coming in shortly to get it, and describes the person coming in, including clothing, etc….. The suspect shows up at the designated time and when the clerk can’t find the money, the suspect convinces the clerk to take $350 from the till and leaves. Needless to say, when the true owner is contacted, the owner realizes the mistake, but long after the suspect has left. Billings has had three different businesses fall victim to this scam, and Bozeman had an attempt similar to this scam at one local service station. We urge anyone in local businesses reading this release to educate their employees on this scam and call 911 immediately if this is happening. If a business has been a victim of this scam, call our non-emergency number at 582-2000 to report this crime.

The fake email appears to come from the Center of Disease Control and talks about a “State Vaccination Program” supposedly sponsored by the CDC. The message states that anyone who is age 18 or over must complete a vaccination profile on the CDC's website

WARNING: Clicking on the link opens you up to the risk of getting a malicious virus installed on your computer

Experts are stating that the virus is a version of the Banker Trojan, which steals usernames and passwords when you are online doing your banking

BBB ADVICE

Be wary of random or unsolicited emails in your INBOX, especially during this holiday season. Do not click on links in unknown emails for you run risk of compromising your computer’s safety. Do not provide or confirm personal or sensitive information to anyone you don’t know, even if they seem as though they are official or legitimate. If the email is a warning and is using official names to try to get you to respond, go directly to the source to confirm or verify information.

If your computer has been compromised, get it to an IT or computer specialist ASAP, and file a report with the FBI’s cybercrime unit at: www.ic3.gov.

Example of Scam Below

From: CDC [mailto:info@cdcmails.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 3:07 AM
To: XXXXX
Subject: Your personal Vaccination Profile
 

You have received this e-mail because of the launching of State Vaccination H1N1 Program.

You need to create your personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov website. The Vaccination is not obligatory, but every person that has reached the age of 18 has to have his personal Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov site. This profile has to be created both for the vaccinated people and the not-vaccinated ones. This profile is used for the registering system of vaccinated and not-vaccinated people.

Create your Personal H1N1 Vaccination Profile using the link: XXXXXX (Link removed for safety)

SCENARIO: The victim receives notification from an authoritative source such as a law firm, an executor of a will, or a barrister, notifying the victim of an inheritance from a long-lost relative or friend. The official has the victim provide their bank account number for funds to be deposited into their account, on the agreement that a fee must be made. The official may then do 1 of 2 things:

1. Tell the victim how much the fee is and request that it be sent via Western Union or other electronic means. The victim sends the requested fee.

2. Send the victim their inheritance as a check or money order, but then immediately say that they mistakenly sent too much money and request that the remaining balance of the advance be returned via Western Union or other electronic means. The consumer sends the requested money back.

SCAM:

1. The "lawyer" is a fraudster who cannot help with any inheritance. The fraudster keeps the fee that the consumer has sent.

2. The key here is, because the fraudsters ask for the money back immediately, the original payment hasn't cleared the bank yet. The checks or money orders that were deposited are counterfeits. They are frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so they seem legitimate, but they are not.

SCENARIO: The victim sells or auctions goods (usually high-priced items) via the Internet. The buyer sends the victim a check or money order for more than the purchase price and asks the victim to wire the excess money to a third party, often in a foreign country. The victim is informed that the excess money will be used as payment for the shipper who has been hired to pick up and ship the merchandise on the buyer's behalf.

SCAM: The "buyer" and "shipper" were fraudsters. The check or money order that the buyer has used to purchase the goods is returned as counterfeit or stolen, and the victim has lost the money wired to the shipper. This scheme is often used when selling large items such as automobiles, motorcycles, boats, etc. The check or money order is frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so it seems legitimate, but it is not.

As recent as March 2011, this scam has occurred in Bozeman.  The con artist calls an unsuspecting victim, often elderly and trusting, and advises he has been arrested for a crime after getting in trouble with friends and is being held in Canada.  The con artist pretends to be a grandson to the victim and begs for bond money to be wired to an address via Western Union.  In this recent attempt nearly $6,000 was wired by an unsuspecting grandmother to a Western Union address in Houston, Texas.  Often the con artist uses false names, fake ID cards, or stolen identity to receive the money, making apprehension extremely difficult. 


 

SCENARIO: Most of us take summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant.

SCAM: Give out any of this information and your identity just got stolen. The scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (scam) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and the federal courts system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

SCENARIO: Scam artists are contacting military spouses, saying they work for the "Red Cross." The caller tells the spouse their loved one has been injured in Iraq and has been transported to a hospital in Germany. However, before doctors can treat the soldier, the caller says, they need to complete paperwork. The caller asks for the soldier's social security number and birth date.

The American Red Cross says their workers do not directly contact families or dependents of servicemen and women. Direct contact by authorized military authorities are the only way this notice is given.

SCENARIO: A wealthy family registers at a nanny-matching web site looking for a nanny. They are willing to pay an excellent wage in exchange for child-care duties, and to attract a prospective nanny, they are willing to advance a generous amount of money in the form of a check or money order. The victim signs up, but then the wealthy family immediately says that they mistakenly sent too much money and requests that the remaining balance of the advance be returned via Western Union or other electronic means. The victim sends the requested money back.

SCENARIO: The victim has been in an ongoing Internet relationship and is informed that funds are needed to pay for travel expenses for their Internet mate to travel to the United States and begin their life together. The victim soon receives checks or money orders and is instructed to deposit the checks or money orders into their bank account, then to transfer a portion of the funds, via a wire service, to cover their Internet mate's expenses. The funds are posted to the account and the money is wired.

SCAM: The "Internet mate" was a fraudster, and the checks or money orders that were deposited are counterfeits. They are frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so they seem legitimate, but they are not.

SCENARIO: The victim posts an on-line or newspaper ad looking for a roommate or to sublet an apartment, condo, house, etc. The victim enters into an agreement with a new roommate and receives a check covering the first and last month's rent, utilities, security deposit, etc. Shortly after the check or money order is deposited by the victim, the new roommate contacts the victim with a tragic personal tale and informs them they will not be able to rent the property. They are requesting a refund of a portion of the money they sent, minus a fee for the victim's time and trouble. The money is wired back to the fraudster.

SCAM: The "new roommate" was a fraudster, and the checks or money orders that were deposited are counterfeits. They are frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so they seem legitimate, but they are not.

SCENARIO: A victim answers an online email or newspaper ad or posts their resume on a popular Internet web site and is then awarded a job title called something like "Payment Processing Clerk" or "Accounts Receivable Clerk." The job description includes receiving checks on behalf of the company, depositing the checks into the victim's personal bank account, and wiring the monies when the funds are posted to the account. The victim is instructed to keep 5% to 10% of the value of the checks as their "salary." The victim deposits the checks and sends the money to the employer via wire or Western Union when the funds are available and posted to their bank account.

SCAM: The "employer" was a fraudster and the checks or money orders that were deposited are counterfeits. They are frequently drawn off well-known businesses or US Postal Money Orders, so they seem legitimate, but they are not.