Reported Scam cases

Some of the latest scam cases

Scam through the mules

The scammer comes into contact with a potential mule. It should be noted here the immense contribution of social networks such as Facebook or Second Life, which facilitate the task of scammers, since not only can we find the centers of interest of the mule, but we can also contact it more easily than by sending a classic email that people are increasingly wary of. Let's imagine a typical example: a scammer will determine according to the profile of a person that he is interested in humanitarian works intended for schools in the Third World. He will then imagine a personalized scam by pretending to be a director of a school in Africa who needs laptops for his school. Where the classic scammer will ask the victim to send him money, the new scammer will have already obtained the money otherwise, and will tell his victim that generous benefactors have already acquired the computer equipment in question, but that for transport problems (for example, because grouping goods together in a container costs less), the materials must be stored temporarily in France. Unfortunately, the school director does not know anyone in France and depositing the equipment in a specialized warehouse would be too expensive. He is therefore looking for someone who can receive and store them until all the goods are ready for shipment, and at that time a freight forwarder will collect them from the victim. The victim has every reason to believe in the sincerity of his correspondent since, apparently, it is the latter who bears the risks by storing expensive equipment with a complete stranger, accepts that the goods be sent in his name to his home. and agrees to keep it until someone comes to retrieve it. In reality, he becomes an accomplice and receiver, and risks serious legal trouble if he fails to prove the scam. The scammer, on the other hand, quietly recovers the goods by posing as an agent of the freight forwarder, and disappears with them into the wild. Because the mules do not feel cheated (no attempt to subtract money, and it even happens that the scammers pay them money in compensation), and are increasingly in demand in areas that are dear to them (thanks to social networks among others), this form of scam will spread more and more in the future, and will allow fraudsters of all kinds on the Internet to launder the money or proceeds resulting from their claims actions.


Hard Drive Kidnapping

After you open a webpage or click a link, your screen goes gray. You click, nothing happens, then your live image filmed by your own webcam appears: someone has taken control of your computer. This scenario is called "ransom virus", or "ransomware": access to your computer is blocked in order to blackmail you, accusing you of illegally downloading files and violating pseudo copyright laws , or even possessing pedophile photos. According to these threats, the only way to regain control of your computer is to pay a "fine" within 48 hours.


Phishing

The technique consists of making the victim believe that a trusted person needs to recover their personal data for a good reason: bank details, passwords, etc.... You receive emails containing solicitations from apparently known people or institutions: your bank, which asks you for your credit card code following an alleged fraud or which offers to credit your account due to an error in your favour, etc. If you take the bait - this is called "phishing" or "phishing" - and provide the requested information, the scammers will take advantage of this to empty your accounts as soon as possible.


Love Scam

Angélique was the victim of what is called a "romance-scam", a love story scam on a dating site. The man claimed his name was Yves. "With me, it was Yves Moralès. Then I found him under several identities, several first names ...", she testifies with a covered face. The scammer got in touch with Angélique through a fake profile. At the time, he presented himself as a Toulouse businessman. In a few weeks of "chats" (discussions, editor's note) on social networks, she fell in love. “It was always my love, I love you, I miss you, the big speeches…”, remembers the victim. After the great speeches, the trap closes. Yves claims to have been robbed during a business trip. He will succeed in extracting 20,000 euros from Angélique, she says, with supporting evidence.


Prepaid Card Scam

the prepaid card allows its users to carry out a transaction without the need to enter banking information. scammers use this simplicity to act and two thirds of the frauds that take place on the Internet are prepaid card scams. Charlatans post fraudulent advertisements online and ask their customer to pay by prepaid card. As with the PCS coupon, the victim will go to a prepaid card seller in a tobacco shop, for example. She will then communicate to the person she believes to be honest the number obtained during the transaction to pay. The scammer can then, thanks to this number, seize the money and disappear into the wild.


Celebrity Fan Scam

At the end of 2021, forgers used the name and information of Michel Sardou to extract money from this fan of the singer. This is a common technique among scammers, who appropriate the identity of famous personalities and thus defraud their fans. The resident of Saône-et-Loire thought of exchanging a message with the singer. The scammer made him believe in an epistolary love story between them. He repeatedly proves his identity through photos of IDs, selfies or photos of the famous singer's places of residence. Under the spell and suspecting nothing, the victim will pay all of his savings, more than 5,000 euros to the fake Michel Sardou before carrying out the scam


Vital Card Scam

You receive a message on your smartphone indicating that your new Vitale card is available. Supposedly in order to retrieve it, a link takes you to a first page, then a second, a third… in which you are invited to enter your data (name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, etc.) . These pages usurp the visual identity of health insurance, and have URLs more or less similar to the original (aide-ameli.fr, publicvitalev3.com, etc.). After this step, the scenarios differ. first possibility: the Internet journey stops there, you are the victim of a theft of personal information, intended to be resold. Second subterfuge: a pseudo-bank adviser, after collecting this first loot, calls you...


Scammed Through A Job Offer

You receive a spam email offering you a job, generally outside your area of ​​expertise, and often corresponding to a mystery shopper position or a similar function. When you accept, you get paid by check or money order, and the amount is more than what your “employer” offered. You are then asked to return the difference and you discover that the original check or money order was forged. Too late, the money you sent to your bogus employer is no longer in your possession.


Scammed In The Lottery

You receive an email claiming that you are the winner of a little-known lottery, usually in another country and always corresponding to a huge win. You may also be asked to pay a small amount to "reclaim" your winnings. You have to send your personal information for verification, then suddenly you are a victim of identity theft and the money you sent is gone.


Someone claims he was paid to assassinate me

Someone with the phone number +1 (315) 330-9474 reach out to me, pretending to have been hired to assassinate me. Hey Mr.Possi. I was paid to assassinate you. But, I want to disappoint this person by leaving this country immediately without doing the mission. Because, if I fail to execute the job my own life will be in jeopardy. You need to pay me $5000 within 48hrs or I will embark on the mission. If you like involve police or anyone I don't care.what you have to know ,is "death is promised". All Your movements have been marked.wherever you go and whatever you do.is been monitored. So,if you tries to run away, means.you want my life to go down. Then I will take you down forthwith.


SMS SCAM ALERT—NETFLIX ACCOUNT

We have a new SMS scam alert concerning the Netflix account that we want to share with you. According to the message from the SMS, the phone 819 432-0994 pretends that Netflix suspended an account. And to unlock that account, the user would have to click on a link. Paying close attention to the link, it has Netflix but is not a Netflix website. See the screenshot below.


Someone tried to scam me from my Google my Business Account

I want to report a Google My Business messenger scam attempt. On 04 of May 2022, I received a message from my Google My Business account. It was the first time someone was trying to contact me from there. I was delighted because I thought Google my Business profile was starting to pay off. However, the message I got was from someone pretending to be called Brito Wilber from Brunswick. I am sharing this with you so that it may help someone. If you receive a message from a so-called Brito Wilber or something similar to what you will read, be careful.