 1.
A secret shopper and fake check scam is using Walmart’s name. A local consumer shared
the letter and fake check with BBB. The letter contained instructions for the
check recipient to visit walmartreadygo.com,
which is a fake website that asked for personal information. The recipient was
then instructed to deposit the check, keep a portion, and wire back the rest.
This is a scam!
2.
Local consumers are receiving phone calls from the “Sheriff’s
office” demanding payment of $1480 to keep a significant other from being
sent to jail. The caller spoofs the real number of the local Sheriff’s office,
as a scare tactic.
3. Beware
of scammers pretending to be with local
service companies. Recently,
scammers have been calling local consumers, pretending to be with Duke Energy,
LG&E, Louisville Water, and Louisville MSD. They tell consumers their bill
is outstanding, and they need to pay up – NOW. This is a scam!
4. You receive a message from your
financial institution about your new chipped credit or debit card. The
email states, before you get your card, you must update your account. Do NOT
reply to the email or give your personal information. This is a scam. Contact
your financial institution directly.
5.
Have you received an email with the subject
line “Notice to appear in court?” If so, delete it. A BBB employee received the email,
which includes a notice that the recipient is due to appear in “state court.”
The recipient is instructed to open an attachment for more information. It
contains malware.
6.
You have NOT won $500,000 from Google! A Gmail and Microsoft scam email is making its rounds, informing recipients that it is
their lucky day. They have won a large sum of money and a laptop! You are one
of five lucky winners. This is an attempt to phish for your personal
information.
7.
If you
receive an order confirmation from Amazon
with a product you did not order, it is likely a scam. If you open the
attachment, you could end up with malware. Log into your Amazon account
directly, and go to Your Orders to see if there is a purchase outstanding.
8.
If you receive an email from UPS New Jersey stating
the arrival of your ATM card, from Eric Johnson, delete it. It is a scam. The
email looks official, and states that your tracking number will be issued once
you pay an insurance fee of $245 via Western Union.
9.
Don’t fall for Craigslist job scams. A local
consumer, who applied to several jobs on Craigslist, received five responses
from five different ads, each saying that the job was filled, but there was a
“personal assistant” needed. The applicant would receive money in the mail, and
packages to reship. What the applicant wouldn’t know, is that the packages have
products that are bought with stolen credit cards and, once shipped, are sold
on the black market.
10. Beware of holiday job scams. You receive an email that
appears to be from the HR department of a major retailer or recruitment firm.
The email says the company is hiring for the holiday season and claims to pay a
high hourly wage. Applying is easy. All you have to do is click the link and
fill out an online application. If you click, you may download malware to your
device, or they may be phishing for your personal information.
For more consumer tips, go to bbb.org
or call 1-800-388-2222.
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