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With car week coming up in August, many Monterey County residents and car aficionados from around the country are sprucing up their classic cars to show off. But beware if you are in need of a rare car part—make sure that you get it from a reputable dealer. Scammers have been scouring craigslist and other ads looking for parts. They will then tell you they have that exact part but after you send them the money you will never get the part.
With car week coming up in August, many Monterey County residents and car aficionados from around the country are sprucing up their classic cars to show off. But beware if you are in need of a rare car part—make sure that you get it from a reputable dealer. Scammers have been scouring craigslist and other ads looking for parts. They will then tell you they have that exact part but after you send them the money you will never get the part.
With Beverly Fabrics closing in Seaside and the closest store way up in Soquel, many seniors are looking for supplies online. Beware of one of the many current scams that are taking place, this one revolving around sewing machines, of all things. Crooks are advertising online and in social media brand-name models of sewing machines for under $100. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. This so-called e-commerce close out sales are typically fake and you will send in your money and never get the product. There is yet another arts and craft scam going on right now where scammers are putting on virtual arts and crafts fairs. When you order something from a booth at one of these online fairs, they will take your money but won’t send you anything.
With car week coming up in August, many Monterey County residents and car aficionados from around the country are sprucing up their classic cars to show off. But beware if you are in need of a rare car part—make sure that you get it from a reputable dealer. Scammers have been scouring craigslist and other ads looking for parts. They will then tell you they have that exact part but after you send them the money you will never get the part.
With Beverly Fabrics closing in Seaside and the closest store way up in Soquel, many seniors are looking for supplies online. Beware of one of the many current scams that are taking place, this one revolving around sewing machines, of all things. Crooks are advertising online and in social media brand-name models of sewing machines for under $100. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. This so-called e-commerce close out sales are typically fake and you will send in your money and never get the product. There is yet another arts and craft scam going on right now where scammers are putting on virtual arts and crafts fairs. When you order something from a booth at one of these online fairs, they will take your money but won’t send you anything.
The AARP Has been great at tracking the latest scams all across the nation and letting us know what to look out for. Although not new, people who call saying they are asking on behalf of organizations such as the National Save The Police Fund which make you believe they are a charity are actually scamming us. They aren’t a charity. According to AARP The Magazine, March/April 2022 Issue, page 74) many of these organizations are actually “independent, expenditure-only” political action committees, or PACs. Super PACs generally are regulated by the Federal Election Committee (FEC) which scrutinizes spending of these organizations very little. This is unlike a typical charity which has to register with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to become a 501 (c) 3. According to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention, at the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were the highest volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets.
With Beverly Fabrics closing in Seaside and the closest store way up in Soquel, many seniors are looking for supplies online. Beware of one of the many current scams that are taking place, this one revolving around sewing machines, of all things. Crooks are advertising online and in social media brand-name models of sewing machines for under $100. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. This so-called e-commerce close out sales are typically fake and you will send in your money and never get the product. There is yet another arts and craft scam going on right now where scammers are putting on virtual arts and crafts fairs. When you order something from a booth at one of these online fairs, they will take your money but won’t send you anything.
Wired Magazine recently reminded us how easily seniors can be scammed out of their hard-earned money. One woman picked up the phone and was told by the caller, “Someone has access to your bank accounts through Amazon, and they can take all your money. I’m calling to help.” Having been cooped up in her house for weeks as she recovered from COVID-19, she was extremely anxious. The man said he needed information to make sure her money was safe. She was transferred to another man who directed her to download an app so he could see what was happening on her screen. Foolishly, the woman followed the man’s instructions to download Cash App, PayPal, Coinbase and set up a Zelle account. In a matter of hours, the scammer had taken her social security number, date of birth, driver’s license number and about $11,000.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network has received numerous complaints from seniors who have fallen victim to what they are calling the “Hot Item Scam.” This is where scammers advertise hard-to-find items using keywords like “Nike sneakers latest edition” or “Xbox,” taking your credit card number and not shipping the item. If you are lucky, you can get the charge reversed by your credit card company. But some scammers do this very quickly, closing their merchant account so it is hard for your bank to retrieve the funds.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network has been taking complaints from consumers who are buying sought after items online. They are told that the merchant does not take credit cards and that the only way they can pay for the item is through the app Zelle. The problem is that, unlike credit card transactions which can be disputed, once you send money via Zelle or some other peer-to-peer payment app, the money is gone for good.