Latest news with #scamalert
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
California county officials warn drivers not to be ‘duped' by this new text scam popping up all across the US
When you're caught speeding, driving recklessly, running a red light or doing something else that violates traffic laws, there are hefty fines involved. Typically, a police officer hands you a ticket on the spot or you get a notice in the mail. One way your citation won't be delivered? Via text message. Unfortunately, con artists are taking advantage of people who don't know that. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it In Alameda County, California, numerous residents have been getting texts telling them they owe money on unpaid fines from traffic citations. It's all a scam. "There is so much fraud that a lot of people cannot distinguish fraud from reality," Sandi Bethune, an Oakland resident, told ABC News. Thankfully Oakland resident Moises Salazar didn't fall for the text he got citing a traffic violation. 'I read it and I understood it was fake,' he said. Read more: You don't have to be a millionaire to gain access to . In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here's how But he is among the growing number of citizens reporting the issue to Alameda County Court, which has since issued a public service announcement about the problem: "... the Court does not contact the public through text messages to make payments for traffic citations. The public is cautioned not to provide financial or personal information if contacted via text or a phone call. The Court does not seek this information through texts or phone calls." It added that anyone concerned about a traffic citation should first visit the court's website to confirm they owe money. They can do this by clicking on "Pay Your Traffic Ticket." From there, residents can input their name and driver's license number to see if there are any outstanding fines. It's a good safety measure with the growth in such scams. "We don't want people to get duped into giving out information that can lead to identity theft," Rosynsky told ABC News. Unfortunately, these scams are not limited to Alameda County — they're happening across the country. (Another popular one? The fake unpaid toll violation.) Never pay a 'delinquent' traffic ticket, parking ticket, or toll without verifying it first. Be especially suspicious if you're asked to pay your fine by wire transfer or another unconventional method. Here are some more tips to protect yourself and others from such scams: Beware of any text citing a traffic violation or unpaid toll. Tip-offs that the texts are fake: The violation is dubious — for example, it says you owe money for parking illegally on Whitehead Street, but you've never been to Whitehead Street. The text comes from an international number or may have been sent to multiple numbers at once. The message says 'dear customer' or 'dear resident' and doesn't use your actual name. If you receive a text of this nature, contact your local county court for more information, or to at least report the scam. You can also try contacting your local Department of Motor Vehicles. You can also report the scam to the U.S. Department of Transportation at (800) 424-9071 or hotline@ The Internet Crime Complaint Center is another place you can report scams of this nature. This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Fulton Market visitors are being warned about fake parking attendants
The Fulton Market Association is warning visitors to be aware of fake parking attendants in the area. The community group said they would "angrily" confront parking lot security guards at the corner of Lake and Justine. Those fake attendants would charge drivers $20 to park on free streets. According to the group, this occurs during the weekends between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. It is unclear how many people are involved in the scam. Drivers are being advised that if they encounter a fake attendant, they should stay in their cars, lock their doors, and call the police.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Stay scam alert at tax time
Stay scam alert at tax time Published 27 June 2025, 9:43 am As the end of financial year approaches, Australians are being warned it's a prime time for scammers. According to data from ANZ, tax rebate scams surged by 50 per cent in July last year, extortion scams also spiked. Consumers are urged to look out for suspicious messages, and scammers trying to impersonate banks and the Taxation Office.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
99 Dangerous TikTok Accounts You Must Not Follow
Do not become a TikTok victim. While most TikTok warnings focus on the perceived threat from its ownership and whether or not U.S. data is openly or secretly transmitted to China, there are other threats for its vast user base as well — these are very real and happening now. The team at Guardio has just warned that 'there's an ongoing scam on TikTok involving dozens of accounts that post emotional videos that link to websites that either collect donations (usually claiming to support animals) or sell products.' The videos (1,2) 'are highly manipulative and some have millions of views and hundreds of comments.' The products are as you'd expect, 'cow slippers, dog lamps, and more.' The researchers say these videos 'often ask viewers to 'watch for 9 seconds to help the cause' and are designed to tug at your emotions to encourage donations or purchases.' But it's all fake. 'Some likely use AI or deepfakes, while others use videos stolen from real accounts without consent.' And as is the tendency with TikTok, it's spreading like wildfire as 'new fake accounts keep appearing on the platform.' Unsurprisingly, Guardio warns that 'if you donate through these scam sites, your money won't reach any animal shelter. And if you buy something, you might receive it — but it's usually a cheap product, not the handmade item the video promised.' The warning for TikTok users is not to watch these videos as they're misleading fakes, but also more critically never to click on any links or buy any products or provide any information if asked. And even more simply — do not follow any of these accounts. These accounts also rely on casual shares and likes, spreading their dangerous viral content — do not do that either. You would be sending malicious links to your own followers, putting even more money into these scammers' pockets. Scam website preying on TikTok users While new accounts are being set up continually, below is the latest list from Guardio on those you should avoid. If you have any doubts, check the list: 1. @cozymoos 2. @injesusname7777 3. @customlovebricks 4. @milkstep5 5. @ 6. @ 7. @ 8. @thethronelight 9. @meow_slipps 10. @wonderglowlamps 11. @ 12. @happypowcollection1 13. @ 14. @maybleandclyde 15. @robersfarm7 16. @saddleslips 17. @ 18. @ 19. @mooberryslips 20. @ 21. @whiskerloafers 22. @potterbirkins 23. @cappyslippers 24. @cuddlecowslippers 25. @@purrpawshub 26. @ 27. @myfluffislippers 28. @myfluffislippers 29. @purrslippers 30. @Catslides 31. @catslidess 32. @plushpuff_ 33. @ 34. @faithrugs 35. @fluffislippersshop 36. @kittenkickss 37. @eternalembracelove 38. @pawzyco 39. @mooluxe_slippers 40. @fuzzyflips 41. @theholyblankets42. @ 43. @themooluxe 44. @davidsslippershop 45. @davidsslippersco 46. @fluffislippers2 47. @catslides2 48. @catslidesus 49. @plushypods 50. @kittykicksofficial 51. @flappybirdtoy 52. @flappyybirdyy 53. @ 54. @pawpawslippers 55. @ 56. @meowpaws_1 57. @mymeowslides 58. @pawsywawsi 59. @meowandvibes 60. @ 61. @ 62. @ 63. @cowslideslips 64. @ellyslides 65. @purrfits_ 66. @milkstep4 67. @shopdachslides 68. @purr_pads 69. @ 70. @moo_slips 71. @ 72. @meowwings_go 73. @shleepersco 74. @ 75. @pawmadeslippers 76. @moozyslipper 77. @zacapyslides 78. @pugfooty 79. @mymeowslides 80. @ 81. @doggydwellers 82. @fluffypaws327 83. @cuddlecowslipper 84. @moozies2 85. @swiftyslips86. @ 87. @ 88. @themoooves_ 89. @farmslippers_official 90. @mooluxe_slippers8 91. @ 92. @littledaisyslips 93. @stitch_timeofmygrandpa 94. @ 95. @papamooslippers 96. @snuggslipsrescue 97. @capybarakicks 98. @ 99. @shoppetwear
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Elder fraud case in Maryland prompts warning from Harford County law enforcement
The Harford County Sheriff's Office issued a warning after an 87-year-old Maryland woman was scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars. "It's one of the things, unfortunately, we deal with on a regular basis," said Colonel William Davis with the Harford County Sheriff's Office. In fact, according to the FBI, elder fraud was up 14% in 2023. Arrests in Maryland elder fraud case Unlike most elder fraud incidents, two people are facing charges for the case in Bel Air. "A lot of times, these scammers are overseas and they're dealing with actual codes that are on the back of gift cards and things like that, and they're never actually here," Col. Davis said. "This scam happened to be where they physically are here and came and took cash, so it made it easier for us to come and catch them." Chongsong Chen, 48, and Wei Hua Wang, 71, both of New York, were charged with theft and theft scheme. Chongsong Chen, 48, and Wei Hua Wang, 71, both of New York, were charged with theft and theft scheme after a Harford County woman was scammed. Harford County Sheriff's Office Col. Davis said the alleged thieves sent a pop-up to the woman's computer, warning that her bank accounts were compromised. The alert demanded $18,000 to fix the issue. "These scammers had convinced her to go to the bank, get money, take pictures of her getting the money, take pictures of the money, package it a certain way, and they would come to the house. They even used a code word so she would think it was the right person she was giving the money to," said Col. Davis. When the thieves allegedly demanded an additional $15,000, the woman called the sheriff's office. When the two men showed up to pick up the cash the next day, authorities were there waiting for them. Avoiding elder fraud According to the FBI, these types of scams caused over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023. "They don't keep up with technology and they don't understand how things were with bitcoin and the internet and social media and all of those things, because they just don't care, so they're not keeping up with it. So people are taking advantage of that and make them believe that what they're being told is true," Col. Davis said. Fortunately for this woman, she was able to get some money back, and officials are working to recover more. But officials are warning people that if something seems off, it probably is. Anyone asking for cash, bitcoin, gift cards or wire transfers over the internet is likely a scammer. The Harford County Sheriff's Office also believes there are likely more victims of these alleged thieves in the area, and urges anyone who thinks they may have been targeted to give them a call.
