[NFBV-Announce] Fwd: SCAM GRAM: Knock, knock! Who’s there? Census scammers!

[Joe Orozco]

I felt the information contained in the email below would be of timely
interest to our membership. I used to work at Consumer Action before
moving to the Bureau and can vouch for their due diligence and
accuracy. If anyone disagrees, please let me know, and I will cease
distributing.--Joe Orozco

A Consumer Action News Alert • March 2020
www.consumer-action.org

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SCAM GRAM is Consumer Action's monthly e-newsletter alerting you to
the dirtiest players in the world of tech fraud, credit card scams, ID
theft and general con-artistry. Don't be fooled by liars, cheats and
crooks; wise up with SCAM GRAM!

NOTE TO READERS: Please add takeaction at consumer-action.org to your
email contacts list, or drag us to your "primary" inbox/folder, so
that you can continue to read SCAM GRAM (otherwise, your email service
may think we're spam!).

  Centering on the census
  The 2020 census is starting now! Or, as Maryland's attorney general
calls it, the "wonderful opportunity for people who try to steal your
money or steal your identity." We know there are gonna be people who
think they can protect themselves by ignoring the census
altogether--bad idea! As another Maryland official explains, the
census may seem boring, but it's kind of a big deal. As a matter of
fact, the once-a-decade national head count really matters for
"communities locally to get the resources for schools, libraries,
roads, [and] also for our representation in Congress." So, how can you
avoid becoming a number in a scammer's victim count while still being
counted? First, know that you can choose to answer census questions in
person or online or via phone. So if someone comes to your house
claiming to be a census worker and they're acting kind of strange,
just tell them you're going to fill the census out online instead. You
can also demand to see their ID, which they will have if they're
legit, and which will display a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark,
among other things. If census questions start to get too
personal--e.g., "What's your Social Security number?"--end the line of
questioning right away, as it's a scam. (Also, there should no longer
be a question about the "number of idiots" in your household--that was
the 1840 census.) As a rule, never give out your personal or financial
info, whether IRL ("in real life," in case you were wondering) or by
email, phone, text, etc. Also important to know: The U.S. census is
not affiliated with any political party, it will not include questions
pertaining to citizenship, and you absolutely do not need to present a
driver's license or other identification to participate, nor should
you answer any questions regarding your work schedule, when you'll be
home or traveling, etc. For a list of questions the census does ask,
click here. Finally, if you suspect a census scam, call the U.S.
Census Bureau at 844-330-2020 to report it.

  CONvid-19
  No silver bullet. Silver may kill vampires, but the peer-reviewed
scientific studies proving that it eradicates the coronavirus are
lacking. Which is why the FTC has warned seven sellers, including
Vital Silver and the Jim Bakker Show (featuring disgraced
televangelist Jim Bakker) to stop peddling products like colloidal
silver (or as Bakker calls his concoction, the "Silver Solution").
While you might be willing to buy just about anything to kill the
coronavirus--particularly if you're in an at-risk demographic--the FTC
and FDA have a good point: Since there are "no approved vaccines,
drugs or investigational products currently available to treat or
prevent the virus," being led to believe these exist can cause sick
people to avoid proven medical treatment, such as in-hospital
supportive care for the deadly pneumonia that can accompany an
infection. And, while we all may be praying we won't catch it, we're
rejecting the prescription offered by Charismatic Movement
televangelist Kenneth Copeland's marathon prayer session (tweeted by
@RightWingWatch). If you really must "put your hand on that television
set," please wipe the screen first!

Newsmax has trouble with facts. Conspiracy-theory-minded media outlet
Newsmax has been infecting its mostly 55+ audience with unhealthy
"medical advice" for some time now. But an email sent from the group
earlier this month, entitled "How to survive the coronavirus
outbreak," takes the cake, declaring in no uncertain terms that the
"WORST thing" readers can do to survive COVID-19 is to....wait for
it...get a COVID-19 vaccine, which doesn't even exist! It seems that
Newsmax needs a new editor, because the email's subject line contains
a major typo: It should read: "How to survive die in the coronavirus
outbreak," since, in addition to labeling all vaccines a hoax, it goes
on to insist that you can simply "train your body to deny
infection"--by buying a book that recommends a plant-based diet and,
of course, paying for a subscription to access more Newsmax nonsense.
As the New York Times points out, there's "plenty of misinformation"
surrounding immune-system boosting, but concerned consumers should
stick to tried-and-true tactics (e.g., adequate sleep and a balanced
diet).

And another thing... We can't even begin to cover the many virulent
coronavirus cons circulating among the general population. But we'll
try! Most prolific are imposters claiming to be with the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) and offering
"warnings" or "help" that ultimately require you to: a) give out
personal or financial information, perhaps by inputting it into a
lookalike "government" or other website, or b) unwittingly download
malware by clicking on links or attachments in emails (e.g.,
quarantine alerts). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also
is warning of online promotions "claiming that the products or
services of publicly-traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure
coronavirus, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically
increase in value as a result." (Shameless opportunist? Click here for
the SEC's advice on how to recognize fraudsters offering to help you
profit from the pandemic.) Finally, feel free to throw shade at the
many outlandish claims about the virus (read: conspiracy theories)
circulating on social media and among dubious digital "media" sources.
And while you're giving the ridiculous tweets an eye roll, head to the
website of  WHO--which works on the front lines in the battle against
the bug--and share their "myth busters" page instead. Finally, watch
out for worthless face masks, price gouging and phony charities.

  Tips!
  Special delivery. The 109,000 victims who lost $153 million to
criminals that used Western Union to commit wire fraud from 2014 to
early 2017 will soon be "made whole"--the legal lingo for getting
their money back. If you didn't file a claim with the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) by its 2018 deadline, none of this applies to you.
But if you did, you should start checking the mail for your refund
check, which, according to WesternUnionRemission.com, will be cut for
the "full amount" of your losses. (Oh, happy day!) This is one of
several rounds of mailings, however, so have patience if you don't see
the check right away. Also, the powers that be will continue to
"review petitions" for refunds, and, in the coming months, will likely
notify even more victims who had, again, already filed that they will
be getting a check. Not familiar with this case? The FTC came down
hard on Western Union in 2017, suing the company for looking the other
way as "its system facilitated scammers and rip-offs." For a list of
other recent FTC cases resulting in refunds, click here.

Be prepared to prepare. As most of us are all too aware, it's tax
time. (Forgot about filing? Sorry to be the one to remind you. You
have until April 15.) In addition to having to, you know, do taxes,
this is the season when we also have to steer clear of tricksters of
all types who are trying to take our refunds (if we're fortunate
enough to get a refund) or simply steal our identities. Thankfully,
the IRS has released some new "tax tips" to help protect the public
against identity theft; safeguard our electronic filing identification
numbers (EFINs); recognize the signs of a call from an imposter posing
as a government tax collector; and more. CNET has also published a
comprehensive article on what we can expect when it comes to tax scams
this year. Don't be unprepared this tax season: Do your taxes, and
your due diligence.

It hurts just to listen to this. Chronic pain patients have it bad
enough without fraudsters attempting to fleece them for trying to
"quell" the pain. But that's what a company called Quell did, making
unsubstantiated claims that its $300-plus TENS unit device would cause
the release of "natural pain blockers" that would result in miraculous
body-wide relief for complex chronic conditions such as
fibromyalgia--conditions that typically require medication to manage
pain and cannot be remedied with an electrical pulse placed, oddly,
behind the knee. Quell even went so far as to boast that its device
was FDA-approved, which was false, and foolish to boot, as claims
implicating the government are sure to catch the ear of government
regulators! Mercifully, the FTC quelled the pain of having to endure
such obnoxious claims by securing a settlement under which the company
will pay $4 million to refund those it defrauded. The settlement also
bars Quell from making any painfully inaccurate assertions in the
future.

WaWHAT!? If you're "obsessed" with convenience store Wawa's
built-to-spec sandwiches and considerable coffee bar, you're one of
the millions who should keep a close eye on your credit cards. Last
year, card-stealing malware was running in the background on Wawa's
in-store payment processing system for nine-plus months (long enough
to gestate a human baby) before the company discovered it! The
resulting breach has given birth to the sale of caches of customer
card data by criminals operating on the dark web via what
KrebsOnSecurity calls "popular fraud bazaar[s]." Our advice? Order a
free copy of your credit report--and put a freeze on your credit--if
you ran your card at Wawa between March 4, 2019 and Dec. 12, 2019.

Thanks for reading SCAM GRAM and, as always, feel free to send us your
questions, comments and tips. Click here to email us.

Consumer Action empowers low- and moderate-income and
limited-English-speaking consumers nationwide to financially prosper
through education and advocacy.


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