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Fraud Fighters: Helping seniors spot scams
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office has hit the road to educate seniors about all the scams they need to watch out for. Looking at everything from romance to home repair scams, these frauds cost consumers $8.8 billion in 2022. At a Fraud Fighter event at the Boston Elks Lodge in West Roxbury, Jackie Lamont from the Suffolk County DA’s…
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SAT prep scams are targeting parents and students
High school students across the country are gearing up for the May SATs—the entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. And many are seeking out prep courses to help boost their scores. But parents, be warned. Scammers who have specific student information are making the rounds. Parents and students are being targeted in an...
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Student loan payments are back and so are the scammers
What’s worse than restarting your student loan payments? If a scammer offers help and you end up losing more of your money. Get ready for an onslaught of scam attempts. The long-anticipated restart of federal student loan payments has begun. Scammers are moving in to try to take advantage of people via calls, emails, text message and social media. ...
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‘There just isn't a system for stopping this': Couple out thousands in home improvement scam
Massachusetts police departments are warning consumers about shady home improvement contractors taking advantage of customers and taking off with thousands of dollars. “They did all of this in a day,” said Lydia Cox, pointing to a large trench dug in front of her home in Malden. The masons Dan and Lydia Cox hired were only supposed to replace the...
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Scammers targeting parking meters with QR codes
You don’t have the feed the meters with quarters anymore when you park – it’s more common that you will have to scan a credit card or QR code to pay for parking these days. But scammers are cashing in on that convenience. The Better Business Bureau has a scam tracker that documents trends across the country and they...
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Scammers are impersonating law enforcement, and the call you get may convincing, authorities warn
If you get a call from anyone threatening you with an arrest, you may be the target of a scammer. The U.S. Marshals and FBI say they are hearing about this scam on a daily basis and there have been a large number of these calls in Massachusetts. You may get a call from someone claiming to be a...
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Your fitness app may make you a target for scammers
If you’re trying to get in shape, a scammer might be trying to get your money. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about criminals targeting people through fitness tracker apps. This is the latest version of the imposter scam, when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s trust and then uses the illusion...
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Text message scams are on the rise
Fraudulent text message scams are soaring. Last year alone, $330 million were reported in losses to the Federal Trade Commission. New analysis found that bogus bank fraud warnings were the top text message scam reported to the agency. These bank scam texts are up nearly twentyfold since 2019. Scammers will send messages to try to make the potential victim believe…
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Don't Let Your Small Business Fall Prey to Invoice Scams
It’s become common to see bogus emails that look like they are coming from legitimate companies confirming a purchase or asking to renew a subscription. The Better Business Bureau has issued a new warning about a series of these emails targeting small businesses, after hearing from local business owners across New England who have fallen victim to this scam....
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Criminals Are Claiming to Be Government Officials in Yet Another Phone Scam
It’s surely unsettling to receive a call from a federal law enforcement agency telling you you’re in trouble. But beware – there is a new phone scam going on with criminals who claim they are working with or for agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as U.S. Marshals Service in Massachusetts. Scammers call you, claiming...
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US Marshals Warn of Scammers Posing as Government Officials
Scammers may pose as government officials, complete with fake government phone numbers, to try to steal your personal information, U.S. Marshals warned Friday. Officials said callers have been impersonating members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as the U.S. Marshals Service in Massachusetts. They may have some information about their intended victim, such as address information...
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Scammers Are Using Stolen Credit Card Information to Try to Dupe Boston-Area Businesses
There’s a new scam warning out for Boston area art galleries and small businesses selling high-priced items. A fine art photographer who was the victim of a scam is sounding the alarm to keep it from happening to others. Christoper Bofolli is a Worcester native, who now lives in Seattle. He has made a name for himself with his...
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Scammers Are Using Stolen Credit Card Information to Try to Dupe Boston-Area Businesses
The scam involves making purchases with stolen credit cards then trying to have refunds redirected to a different form of payment.
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Scammers Are Trying to Get to You Through Your Smart TV
You are probably savvy enough to avoid suspicious-looking text messages, emails and phone calls, but don’t let your guard down when you plop on the couch to watch a favorite show—scammers may be lurking. If you have a smart TV and use some sort of streaming device, you may be vulnerable to scammers. The Better Business Bureau put out...
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Fake Contractors Are Canvassing Neighborhoods in Home Improvement Scams – Don't Become a Victim
You may have had some damage to your home from the high winds this week, but beware if anyone knocks on your door and tells you they can do a quick fix for a cheap price. We’ve seen a lot of local police departments posting warnings about home improvement scams recently. Some departments have seen a significant uptick in...
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When a Roxbury Man Lost Almost $16K to Check Washing Scheme, He Called NBC10 Boston for Help
Mail is being targeted in check-washing scams in many communities in Massachusetts. Police in many local communities have issued warnings about the practice, urging residents to drop their mail off inside a post office rather than an outside box. Most recently, Weston police issued a warning after at least a dozen reports of stolen checks fraudulently cashed that were taken…
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Think Before You Scan – Scammers Can Use QR Codes to Steal Your Information
QR codes surged in popularity during the pandemic as a great contactless option for businesses, and now it seems they’re here to stay. But experts warn they can be easily manipulated by criminals and you shouldn’t let your guard down when it comes to using them. QR codes are easy to use–scan them with your smartphone camera to access...
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Be On Alert for QR Code Scams
Scanning a malicious QR code could put malware on your phone, give bad actors access to your accounts, and more.
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Don't Become a Victim of this Increasingly Common Utility Scam
If you get a call from your utility company saying your service is about to be shut off because you’re behind on a payment, hang up the phone! It’s probably a scammer. But, even if it really is your utility company, and you call them back on the number on your bill and talk to them directly, they won’t...
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Don't Become a Victim of This Increasingly Common Utility Scam
Eversource is warning its customers to be on the lookout for a scam that threatens to cut off your utilities. They say if you receive one of these calls, hang up.