Utah Fraud Alert

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Here Are Some Examples Of Phishing
2008-02-12 14:43:00
Do not fill out any info or follow the link.British Online Co-ordinatorsP O Box 1010 3b Olympic Way,Sefton Business Park,Aintree, Liverpool , L30 1RDRef: UK/776090X2/23Batch: 013/06/8394369=========================== We are pleased to inform you of the result of the winners of the BRITISH NATIONAL LOTTERY ,held on the 11th February,2008.Your e-mailaddress was selected Which subsequently won you the lottery bonus draw. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,500,000 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling ) The selection process was carried out through random selection in Our computerized email selection system (ess) from a database of over 100,000 email Addresses drawn from which you were selected. To file for your claim, please contact your fiduciary agent Mr Richard Cook With the Verification/Fund Release Form Below.1.Full Name:2.Full Address:3.Marital Status:4.Occupation:5.Age:6.Sex:7.Country Of Residence:8.Telephone Number:Mr Richard Cook.Tel:+447...
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Tips for Online Investing
2008-02-10 01:08:00
The following tips were developed by the North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. to educate investors and to help them think carefully about online investing. Before beginning an online investment program, be sure to:Understand that most likely you are not linked directly to the market through your home computer, and that the click of your mouse does not instantly execute trades or cancel orders. Determine if the stock quotes and account updates you receive are real-time or delayed. Check the on-line broker’s ability to get the best price for investors. Most brokerage firms provide this information on their website. Receive information from the firm to substantiate any advertised claims concerning the ease and speed of online trading. Obtain information about entering and canceling orders (market, limit, and stop loss), and the details and risks of margin accounts (borrowing to buy stocks). Get information from the firm about significant website outages, delays,...
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What is Phishing?
2008-02-10 01:03:00
Phishing is a scam where Internet fraudsters send spam or pop-up messages to lure personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. To avoid getting hooked:Don't reply to email or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information, and don't click on links in the message. Don't cut and paste a link from the message into your Web browser — phishers can make links look like they go one place, but that actually send you to a different site. Some scammers send an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a "refund." Because they use Voice over Internet Protocol technology, the area code you call does not reflect where the scammers really are. If you need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card, or type in the web address yourself. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, a...
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ID Theft & Mortgage Fraud
2008-02-10 00:55:00
The American dream of owning a home is being turned into a nightmare by criminals who are stealing ID's to buy houses and fleece taxpayers out of millions of dollars. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced today that 21 people have been charged so far in a scheme that combines mortgage fraud and identity theft to produce what could become the costliest scam in state history. A Salt Lake grandmother found out someone used her social security number to buy a $143,000 home in Layton. Marla Vandermyde says she has spent her entire life protecting her good name and good credit. "I felt sick and violated. It's devastating that someone can destroy your credit and everything you've worked hard for." She's not alone. Here are some other examples:A four-year-old New York girl's social security number was used to purchase a home in Ogden and the defendant received a $3000 check from Ogden for the down payment. A 17-year-old Tremonton girl fears she will have trouble getting in...
More About: Fraud , Mortgage Fraud , Mortgage , Theft

Utah is Number One in Check Scams
2008-02-10 00:52:00
Which state leads the nation in consumer complaints over fraud and scams? According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it's Utah , where approximately 35,000 bogus checks are presented at the state's banks and credit unions every month. Of those, approximately half are deposited by Utahns who have been scammed by the bad checks. Not all of the scams originate within the state. Numerous Utahns, for instance, have fallen victim to infamous and ongoing frauds, such as the so-called Nigerian 419 scam, named after the country's phone code.
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Tips On Avoiding Motor Vehicle Fraud
2008-02-10 00:29:00
Visually inspect the car to see if its condition matches the miles shown on the odometer. Check to see which parts have been replaced. Unscrupulous individuals sometimes use paint to make old parts look newer. Check the inspection certificate. It will have the date of inspection, mileage at the time of inspection, place of inspection and the inspector's name recorded on it. Look for lube or maintenance stickers on the left doorframe, in the glove compartment, under the hood, in the trunk, etc. These often contain mileage information. Check with the manufacturer to see what work was done under the warranty and what the mileage was at the time the work was done. Check to see if the numbers on the odometer gauge are aligned straight across. If they are crooked, the odometer may have been tampered with. If the car has a General Motor s mechanical odometer, the spaces between the numbers should be black. If they are silver or white, the odometer has been tampered with. If the car has an ...
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VIN Number and Car Thieves
2008-02-09 22:11:00
The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or truck, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #. We called Chrysler-Dodge and pretended we had lost my keys they told me to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut us one on the spot, and we could order the keyless device if I wanted. The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will return to your car. He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is walk up to your car insert the key and off he goes to a local Chop Shop with your vehicle. It IS that easy. To avoid this from happening to you, simply put some tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Metal Label located on the dash board. By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you CAN cover it so it can't be viewed through the win...
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Tips to Avoid ID Theft
2008-02-08 15:07:00
Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately.If you applied for a credit card and didn't receive it when expected, call the financial institution.Sign new credit cards immediately--before someone else does.Memorize your Social Security number and passwords. Don't use your date of birth as your password and don't record passwords on papers you carry with you.Never leave transaction receipts at ATM machines, on counters at financial institutions, or at gasoline pumps.Don't carry your Social Security card or birth certificate--leave them in a secure location.Don't disclose credit card or other financial account numbers on a Web site unless the site offers a secure transaction. Before you input personal or financial information on a Web page, first make sure the site offers a secure--that is, encrypted--data transaction. There are two ways you can check whether a Web page provides a secure data transaction:An icon of a lock will appear in the bottom strip of the Web browser page....
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UTAH DIVISION OF REAL ESTATE - FRAUD ALERT
2008-02-06 14:16:00
UTAH DIVISION OF REAL ESTATE - FRAUD ALERT Protect Your License and Career by Avoiding “Investment” Scams Please be aware and make your employees aware of a dramatic increase in illegal property flipping throughout our state. The scam involves individuals posing as “real estate investors” – offering to purchase single-family homes at inflated prices, promising “guaranteed high rates of return”, falsifying or obtaining fraudulent appraisals to substantiate the artificial values, and reselling or refinancing the homes several times for 150 to 200 percent of the actual value. The scam is most prevalent in areas of new construction and high-end homes, particularly Utah County (Provo/Alpine), Washington County (St. George), and Salt Lake County (Draper). Identifying and Avoiding Real Estate Fraud • Properties reported as “sold” or offers to buy at values significantly higher than asking price. • Property sales history shows many sales with rapid and significant...
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IRS Warns of Rebate Scams to Steal Personal Information
2008-02-06 14:08:00
By Jim Abrams, Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- Even before Congress passes an economic stimulus package, identity thieves are using promises of tax rebates to trick people into revealing financial and personal data, the Internal Revenue Service warned Wednesday.Under one scheme, the IRS said, people are receiving phone calls telling them they can only receive a rebate if they provide bank account information for a direct deposit.The tax agency stressed that it does not collect information by telephone and that no legislation has been enacted that would allow it to provide advance payments to taxpayers or that specifies the details of those payments.The House last week, as part of an economic stimulus package, approved tax rebates of $600 and $1,200 respectively for most individuals and couples, with another $300 per child. The Senate is now considering a slightly different version.The IRS also repeated past warnings of e-mails, supposedly coming from the agency, where peop...
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