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Payment Apps and Car Infotainment Systems (02/25/21) Payments Apps Like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle Offer Convenient Ways to Send and Receive Money

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Payment Apps and Car Infotainment Systems (02/25/21) Payments Apps Like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle Offer Convenient Ways to Send and Receive Money Payment Apps and Car Infotainment Systems (02/25/21) Payments apps like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle offer convenient ways to send and receive money. According to a recent study, about 80% of U.S. adults use mobile payment apps. Unfortunately, many people assume that payment apps offer protections similar to those of credit or debit cards, but that’s not the case. Generally, transactions cannot be reversed if there’s a problem or if you change your mind, even if your account is linked to a credit card. In addition, some financial institutions are activating Zelle without customers’ knowledge, which could be an issue if your banking credentials are compromised and criminal gets access to your account. If you decide to use a payment app, consider setting up a separate bank account for that purpose, and only put in money needed to fund those transactions. If you don’t, and have linked your savings account to your checking or payment account, the scammer may get access to those funds as well, through automatic overdraft protection, or compromised credentials. It is generally recommended that you never use these apps to send money to strangers – only use them with family, friends, or trusted sources. Many newer cars on the road today offer a great deal of technology and connectivity. People often forget that these cars are really computers on wheels and present a variety security and privacy concerns. Today’s technology allows you to connect your smartphone to your vehicle to have easy access to your contacts, messages, photos, navigation services, and internet connection. Manufacturers generally refer to these systems as “infotainment systems” – they offer convenience, but at a price. When you plug-in your smartphone, the system may collect a wide variety of personal information: home address, wi-fi passwords, contacts, emails, texts, and photos. In addition, if your car’s computer has been infected by malware, you could download that onto your phone, further compromising its contents. This is particularly relevant when using a rental car – because you don’t know who used the car before you, you take a big risk connecting your phone to that vehicle. To limit your vulnerability when renting a vehicle, avoid connecting your phone at all. If you do decide to connect it, perform a “factory reset” of the infotainment system when turning-in the vehicle to hopefully erase your data. Remember, if you just need to charge your phone, use a cigarette lighter charger, not the USB port. When selling or trading-in your car, perform a “factory reset” on system as well. To ensure a full reset, ask the dealer to wipe the hard drive. Four More Recent Local Case Studies (02/11/21) Variations of different scams continue to affect people in our community. By explaining what these scams look like and educating the public about the red flags to look for, we hope to prevent others from becoming victims. Military “romance scam” Romance scams are extremely prevalent and account for highest financial loss of all internet-facilitated crimes. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says it received over 15,000 romance scam complaints last year, with losses exceeding $230 million. The FBI puts the true number higher as they estimate only 15% of these crimes are reported to law enforcement. In this scam, the scammer usually originates contact with the target on legitimate dating sites or social media apps. The scammer identifies themselves as a “soldier” serving oversees and says they need money. Here are some red flags to look for: • all contact is online; no phone or video • scammer alleges “lack of support” by military, or requests money for basic needs (transportation costs, communication fees, medical expenses) • obvious grammatical errors, or pledges their love at warp speed • deployed soldiers do not find large sums of money and do not need your help to get that money out of the country Car rental scam This scam reinforces the importance of verifying what web sites you are visiting and limiting your business to known, legitimate companies. In this case, the victim used an online search to locate discounted car rental deals. She clicked on a link which took her to what appeared to be a well-known car rental company, but in fact was an imposter site. Sometimes the scammer also employs a fraudulent phone number to facilitate contact. The scammer ultimately tries to get the target to pay for the rental using pre-paid value cards. Red flags to watch for include: • prices too good to be true • offer requires payment other than a credit card • always take the time to verify the web address, or search the phone number online for reports of fraud Apartment for rent This scam has been around for a while and is very effective. The scammer lists a vacant home or home for sale on a legitimate website (Craigslist, Apartments.com), advertising it “for rent”. When people respond to the fraudulent ad, they are pressured to quickly submit a security deposit, typically being told the apartment is in “high demand”. The scammer requires payment via wire transfer, electronic payment (Zelle, Venmo), or pre-paid cards. Look for the following red flags: • renter claims to be out of town / cannot show apartment • renter says they will FedEx keys • renter wants you to move in “right away” or does not complete any screening process Before sending money or signing any documents, identify the owner of the property and request to meet in person – be sure to visit the property in person. Counterfeit money Counterfeit bills of various denominations have been circulating in Sheboygan. When accepting cash, particularly denominations of $50 or $100, carefully scrutinize the bill: 1. Does it say “For Motion Picture Purposes” or “Copy”? 2. Carefully review the layout for signs of altering (uneven spacing, blurry letters, odd markings). 3. Do any of the bills have identical or sequential serial numbers? 4. Do not rely solely on “counterfeit detection pens” – they aren’t fool-proof and are not sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury. When in doubt, do not accept the bill. With advances in technology, counterfeiters are becoming more sophisticated in creating bills that appear genuine. Marketplace Scams and Social Engineering Refresher (01/28/21) Online scams are prevalent and rely on empty promises and the anonymity of the internet to be successful. Two current scams utilize online marketplaces to separate people from their money. $99 windshield repair (Facebook) Scammers use fake/hijacked profiles to advertise $99 windshield repair, occasionally referencing know local businesses. Scammers utilize Facebook Messenger to initiate communication, then persuade the target to call a Google Voice or similar phone number to continue transaction – the goal is to get target to pre-pay for repair, which doesn’t really exist. A brief review of the associated Facebook accounts reveal that they are clearly not related to windshield repair. Puppy scam This scam exploits subjects looking to purchase a puppy online, typically a unique breed, suggesting a higher purchase price. The target responds to an ad on Craigslist or Facebook, with the “seller” requesting 50% down. The “seller” may subsequently also request additional money for “issues” with the dog’s crate, vaccinations, etc., with the objective being to get the target to wire as much money as possible. There is never actually any puppy for sale. With both of these scams, remember – don’t pay upfront for a promise and consider how you pay. Avoid wire transfers, mobile payments like Venmo and Zelle, and pre-paid value cards. In addition, it is important to always keep in mind the pervasiveness and effectiveness of social engineering scams. This time of year, IRS scams are very common. COVID vaccination scams also continue to be prevalent. These types of scams rely on “social engineering” to be successful. Remember, social engineering tactics involve creating a situation in which the victim provides information of value to the scammer, under perceived pressure or duress. They are design to exploit human behavior and tap into emotions that would cause the victim to disregard their better judgment. To avoid falling victim to these types of scams, remember the 4 P’s: 1. The scammer PRETENDS to be a person, or from an organization, you know. 2. The scammer says there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE. 3. The scammer PRESSURES you to act immediately. 4. The scammer tells you to PAY in a specific way. Recent Local Case Studies (01/14/21) The following is a description of recent scams reported to the Sheboygan Police Department. “You’ve Won” lottery scam In this scam, the target receives a phone call stating “you’ve won” some type of lottery or cash prize. All you have to do, they say, is send money to cover fees associated with the prize (taxes, processing fees). The target is instructed to pay these fees via wire transfer or by using pre-paid cards. This is ALWAYS a scam – you should never have to pay to win a prize. In this case, further indications of fraud included that the target never entered a lottery or sweepstakes, and when checking the address provided by the scammer, the address was found not to exist. Imposter scam There are many variations of this type of fraud. In this case, the victim received phone calls from persons purporting to be from the FBI and DEA, using the names of actual prominent agency officials. The callers alleged the victim’s involvement in violations of federal law and drug trafficking, and threatened arrest or imprisonment. The victim was told not to tell anyone, and the caller aggressively demanded payment of thousands of dollars in wire transfers and/or pre-paid cards.
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