Scam Squad

Shawn Dyer, Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, shares the scams they're seeing more often. Here is a brief description of them: You are asked to verify a purchase. (Often, the purchase in question is said to be from Amazon or Paypal. People often panic when they think that they've been charged for a large purchase they didn't make. But BEWARE! Instead of corresponding with Amazon...

Just in time for your summer vacation, this episode delivers a warning about Airbnb Scams. Some people are shocked to find that when they arrive at their destination, their lodging is not available. There are several possible explanations that the scammer may use. You may be told that there are plumbing problems or that the lodging was damaged by the previous tennant. You may be offered inferior l...

Special Guest, Dayton Aldrich, discusses victim restitution before describing Skimmers & Malicious QR codes. These days, skimmers are harder to spot than ever before, because they may be miniscule cameras--which can record your credit card number and pin codes. The best practice to avoid skimmers is to go into the store or the gas station and to use your credit card (rather than a debit card) beca...

Workers are drawn to Cambodia through social media advertisements promising high-paying jobs. As soon as they arrive in the country, their travel documents are seized and they are held and forced by racketeers to make scam calls in their own languages. Those who refuse are subject to various forms of abuse and mistreatment. They are assaulted, whipped, and electrocuted. Some get beaten up and othe...

Doris Roof, Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust warns us about fraudsters who work in pairs to intercept the verification code sent by your bank. Here’s how it works: One crook (who pretends to be the bank customer/debit card holder) calls the bank. Most often, the crook asks for an address change, an increase in their card limit or a travel exemption. (With a travel exemption, the...

Jeanne never thought she'd be taken in by a scam. But when she received an email from her elderly neighbor, asking her to purchase gift cards for her, she never thought that it might really be a scammer... As Deputy District Attorney often says, "There's a scam for everyone." At the end of the show, Vicki shares some good news from the Department of Justice, who cracked down on medical providers w...

Don’t miss this special episode with dynamo, Debbie Deem, who formerly worked as an FBI Victim Specialist. Rather than calling herself retired, Debbie prefers the term UNLEASHED, as she continues to tirelessly advocate for fraud victims, who are often shamed and treated differently than violent crime victims. Debbie wants to break the stigma that fraud victims face. These are NOT victimless crimes...

Two scams that former FBI Victim advocate Debbie Deem talks about in this episode are the Sim Swap, where scammers get your personal information and are able to get your mobile phone carrier to transfer your phone to them and scams that involve artificial intelligence (AI). It may seem like science fiction, but more and more, scammers are able to produce audio and video recordings that sound and l...

Patti - In this episode, I describe a part-time job solicitation and offer that I received via email. In some ways it seemed legitimate. The email said that they would not ask for any money from me, and that I would receive a 1099. For just a few hours of work a week, I could make several thousand dollars. They said they wanted me to process payments--quite a vague job description. And I wondered,...

Shawn Dyer from Montecito Bank & Trust says that several of their customers have been scammed out of money just when they needed it the most. They went online searching for fast cash and unfortunately, applied for loans on fraudulent sites, giving thieves access to their banking information on the loan applicataion. Usually, they also provided the crooks with personal information that could lead t...

Don't miss this episode! A brave college student, (who we'll call Mary), shares her story to help others. Mary had just moved out of her family home when she received a phone call from a woman who claimed to be from Border Control and Customs. The officer told Mary that they had a package addressed to her. Inside the package, they claimed they'd found $70,000 in cash, illegal drugs, and fake IDs....

In this insightful episode, we'll gain an understanding of why young people become scammers in Jamaica. A woman (who called herself Candance) told her story in the Jamaica Gleaner. She describes how she followed in her brother's footsteps and quit high school to begin working as a lottery scammer. Candance said, "I left school because while it could prepare me for the future--I needed a way out NO...

Charity Scams have been around for quite a while. Unfortunately, because of the heartbreaking situation in Ukraine, many scam artists are trying to take advantage of the situation by pretending to be legitimate charities when they're not. Beware of charities that use copy-cat names that are similar to a well-known charity. Don't click on unknown links or give out your personal information. If a ch...

In this episode an older man is targeted by a young woman from the Philippines who claimed to be a victim of health issues and a devastating typhoon. Rather than being a young woman who was having a string of bad luck, this was a scammer who came up with one sad story after another, convincing the big-hearted gentleman to send money. Remember, NEVER send money to someone you have not met in person...

Doris Roof, Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, warns listeners to only use Zelle to pay people you know! Scammers are pretending to be from companies who are requesting payments through Zelle. Don't fall for it! A legitimate company will not request a payment through Zelle. The scammers are talking people into letting them access their computers remotely, pretending that they wan...

NEW AMAZON SCAM by Hub for Podcasting

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there has been an 80% increase in 'Romance Scams' in the last year. In one common scenario, scammers target lonely widows. (This typically takes place on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram.) Often, the scammers say they have also been heartbroken by the loss of a spouse and send a warm and empathetic message. Gradually, the scammer wins the...

Shawn Dyer, Senior Fraud specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, warns listeners about QR Scams. They have received a warning from the FBI about cyber criminals who tamper with QR codes which redirect victims to malicious sites. When scanning QR codes, be sure they have not been tampered with, (such as having a sticker placed over them), and that the URL address you are taken to is legitimate. Als...

Investment Scams take people in most often followed by romance scams. Oftentimes, scammers are able to trick their victims by using information found on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. While it's often assumed that seniors are scammed most often, people between the ages of 18 and 39 are twice as likey to report losing money to scammers. The phony kiidnapping scam, (where a scamm...

Sometimes you may end up on a scammer's list no matter how careful you are. However, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk: 1. Don't fill out consumer/marketing surveys. 2. Don't fill out surveys attached to warranty registration cards. 3. Don't fill out sweepstakes forms. 4. Exercise 'opt out' rights whenever you have the chance. 5. When giving money to a charity, enclose a note in...

DANGERS OF INSTANT MONEY TRANSFERS by Hub for Podcasting

In this special interview with Deputy District Attorney Casey Nelson, you'll learn how the Santa Barbara District Attorney's office worked together with the Santa Barbara Police Department in an intensive investigation that lasted for more than two years, leading to the apprehension of crooks who made off with BILLIONS in California unemployment benefits. Learn how the crooks breached a property m...

Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank & Trust, Doris Roof, sounds the alarm about the dangers of real estate fraud. Currently, home buyers are often closing very quickly and it's vitally important to be sure to verify that the escrow instructions emailed to you are coming from your realtor and escrow company--and not a fraudster.. Once the wire is sent, your money could be lost forever. Pick...

As we start a new year, many of us are determined to get in shape and lose weight. Beware of companies advertising quick weight loss with their 'special formulas'! In this episode, special guest and ciminologist, Dr. Judy Christman Yates, shares tips to help us recognize unreputable companies and scams! Then, Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson, issues a warning about phony Covid-19 tests and t...

Criminologist, Dr Judy Christman Yates, gives great advice on shredding or burning personal information, making sure your online passwords are safe, two-step login authentication and even your car’s GPS system. Don’t miss this important episode and be sure your personal information stays safe!