Author Archives: virginiasmp

“Malicious tagging,” or provocative social media post scams, are becoming more common, according to experts, and are typically either sent through social media. (Find Out More)

The pleas pulled at heartstrings — donate now to help women struggling with breast cancer pay their rent or their utilities — and generous people responded. In truth, barely a penny of every dollar donated went to cancer patients. Today the FTC and ten state partners sued the so-called “charity” that lied to donors aboutContinue reading “Sham charity turns the Big C into a Big Con. Here’s what to know to avoid a cancer charity scam”

We expect banks and brokers to keep our money safe. We think they’ll stop or warn us about suspicious transfers out of our accounts. But do they? Scammers are exploiting that trust and getting people to transfer their money and drain their retirement accounts to “protect” or “safeguard” or “legalize” it. The truth? The moneyContinue reading “Will your bank or investment fund stop a transfer to a scammer? Probably not”

The first angry calls to the Pretty in Pink Boutique began last August, confusing staff at the Franklin, Tenn., provider of wigs, mastectomy bras and other accessories for cancer patients. Medicare recipients from around the country claimed that a company called Pretty in Pink had charged their health insurance companies thousands of dollars for urinaryContinue reading “U.S. investigates alleged Medicare fraud scheme estimated at $2 billion”

Financial columnist, Charlotte Cowles, describes the terrifying experience of falling victim to an elaborate phone scam that ultimately led her to putting $50,000 in cash in a shoe box and giving it to a stranger. (Learn More)

Federal officials say thieves are often using fake QR codes to misdirect payments, take customers’ money and steal other important information. Last year, there was about $150 million in reported losses involving fraudulent QR codes. (Learn More)

Got an email or text message about a tax refund? It’s a scam. IRS impersonators are at it again. This time, the scammers are sending messages about your “tax refund” or “tax refund e-statement.” It might look legit, but it’s an email or text fake, trying to trick you into clicking on links so theyContinue reading “The IRS doesn’t send tax refunds by email or text”

Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers are often the first to identify new Medicare scams because they meet one-on-one with Medicare beneficiaries. Here are some of the top scams they’re seeing and what you can do to protect yourself: 1. A new round of COVID fraud (Read More)

FloatMe ads promised cash advances of up to $50 and offered instant deposits of “free money” after you downloaded the app and subscribed to a monthly plan. What didn’t the ads say? That FloatMe would illegally turn people down when they asked for money and charge customers subscription fees without their consent. That’s deceptive, accordingContinue reading “FloatMe broke cash advance promises”

With Valentine’s Day looming, romance is in the air. If you seek love via a dating app, watch for scammers who only love your money. Scammers are using people to funnel stolen money out of the country. This con may look like a classic romance scam, but victims are tricked into illegal activity and can be prosecuted. (ReadContinue reading “This romance scam tricks victims into laundering money”