Scam Information

WARNING: THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO DEFRAUD YOU. LOSSES DUE TO FRAUDULENT OR ACCIDENTAL TRANSACTIONS ARE NOT RECOVERABLE AND TRANSACTIONS IN VIRTUAL CURRENCY ARE IRREVERSIBLE. VIRTUAL CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS MAY BE USED TO STEAL YOUR MONEY BY CRIMINALS IMPERSONATING THE GOVERNMENT AGENT, BILL COLLECTOR, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, ORGANIZATIONS, OR YOUR LOVED ONES. THEY CAN THREATEN JAIL TIME, SAY YOUR IDENTITY HAS BEEN STOLEN, ALLEGE YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN HACKED, INSIST YOU WITHDRAW MONEY FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT TO PURCHASE VIRTUAL CURRENCY, OR A NUMBER OF OTHER SCAMS. DO NOT DISCLOSE YOUR PRIVATE KEY THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR VIRTUAL WALLET TO A THIRD PARTY. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE BEING SCAMMED OR SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW IS ASKING YOU TO SEND VIRTUAL CURRENCY FROM THIS MACHINE, DO NOT PROCEED WITH THIS TRANSACTION AND CALL YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AT (877) 382-4357 AND OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT (786) 686-2983.

WARNING: CONSUMER FRAUD OFTEN STARTS WITH CONTACT FROM A STRANGER WHO IS INITIATING A DISHONEST SCHEME. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FRAUD. NEVER SEND MONEY TO SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW. I UNDERSTAND THAT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY MAY APPEAR IN MANY FORMS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES.

If you can answer YES to any of these questions, you could be getting SCAMMED!

• Buying a car, boat, jewelry, house…?
• Paying for something from Craigslist, Airbnb, eBay, Amazon…?
• Claims of a frozen bank account or credit card…?
• Fraudulent bank transactions…?
• Claims of identity theft or job offerings in exchange for payments…?
• Requests for charity, disaster relief donations or loans…?
• Offers to purchase tickets for lotteries, sweepstakes, or drawings for vehicles…?
• Prompts to click on desktop pop-ups, such as a virus warning or communication from alleged familiar merchants…?
• Communication from someone impersonating a representative of your bank or law enforcement officer requesting payments such as social security, utility bills, investments, warrants or bail money….?
• Is anyone on the phone pressuring you to make a payment of any kind?

Yes?, STOP you are getting scammed, DON’T FALL FOR IT! IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE BEING SCAMMED, STOP AND CALL YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT (786) 686-2983.

Does this sound familiar? Below is more information on types of scams!

Scammers reach out over email, phone, texts or any other means. They ask you to do a job interview over Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Skype... They say they’re an employer and found you via any other common job sites such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter. The scammers intentionally mention trusted job sites to get you to let your guard down by associating with sites you might already be using and are familiar with. The scammer asks you for personal information, such as your name and address or specific banking information (username and password for online banking) or an address to send checks to. They may claim they need this information so you can make an upfront payment for the job, often for “supplies” or a “computer preloaded with proprietary software,” promising reimbursement in your first paycheck. Any request for payment as part of the job interview process is always an immediate red flag! Don't do it.

Exercise caution. In general, no government agency or reputable company will call or email you unexpectedly and request your personal information, or request advance fees for services in the form of bitcoin transfers. Build a habit of verifying the identity of anyone who asks for your personal information over the phone, and say you will respond through the entity's customer service channels. If anyone pressures you to provide information or money over the phone, it's a scam and you should just hang up.

In times of disaster, it's important to be aware of charity scams. There are many legitimate ways to provide support to help people impacted by floods, earthquakes, fires, other natural disasters or even man-made disasters. If you're eager to make a donation, give in a way that you have donated before or through a trusted organization or business where you fully understand how the funds are being collected and used.

Many local governments recently have issued a national warning about the continued defrauding of citizens taking place through a foreign lottery or sweepstakes scam. Be aware that if you receive a notice about winning a lottery, no matter how official it looks, and are required to pay a fee to claim your winnings — this is a scam.

Legitimate lottery or sweepstakes NEVER require people pay money up front. Get a letter, call, or email saying you won something (money or a prize), but before you can collect the prize you need to send money to pay for taxes, customs, or any fees? But you didn't buy a ticket or enter a sweepstakes. This is a SCAM. Don't send transfer money to the people who are stating you have "WON" something but need to send them funds to collect your winnings.

Any monies received by a stranger cannot be recovered and unfortunately you will not get your money refunded back to you. "Bitcoin is a safe and secure way of sending to someone you know and trust."

Have you found something online that interests you—a puppy, a car, an apartment for rent or any item for sale? Does the price for the item seem to be too good to be true, and are you being asked to pay for the item through a Bitcoin transaction? Unfortunately, this is a SCAM. Do not send money for the item to the seller. They may even send you a letter or email of authentication telling you that you have purchased the item but need to wire funds first. Do not send the money. It is a SCAM. You will receive no merchandise. Once money is wired and received, it cannot be recovered, and unfortunately you will be at loss for any money transferred.

Have you found a great vehicle online or in an advertisement with a price too good to be true? Are you being asked to send the down payment through a Bitcoin transaction? Unfortunately, it's a SCAM. Do not send money for the vehicle to the seller or a payments representative. The vehicle purchase scammer may try to convince you to pay through Bitcoin to avoid sales tax and get a great price. They may even send you a letter or e-mail of authentication telling you that you have purchased the item, but in order to deliver it you need to wire funds first. You will not receive a car or truck. Once money is wired and received, it cannot be recovered and, unfortunately, you will be at loss for any money transferred.

Did you receive a phone call from a grandchild or a family member? Or a "lawyer" or "police officer" suggesting they are with your family member? Are they in despair because they have been detained? Have they been in a car accident? Are they asking for money to pay fines or for car repair? Did a relative call because they need money for a family member in medical need or for medicine? THIS IS A SCAM! Use precaution when sending money in any of these situations. These callers can request that you send money anywhere in the world. If you cannot verify with your family member (calling their number you had before this call, not the "new number" the caller gives you) that they are requesting money and aren't sure about the transaction, do not send the money. You will be at a loss for any money that is sent.

Did you receive a letter or e-mail about getting a loan? Were you asked to send money for loan fees, taxes, service fees, advance payments, or any other reason? This is a SCAM. Do not send money to a loan company to obtain a loan. If the money is wired and received it can not be recovered. You will be at a loss for the money you have sent.

Did you meet someone through a personal ad, e-mail, chat room or an instant message? Did they ask you to send them money for travel or to help them financially? Do not wire the money — this is a SCAM. Any money received by this person cannot be recovered and you will be at loss for any money sent.

Have you found something for sale in the classifieds or any type of newspaper ad? Did they ask you to pay for the item through a Bitcoin transaction? This is a SCAM. Do not use a money transfer to purchase an item from a stranger. It is not safe to use a money transfer service when trying to purchase an item.

A stranger begins a close relationship with you and offers to manage your finances and assets. Or, signatures on documents do not resemble your own signature. Don't get duped into parting with your money through financial abuse scams. Scammers will try to manipulate you into turning over property and/or money, and this can leave your cash, checking account or even life savings completely wiped out in one transaction. Financial abuse scams can take many forms, including telemarketing fraud, identity theft, predatory lending, and home improvement and estate planning scams. Never trust your money with anyone you don't know. All the other above types of consumer fraud could also be directed towards elderly or senior individuals.

A message or phone call about a frozen bank account or credit card could be a scam. Avoid clicking links or calling numbers from unsolicited texts, emails or calls and do not provide personal information. Your bank would typically notify you through official channels for legitimate freezes. Contact your bank or credit card company using their official customer service number located on the back of your card or their official website.

Scammers often try to trick you into transferring money into a supposedly “safe” account to protect it from fraud, which is a common tactic to steal your money. They will use pressure tactics to make you act quickly. A real bank will allow you time to verify transactions. A genuine fraud alert warning message from your bank will ask you to verify a transaction but will never ask for personal information, click a link, or transfer money to unknown account. To avoid falling for a scam, hang up the call or delete the text, then independently find your bank’s official customer service number from the back of your card or their official website, and call them directly to report any suspicious activity.

Imposter scammers try to convince you to send money by pretending to be someone you know or trust, like your bank or a law enforcement officer. Scammers might pose as law enforcement and threaten you with legal consequences if you don’t send money, or they may pretend to be a charity organization seeking donations. Other messages might look like they are coming from a bank or another company, claiming there has been a hack, potentially fraudulent activity, or other problem, in a scam meant to get your account or personal information. Remember, caller ID and emails can be faked, voices can be cloned, and images can be altered. Call the official phone number of the bank, company, organization, or government agency directly and ask if the person works for them and if there really is a problem.

Fraud warning pop-ups that prompt you to click are scams designed to trick you into installing malware, giving personal information, or paying for fake services. These pop-ups mimic real system alerts or antivirus notification to create a sense of urgency and panic. They often display logos from reputable tech or financial companies to appear trustworthy. Scammers commonly demand payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Legitimate companies will never ask for payment this way.