Counterfeit cashier’s checks drawn on two banks are being used in two different nationwide lottery scams targeting consumers’ mailboxes.
One scam involves Vinton County National Bank in McArthur, Ohio. The other uses the name of City National Bank of New Jersey.
Archive for the ‘Scams’ Category
Bogus bank checks used in lottery scams
Friday, May 29th, 2009Be wary of rental scams
Thursday, May 14th, 2009Scammers are posting dwellings for rent online and getting unsuspecting victims to mail or wire funds to them to reserve what often are non-existent apartments.
The Federal Trade Commission has some guidelines to avoid being taken by illicit landlords.
State ends Grosse Ile investment scam
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009Michigan’s Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) has ordered a Grosse Ile woman to stop selling unregistered investment products. OFIR said that Rita Gosselin and her company, RG Properties and Investments, LLC, were not licensed to sell securities products in Michigan and the products sold were not registered with the state.
“In this environment, Michigan investors have to keep their guard up,” OFIR Commissioner Ken Ross said. “Before purchasing a securities product, call OFIR toll free to check it out.”
Earlier this year, OFIR staff received information from Southgate police that Gosselin was selling unregistered real estate investments in exchange for fraudulent promissory notes.
Michigan investors with questions about an investment firm, professional or product, should contact OFIR toll-free at (877) 999-6442 or online at www.michigan.gov/ofir.
A copy of OFIR’s cease and desist order can be found by clicking here.
Utility worker scammers making rounds
Saturday, May 9th, 2009DTE Energy and its Detroit Edison and MichCon subsidiaries warn customers to beware of con artists posing as utility workers who strike in the spring commonly target senior citizens.
“Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people out there who may pose as Detroit Edison and MichCon employees to take advantage of our customers,” said Michael Lynch, DTE Energy’s director of corporate security. “We urge customers to be cautious to prevent these criminals from entering their homes.”
One common scam involves thieves posing as utility employees, asking the homeowner for payment of an outstanding bill and threatening to shut off service if it’s not paid on the spot. Sometimes these thieves work in pairs. One will distract the homeowner while the other searches the house for money and other valuables.
“DTE Energy employees never collect money from customers at their homes or businesses,” said Lynch. “If someone comes to your door claiming to be a DTE Energy employee and asks for payment, call the police.”
DTE Energy field employees carry photo identification badges that identify them as DTE Energy employees. Customers who are not sure about an employee’s identification, or who want to verify the nature of the work to be done at their homes, should call DTE Energy at (800) 477-4747.
Lynch said customers should keep the following tips in mind:
– All utility employees and contractors carry photo identification badges, and are required to display their badge if asked. Customers are encouraged to ask for identification.
– Do not allow people into your home who claim to offer a Detroit Edison or MichCon refund. DTE Energy employees NEVER deliver cash refunds or rebates to customers’ homes. DTE Energy employees also NEVER collect money from customers at their homes.
– Do not pay for tree-trimming work by individuals claiming to be from Detroit Edison or a Detroit Edison contractor. The utility does not charge for line clearance work. Additionally, before tree-trimming crews enter a neighborhood for scheduled line clearance work, customers are notified about the work to be done.
– Call the police if you believe the person at your door is a con artist posing as a utility worker.
Phony swine flu remedies floating around
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009The Food and Drug Administration is warning that fraudulent swine flu remedies are making the rounds.
For more information on the scams, click here.
Dream Homes fraud outlined
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009The FBI has details on the Dream Homes Program, which was a giant fraud perpetrated on hundreds of people across the country.
E-mail from Customs’ official is phony
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009The FBI is warning of an e-mail scam that uses the name of a former head of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency suggesting that the e-mail recipient is in line for money that was confiscated. Details may be found here.
Tips offered for avoiding mortgage scams
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009Federal regulators have published consumer tipsheets on how to avoid being victimized by mortgage loan modification scams and foreclosure avoidance scams.
With the state of the economy, such scams are rampant around Michigan and the rest of the country.
FBI warns of work-at-home scams
Monday, April 20th, 2009The FBI has issued a timely reminder on the number of work-at-home scams that are being foisted upon the unwary public.
Chrysler name on fraudulent checks
Friday, April 3rd, 2009Consumers across the U.S. have received fraudulent letters from the so-called Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission in Canada claiming they’ve won $170,000. The letters also contain counterfeit checks allegedly issued by “DaimlerChrysler Financial Services” and “Chrysler Financial” in various amounts.
As part of the con, recipients are asked to deposit the check to cover a service charge of the same amount in order to receive their winnings. However, before the check clears beneficiaries are requested to call a representative and, ultimately, to write a personal check to “finalize the payment process.” Not surprisingly, the original check never clears and the promised payout of $170,000 never arrives. In the meantime, the consumer’s funds have disappeared.
As a result of the separation of Chrysler Financial and Daimler Financial Services on August 3, 2007, the DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas LLC company no longer exists.
Chrysler Financial is fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities in their investigation and has posted a fraud alert on its Web site.
Consumers who have been affected by this scam are encouraged to file a consumer fraud complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) either by calling the FTC’s Consumer Response Center toll free at 877- FTC HELP (382-4357) or by downloading and submitting a complaint form online at www.ftc.gov.
Bank reports counterfeit checks circulating
Friday, March 20th, 2009Counterfeit checks drawn on People’s National Bank of Mount Vernon, Ill. are being used in connection with mystery shopping, bogus lottery and other scams.
If you get a letter in the mail bearing one of the checks, don’t cash it. You could be held liable for repaying the money you might receive.
More details may be found here.
Fender Bender insurance is bogus
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation is warning Michigan consumers that they may have unknowingly purchased fraudulent automobile insurance certificates from an entity claiming to be a Detroit-based insurance agency named Fender Bender Insurance Agency. OFIR Commissioner Ken Ross has ordered Fender Bender to cease and desist from doing business.
“Any Michigan driver who bought fake auto insurance from Fender Bender needs to purchase proper coverage immediately,” Ross said. “Until they buy legitimate coverage—they’re driving without insurance.”
Insurance producers (agents) and agencies in Michigan are required to have a license on display in their offices. Consumers are advised prior to purchasing auto insurance to ask the agency to show a copy of its license.
Consumers are also urged to contact OFIR toll-free at 877-999-6442 if they believe they may have bought a policy from Fender Bender or if they have any questions about an insurance company, agent or product. Consumers can check to see if an insurance agency is licensed to do business in Michigan by clicking here.
FBI warns of Internet vehicle sales scams
Thursday, March 5th, 2009The FBI is warning that Internet vehicle sales scams are increasingly invoking the names of U.S. armed services branches to swindle unsuspecting consumers.
More and more Internet vehicle sales are a variety on the excess funds/wire transfer ruse that persuades someone to buy or sell products and wire money to a third party.
Sellers of non-existent vehicles are presenting themselves as members of the service who have to sell a vehicle quickly because they are being sent overseas.
Here’s the FBI press release describing how the swindles work.
State’s top consumer complaints
Thursday, March 5th, 2009Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has compiled his Top 10 list of consumer problems based on complaints his office received in 2008. As one might guess, leading the list were credit and finance problems, followed by gasoline complaints and complaints about telephone or cable service.
Read about the rest of themhere as well as about two scams — auto warranty extensions and debt reduction programs — that seem to be spreading in the state.
Don’t put much stock in these callers
Monday, March 2nd, 2009The Securities and Exchange Commission now is warning that scammers are using the agency and and even names of their employees in calls to consumers as part of a plan to extract personal financial information so they can access their brokerage or financial accounts.
Details may be found here.