In an effort to keep
the public informed, Better Business
Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina offers monthly Scam Alerts:
Consumers across the country have reported being
hit by a scam e-mail that appears to be from StubHub. The phony e-mail states
that the consumer’s credit card is being charged for two tickets to a boxing
match. The e-mail asks consumers to follow a link to log in to their account. BBB
recommends consumers delete suspicious e-mails immediately and avoid clicking
on any questionable links or attachments, as this phishing e-mail is an attempt to steal
personal information from consumers.
BBB cautions consumers to beware of a telephone
scam related to overdue payday loans. Consumers are receiving calls from
people alleging to represent agencies, including the FBI and law firms. The
caller claims to be collecting debts from well-known companies, but will not
provide any information about the payday loan. The caller also attempts to
instill fear by threatening the consumer with jail time and legal actions. The
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits debt collectors from using
abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from consumers.
BBB has been alerted that consumers are
receiving calls from scam artists who claim that there is a virus on the consumer’s
computer. The scam artists tell the consumer that they can fix the virus and
requests upfront payment. Consumers allege that the scam artists use high
pressure tactics and make it difficult for the consumer to end the
conversation. BBB reminds consumers to
never provide any credit card information or other personal information to an unknown caller.
BBB
cautions consumers to beware of an e-mail that appears to be from a follower on
Twitter. BBB received an e-mail that read “I saw a real bad blog about you, you
seen this?” The message was followed by a link. Consumers who click on the link
are taken to what appears to be the Twitter login page. They are then asked to
provide their user name and password. If consumers look closely at the address
bar, they will notice that they are not actually at Twitter.com. It is
important to delete suspicious e-mails immediately and avoid clicking on any
questionable links or attachments.
