THE NEWSCASTER-Nature Coast News
PAGE 8 - February 16, 2011
Latest onlinebyscam is no mystery
Special to The Newscaster
Gail Tierney, PIO Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama made mention of the
great technological benefits created by the Internet. The sad flip side of this is the Internet
also has become a prime hunting ground for savvy cyber-criminals. Across the nation,
online crimes are skyrocketing as more people conduct their business over the information
superhighway.
Since December, several Citrus County residents have fallen victim to variations
of one of the original online scams known as “Mystery Shopper” or “Secret Shopper.”
Given the current economic downturn, many people are looking to increase their income
by working at home or saving money by not commuting. Using the Internet, they search
for work-at-home opportunities offered by any number of online sources.
Lured to flashy websites that often appear to represent legitimate companies, victims are
promised hefty wages for little or no work. The unsuspecting victim is then directed into
an online chat with a “company representative,” who surprisingly is using a Yahoo or gmail
account.
This rep conducts an online interview that concludes with the victim being ac-
cepted for employment. The selected victim is then instructed to purchase certain software
from an “authorized vendor,” with a promise of reimbursement in his or her first paycheck.
Arrangements are made for the victim to receive a check from the employer for a large
Braedyn M. (10) from Winter Haven peers down into a karst formation last Saturday while
sum of money, say, $2,700. The victim s assignment is to evaluate the quality of customer
out visiting the Withlacoochee State Forest. Karsts are more plentiful than you might think;
service at a local Western Union office.
the “Brooksville Ridge” (higher elevation Limerock outcroppings) runs North to South com-
To do this, the victim deposits the check into his or her personal bank account,
pletely through Citrus County and produces many caves, disappearing streams, and springs
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and then takes cash (say, $2,300) to the Western Union office, sending it to an individual
which are fascinating land features to explore... young and old. TheNewscaster/Mike Moore
identified by the company rep. The victim then takes $100 to a local retail outlet and makes
purchases, which the victim allegedly is entitled to keep. The victim again evaluates the
retailer s customer service practices.
The remaining $300 is kept by the victim as his or her pay. In the end, the vic-
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tim is supposed to send a report back to the employer on the quality of service he or she
received. The drawback is that most people are in such a hurry to collect their money (or
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else they succumb to pressure placed on them by the company rep) that they withdraw and
send the money from their personal account before it s discovered that the initial check is
a fake.
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This scenario happens all-too-often across the country, but recently took its toll on
1/4 mile west of Hwy. 19
citizens living here in Citrus County. In recent weeks, the latest victims lost nearly $5,000
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in their effort to find employment. These are people who can ill afford such losses.
Most of these scams originate outside of the United States, which makes them difficult to
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prosecute. Citrus County Sheriff s Office detectives say the first line of defense is know-
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ing what to look for in order to avoid becoming a victim. 1. If it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is. 2. When communicating online with a supposed representative of a
legitimate company, his or her e-mail address won t end in @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @
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rocketmail.com or any of the generic e-mail services. 3. Never send money in response to
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such activities until the initial check has cleared (which it won t), no matter how urgent the
rep says your action is. If the employer is a legitimate business, your caution will be un-
derstandable. 4. If you provide your personal information to the “company rep,” and send
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one of your personal checks to an “authorized vendor,” the scammers will have everything
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they need to drain you account. 5. When chatting online with a supposed company rep, be
especially watchful of the words and sentence structure used. It should be easy to detect
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that the person you re communicating with is from overseas.
The numbers of currently active scams on the Internet are too numerous to list,
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and scammers are always thinking up new ways to separate you from your hard-earned
money. Protect yourself by being aware of the threats, and always use due diligence when
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interacting with online entities.
Luckily, there are numerous websites available to aid in your efforts to identify
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a potential threat. Google is a good tool when it comes to identifying phone numbers, as
is 411.com. Google frequently will lead you to other websites that will advise you if the
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number in question is linked to fraudulent activity.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is another good resource for consum-
STILL A GOOD DEAL - Although the price for a First-Class Mail stamp in the U.S.
ers. This partnership between the FBI, National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and
remains the same, prices have increased in other countries. The price of a First-Class stamp
the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides an avenue for filing complaints, as well as
in Japan is 97 cents, up 32 percent from 2009. In Germany, a First-Class Mail stamp cost
prevention tips and information on Internet schemes.
77 cents a year ago. Now, the same postage costs 79 cents. And in Norway, it now costs
For more information, contact: Gail A. Tierney, Public Information, Citrus Coun-
$1.50 to mail a letter — up 25 cents from a year ago.
ty Sheriff, (352) 341-7460.
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Fax: 352-447-3013
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Cell: 352-266-7113
CrimeStoppers Levy: 1-877-349-477 Citrus: 1-888-ANY-TIPS