Explore various online scams including fake police officers, sugar daddy fraud, and fake job offers. Learn about scams targeting podcast industry job seekers and the emotional toll of falling victim to deceitful schemes. Discover tips to avoid falling prey to online scams and the importance of staying cautious in the digital world.
Scammers use sophisticated tactics and psychological manipulation to coerce victims into paying fake bail or fees.
Vigilance and caution are essential to avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes, always verify information independently.
Personal stories shared in the podcast highlight emotional tolls and lessons learned post being scammed, urging listeners to prioritize safety and trust their instincts.
Scammers pose as reputable organizations in fake job listings to extract sensitive data, emphasizing the need to verify communication channels during job applications.
Deep dives
Podcast Promotion
The podcast episode discusses a promotion by Wayfair offering up to 80% off during Wayday, their biggest sale of the year, which features 12-hour flash deals and free shipping. The host shares a personal experience of purchasing wall art from Wayfair that transformed their living room, encouraging listeners not to miss out on the sale running from May 4th to May 6th.
Jury Duty Scam
The episode recounts a scam where a couple receives a call from a fake Officer Smith claiming there is a warrant for the husband's arrest due to missed jury duty, even though he never received a summons. The couple, in a state of panic, is coerced into paying bail via Bitcoin and gift cards, highlighting the sophistication and psychological manipulation tactics used by scammers.
Protecting Against Scams
The podcast episode shares insights from real-life scam experiences, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and caution. Listeners are advised to be wary of calls claiming legal trouble, always verify information independently, scrutinize check details, and never send back money received through checks. Practical steps are provided to safeguard against falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
Personal Experiences and Lessons Learned
Individuals in the podcast episode, including Teresa and Colton, share their personal encounters with scams, highlighting the emotional toll and lessons learned. The discussion touches on the embarrassment and shame often felt after being scammed, cautioning listeners to prioritize safety, seek verification in transactions, and trust their instincts.
Bonus Story: Seeking Arrangements Scam
An additional story unfolds where a person named Ruth encounters a scam involving a sugar daddy site. Ruth details how she was manipulated into purchasing gift cards and sending the numbers, realizing the deceit too late. The narrative highlights the importance of caution in online interactions and transparency with loved ones to prevent falling prey to deceptive schemes.
Bonus Story: Freelance Job Scam
A freelancer named Cody recounts falling victim to a fraudulent check scam while pursuing a job opportunity. He receives a fake check, deposits it, and almost becomes ensnared in a scheme that required him to purchase sound equipment. Through cautious actions and research, Cody avoids financial loss, underlining the significance of thorough verification and skepticism in online dealings.
Beware of Scams Impersonating Podcasts for Fake Events
Scammers are posing as podcast representatives, offering fake live events to individuals with a following by offering compensation and requesting access to Facebook settings under the pretense of a live interview. An anchor in Houston, Sophia Ojeda, was targeted in a scam, where scammers approached her with a fake invitation for a podcast event. Despite red flags in the communication, such as misspellings and lack of personal details, scammers persisted in trying to gain access to her accounts. The story underlines the importance of verifying contact details and being cautious of unsolicited offers, even when they seem legitimate.
Job Scams Exploiting Job Seekers with Fake Interviews
Scammers are pretending to be reputable organizations, like Audio Chuck, posting fake job listings to steal personal information during the application process. These scammers conduct interviews and even offer jobs to extract sensitive data like social security numbers and banking details. The podcast emphasizes the importance of verifying communication channels and details during a job application process. Offering insights on their legitimate recruitment process, the podcast educates listeners on the steps to take to ensure they are interacting with genuine representatives to avoid falling victim to recruitment scams.
Scammers have an infinite number of ways to steal your money and information. In this episode, we explore and expose several scams that have impacted our listeners.
Be sure to check out our new webpage Am I Getting Scammed? for a full list of tips to reference if something or someone ever feels off to you.
To watch the full Ask Amy episode and hear Sofia’s phone call with the scammer, please visit this link.
To jump to one of the specific scams highlighted in this episode, you can reference the following timecodes:
00:00 - A fake police officer tries to scam a couple into paying a fake bail sum for a non-existent arrest warrant.
13:05 - An online “sugar daddy” scams a woman into sending hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards.
21:50 – A man nearly unknowingly deposits a fraudulent check while under the assumption that he has been offered a new job.
34:00 – A news anchor thought she was seizing a great opportunity when she was asked to join a Facebook Live event with Ashley Flowers herself… until the person reaching out to her on behalf of “audiochuck” began asking her for strange requests.
45:50 - audiochuck is usually hiring – but we have a specific way we go about things! Learn about what raises red vs. green flags when it comes to our hiring process.
Source materials for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. For a full list of sources, please visit: crimejunkiepodcast.com/bwbrsa-online-scams
You can learn more about The Good segment and even submit a story of your own by visiting The Good page on our website!
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