• Breaking News
  • U.S. News
  • Contact
  • View Print Edition
    • CL Digital
  • Subscribe
Thursday, February 2, 2023
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
Advertise with us
The Chicago Leader
Donate Now
  • Home
    • Events
    • Subscribe to the print newspaper
    • Scavenger Hunt Contest
    • Download Media Kit PDF
    • Ad submission
    • Sponsors
  • World
    New Laws

    New Laws Begin Next Year in Illinois

    Real Issues

    Real Issues in the K-Pop Industry

    China

    China Protests Against COVID and Lack of Freedom

    Trending Tags

    • Breaking News
    • Health
    • Coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
  • U.S. News
    • All
    • Black History
    • Chicago
    • Illinois
    Cook County Minorities Face Financial Disparities

    Cook County Minorities Face Financial Disparities

    music

    My Experience Here So Far

    Chicago

    Chicago With the Help of Lori Lightfoot Is Adding Bus and Bike Lanes

    Trending Tags

    • U.S.
    • U.S. Census
    • Politics
  • Business
    • All
    • Jobs
    Phalanx

    January’s Letter From Phalanx Family Services’ CEO

    Chicago

    Chicago Is Home to Restaurant’s With High-Grossing in All America

    Tre'byen

    Branding With Tre’byen Sets New Standards

    Trending Tags

    • Wall Street
    • Trump
    • Bankruptcy
    • Federal Reserve Bank
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Arts
    • Book Review
    • Chicago Film Office
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Review
    renner

    Jeremy Renner Receives Love From Fans After Tragic Snowplow Accident

    avatar

    ‘Avatar 2’ Crosses $1 Billion Mark at Global Box Office

    White

    Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer, Fred White, Dies at 67

    Trending Tags

    • Movies
    • marvel movies
    • Dancing
  • Sports
  • Science
    • All
    • CBD
    • Climate
    • Marijuana
    Exoplanet

    Exoplanet 55 Cancri E Has 17.5 Hour Year

    Dangers

    Dangers of Smoking Tobacco

    Breast Cancer

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is in October

    Trending Tags

    • UFO
    • Coronavirus
    • Novel coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
    • NASA
    • scientists
  • Health
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Faith
    • food
    • homeopathy
    • mental health
    • prostate
    Procrastination

    The Truth About Procrastination

    ADHD

    Those With ADHD or ASD Are More Likely to Suffer Anxiety, Depression

    COVID

    CPS Asks Students to Take COVID Test Before Returning

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Home
    • Events
    • Subscribe to the print newspaper
    • Scavenger Hunt Contest
    • Download Media Kit PDF
    • Ad submission
    • Sponsors
  • World
    New Laws

    New Laws Begin Next Year in Illinois

    Real Issues

    Real Issues in the K-Pop Industry

    China

    China Protests Against COVID and Lack of Freedom

    Trending Tags

    • Breaking News
    • Health
    • Coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
  • U.S. News
    • All
    • Black History
    • Chicago
    • Illinois
    Cook County Minorities Face Financial Disparities

    Cook County Minorities Face Financial Disparities

    music

    My Experience Here So Far

    Chicago

    Chicago With the Help of Lori Lightfoot Is Adding Bus and Bike Lanes

    Trending Tags

    • U.S.
    • U.S. Census
    • Politics
  • Business
    • All
    • Jobs
    Phalanx

    January’s Letter From Phalanx Family Services’ CEO

    Chicago

    Chicago Is Home to Restaurant’s With High-Grossing in All America

    Tre'byen

    Branding With Tre’byen Sets New Standards

    Trending Tags

    • Wall Street
    • Trump
    • Bankruptcy
    • Federal Reserve Bank
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Arts
    • Book Review
    • Chicago Film Office
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Review
    renner

    Jeremy Renner Receives Love From Fans After Tragic Snowplow Accident

    avatar

    ‘Avatar 2’ Crosses $1 Billion Mark at Global Box Office

    White

    Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer, Fred White, Dies at 67

    Trending Tags

    • Movies
    • marvel movies
    • Dancing
  • Sports
  • Science
    • All
    • CBD
    • Climate
    • Marijuana
    Exoplanet

    Exoplanet 55 Cancri E Has 17.5 Hour Year

    Dangers

    Dangers of Smoking Tobacco

    Breast Cancer

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is in October

    Trending Tags

    • UFO
    • Coronavirus
    • Novel coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
    • NASA
    • scientists
  • Health
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Faith
    • food
    • homeopathy
    • mental health
    • prostate
    Procrastination

    The Truth About Procrastination

    ADHD

    Those With ADHD or ASD Are More Likely to Suffer Anxiety, Depression

    COVID

    CPS Asks Students to Take COVID Test Before Returning

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • English
  • Spanish
No Result
View All Result
Chicago Leader
No Result
View All Result

FTC Warns Scammers Are Impersonating Commissioner Noah Phillips

by Cathy Milne-Ware
April 9, 2022
in Featured, Headlines, Technology
0
scammers

Courtesy of Bryan Santos (Pixabay CC0)

0
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Don't like to read?

Scammers are calling and claiming to be Noah Phillips, the FTC commissioner; they are not. The caller gives his badge number, which is false. “There’s a warrant for your arrest (these’s not), and demands you pay up (nope);” these lies are a typical scenario for scammers, warns the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Anyone answering the scammer’s call will hear a person claim to be someone of authority, offer s0-called proof, and make a financial threat. They might demand bank account information or request payment by loading money onto a gift card. Scammers may convince their mark to send money using a wire service like Western Union or MoneyGram or buy cryptocurrency. They could say that the money is a way to pay a fine, avoid jail, or settle an unpaid balance.

The scammers are using a story the FTC has seen before:

It’s that fake Amazon balance story the scammer pretending to be Commissioner Phillips is using.

The FTC wants everyone to know: Nobody from the agency will ever call, email, text, or message anyone on social media to demand money or threaten arrest. “Never pay anyone who contacts you out of the blue and tells you to pay,” the commission warns. Under no circumstances should bank account access be given to the person demanding, never buy cryptocurrency, wire money, buy gift cards, or send cash. It is a scam.

scammers
Courtesy of South Carolina State Library (Flickr CC0)

Scammers are skilled liars and con artists; they are good at their so-called jobs. Their targets cross all backgrounds, ages, and income levels. They use sophisticated methods to steal their marks’ money and personal information.

In addition to the methods mentioned above, only scammers request money in exchange for employment. For example, they might be offering a job with a catch. It could be anything from a membership fee, or sales kit, to a percentage of the paycheck for a designated time.

For example, they might “live and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but you have to pay a fee to get it,” according to the FTC website.

These schemes have one thing in common — scammers pressure their marks to act immediately. They want people to react before they think, writes Jim Kriedler.

Scammers use tactics like claiming they are authority figures to intimidate people. For example, they might claim to be from the Social Security Administration, IRS, Medicare, FBI, police officer, or make up an official-sounding name. Others may claim to be from the utility company, a charity asking for donations, or a politician asking for money.

One way to protect against scammers is to block unwanted phone calls and text messages. Google and Apple offer call-blocking call-labeling applications for phones that work well. To defend oneself online, do not click on links sent in an email unless it is expected — even if it is from a contact. When making a payment or donation from a link, double-check that the URL in the address bar is correct before submitting any personal information.

The FTC advises anyone who thinks they might be the scam victim or spot a scam to file a report. ReportFruad.ftc.gov puts reports in the hands of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers. While the FTC cannot resolve individual reports, they use them to investigate and bring cases against scams, fraud, and bad business practices.

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

Federal Trade Commission: Warning: Callers are impersonating FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips; by Jennifer Leach
Federal Trade Commission: It’s financial literacy month: protect yourself from scammers; by Jim Kreidler
Federal Trade Commission: How To Avoid a Scam

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Bryan Santos’ Pixabay Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of South Carolina State University’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Tags: scammers
Cathy Milne-Ware

Cathy Milne-Ware

Next Post
Mother's Day

Mother's Day History and Origins

Recent Posts

  • Cook County Minorities Face Financial Disparities
  • My Experience Here So Far
  • Chicago With the Help of Lori Lightfoot Is Adding Bus and Bike Lanes

Newsletter

Loading
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Ad submission
  • Contact
  • Team
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • FAQ
  • Mission

© 2018 TNS - TNS theme by Frackle TNSthemes.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • World
  • Business
  • Science
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • Movie
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Health and Lifestyle
  • View Print Edition
  • Subscribe to the print newspaper
  • Contact

© 2018 TNS - TNS theme by Frackle TNSthemes.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Support independent local journalism by subscribing to the Chicago Leader print
and digital publication for just $15 a year.

Subscribe Now