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- Report: Thousands of Postal Employees Stealing Mail 💰👤
Report: Thousands of Postal Employees Stealing Mail 💰👤
Frank McKenna
November 19, 2024
Hello from FrankonFraud,
Who is gearing up for Black Friday? It’s always a waiting game to see what new techniques the fraud rings will develop. If you recall, merchants braced for a wave of shapeshifter attacks using AI last year. In any case, it will be a busy day for fraud fighters.
Now, let’s get to the top stories this week.
Breach Champion - T-Mobile is the Usain Bolt of data breaches, sprinting towards a world record nine data breaches in the past five years. That’s two breaches a year.
REI Bans Abusers - REI is banning frequent refund abusers who return over 80% of their orders. The company says these abusers cost them $1,400 each every year.
SSN Fiasco - In a big snafu, Uber and Lyft accidentally sent drivers’ social security numbers to Meta and Lyft while they signed up to drive. A researcher just exposed the blunder.
FTX Fraudster Turns Fraud Fighter - Gary Wang, the CTO that helped Bankman-Fried steal billions is now working with the government to build fraud detection software to prevent cryptocurrency fraud in the stock market.
AI Scam Models Wanted—This whole Telegram channel is dedicated to girls who want to work as AI models in Pig Butchering compounds in Dubai and Cambodia.
Rise of Cloaking Scams—Google is warning people about a new rising threat called cloaking, in which hackers send different information to Google moderation engines than what they display to consumers to go undetected. Well-known brands are being targeted.
Cruel Scammers - Wanna be actress and singer Anna Moore was found guilty of stealing millions and trying to hijack a mentally ill doctor’s 60 million dollar fortune. Days after meeting him, she and her boyfriend moved into his mansion and began scamming him.
33% Fraud Rate - A new JD Power Survey reveals the extent of fraud on US Bank accounts. One in three bank customers say they have experienced fraud on their accounts in the last 12 months.
FinCEN Deepfakes - AI deepfakes are cited in an increasing number of SARs, and the US is warning banks and credit unions to be on the lookout.
Next Pig Butchering Site? - Bluesky, the new social media messaging platform, appears to be the next target for Pig Butcherers as bogus accounts flock to the platform - presumably to scam their next victims.
Snail Mail Fraud - Ken Palla alerted me that scammers now resort to snail mail to phish victims in this new twist on a classic fraud.
WSJ Report - Checks Are A GoldMine For Scammers
Check fraud is raging on Telegram fraud channels, and there is no sign that Americans will give up their checks anytime soon.
The Wall Street Journal reporters dive into why check fraud is running rampant and why American’s won’t give up their checks.
Click To Read 👇️
New Click Farm Scams Are Rising in Asia. Is the US Next?
I have always thought that most new scams today originate from China and quickly spread to the US once they have been perfected. And here is a new one that is spiking.
Police in Hong Kong are warning of a new “Click Farm Job Scam” that convinces victims to register and buy products on websites to help the companies boost their sales. This is a variant of task scams but more devious because the victims will use their own money to buy products or make deposits. They initially make excellent commissions but later lose tens of thousands while scammers disappear.
Six US Banks Perform Urgent Block And Reissue After Data Breach
Mainstreet Bank, Savers Bank, The Village Bank, Watertown Savings Bank, Webster Five Cents Savings Bank, and Eagle Bank are all performing an urgent block and reissue of debit cards after a merchant’s payment platform breach.
The banks reacted after receiving an alert from Mastercard warning of the compromise.
New Scam Alert ⚠️ - Refund Phishing Fraud Is Spiking
Rippleshot is warning of tens and thousands of attempts to phish customers with a new refund scam. Scammers now create fake charges on victims’ cards and provide their "customer service" number. Often, the merchant's name starts with a telephone number - for example, 1-800-654-3212 Pets because they want victims to call them.
When the victim calls, they steal their banking credentials and personal information. Their advice now? Never call merchant numbers directly from suspicious charges or emails they receive.
“Thousands” of US Postal Service Employees Stealing Mail
Criminals are infiltrating the US Postal Service.
A new report by the postal service suggests that criminal organizations are recruiting thousands of rank-and-file postal employees to steal credit cards, checks, gift cards, medication, and other valuables.
If you wonder why check fraud is rampant, now you know.
Army Hero Was Nothing More Than Deepfake AI Romance Scam
Murdy said he was 61, from Nashville. He was about to be sent to Cuba on one final mission before his retirement.
In a series of videos sent to Mary, a care worker in her sixties from the east of England, his life seemed utterly convincing. He mentioned her by name and referenced their recent text message conversations.
But Murdy did not exist. His videos, his image, and his voice were created by artificial intelligence.
The Fraudster Known As “Scam Likely”
Deandre Merrit started as a lone wolf identity thief in 2014, perpetrating fraud here and there. But it wasn’t until the pandemic that he escalated his fraud talents and started to go by the moniker “Scam Likely”, stealing millions from at least four states.
When the pandemic funds dried up, he shifted to check fraud, stealing mail with arrow keys and hiring homeless people and drug users to act as mules to cash checks at banks.
Merrit is the shapeshifting fraudster we always talk about, shifting his schemes to whatever target is easiest to steal from.
They Relaxed Financial Aid Fraud Rules, Scammers Rushed In
The Education Department announced in February that “We are going to bring verification rates to among their lowest ever!”
In hindsight, it was a massive mistake because community colleges are reporting a flood of scammers taking advantage. For example, over $7.5 million has already been identified in California.
Vicious Insurance Fraud Bear Attacks Luxury Cars
Have you seen this story yet? It is sadly hilarious.
In what is being dubbed “Operation Bear Claw” four people were arrested this week after it was revealed that they used a life-sized bear costume to stage attacks on their luxury cars to get a big insurance payout.
I think this is the costume they bought from Amazon with a one-star review. 👉️ Bad Costume
The Botox Fraudster Claimed She Looked Young For Hurricane Relief
44-year-old Veronica Torres stole her elderly mother’s identity to file for fraudulent hurricane relief in her name.
When she showed up to collect the money, the employee thought she looked far too young, and Torres replied that she had just undergone a lot of botox treatments which explained her young appearance.
She was told to come back the next day to pick up the check, but she was carted off to jail.
DOH! Police Impersonator Scammer FaceTimes A Real Cop
A viral Facetime video is making the rounds in India after a scammer cop accidentally dialed a real cop. The scammer looks stunned as the real cop (in full uniform) turns on his video, revealing who he was.
To make it worse, the scammer and the real cop look like they could be twins.
AI Granny Devastates Scammers 😆
O2 created this brilliant AI called Daisy, who has all the time in the world to waste scammers ’ time.
The best thing I have seen all week!
That’s a wrap for another weekly edition of FrankonFraud. I hope you have an amazing week ahead fighting fraud.