Tips and Tricks from CyberWyoming May 23, 2022

Fake Adobe Attachment:  A Laramie citizen received a scam email from “Share Point” whose email address was doc@hardroot.biz with a subject line of “A new document has been shared with you on 5/12/2022 10:28:49 p.m. – POS”.  The citizen noted the time of 10:30 at night as unusual and said the Adobe PDF graphic didn’t look quite right.  CyberWyoming Note: hardroot.biz appears to be a legitimate website, but it seems that one of their email addresses may have been compromised.
2016 Refund:  If you receive an urgent final attempt about a refund from 2016, but it contains no information on why you are being refunded or what you are being refunded for, remember that these half stories are often scams.  The Florida citizen that reported this scam received a third attempt from improoveandblance.com and a final notice from bestfromusforu.com, giving him a clue that this was truly fake.  
Mailbox Space Full:  If you receive an email with the subject line of “You Have Pending Mails” from noreply@war.clinic saying you need to upgrade your mailbox space, a Laramie citizen wants you to know it is a scam.  While the war.clinic domain appears to be a valid site for reducing lower back pain, it appears that one of their email addresses is compromised.  
Another Dying Widow Scheme: Often these schemes use religion and say they prayed to find you to help them give away their money to charity, but end up scamming you out of your hard earned dollars.  Mrs. Marina Oswald from a Gmail address is no exception.  A Laramie citizen wants you to know it is a scam.
Odd Spacing is a Clue:  If you receive an email from Gil “W illiams” and the greeting is “H e l l o” then be sure to note the odd spacing and take it as a clue that the email is a scam.  Gil claims to run a private consultancy business with high net-worth individuals and needs help transferring money.  Reported by a Laramie citizen.
EBay Customer Care Team Impersonation:  A Florida citizen reported a fake shipping notice from clockburnsident.com, spoofed as “Hi”, and the subject line of “Your order is ready”.  The email supposedly came from ebay.com, but you have to look closely for the branding.  The many links in the email send you to a UK we address.
Watch for Surge in Crowdfunding Scams:  With the US accounting for more than 40% of crowdfunding activity worldwide, be extra cautious.   The war in Ukraine and increased healthcare costs are fueling a huge rise in crowdfunding scams.  Popular sites like GoFundMe, Kickstarter (mainly used for business projects), and Indiegogo, are doing all they can to spot and remove the crooks but they're fighting an overwhelming tide of scams.  How to avoid the scam?  Don’t act impulsively and call to check out the funding request.  Brought to you by Scambusters.org.
No Room Service: You're staying at a hotel when a "room service" menu is popped under your door. The food looks good and reasonably priced, so you call the number and place an order using your debit card. In a recent well-publicized case, a traveler did just that only to discover the menu was not genuine and the supposed room service did not exist. The crook used the card number to drain $6,000 from the victim's account. Use the hotel directory or call the front desk if you want to order.  Brought to you by Scambusters.org.

Beware of Bill Discount Scams:  Scambusters.org wants you to know that if you get a phone call claiming that the caller can save you money on your utility bill, they are really looking to steal your credit card number.  Wyoming Resources: If you really need help paying a utility bill, call Wyoming 211 and they can direct you to legitimate resources.  https://wy211.communityos.org/
WFH Overpayment: The Better Business Bureau warns that the surge in working from home (WFH) has attracted a horde of overpayment scammers: They offer you a home job and say they'll help pay for you to set up your home office first. They send you a check and then tell you they sent too much, asking you wire back part of the sum. The check bounces and you're out the amount you sent the crook.  Brought to you by Scambusters.org.
MS-ISAC and CISA Patch Now Alert: The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) or the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published a patch now (update your software) alert for Mozilla Firefox, VMWare, Apple, Apache Tomcat, SonicWall SSLVPN SMA100 Series, and Zyxel Firewall and VPN products.  If you use these products, make sure the software (or firmware) is updated.  
Please report scams you may experience to phishing@cyberwyoming.org to alert your friends and neighbors.
Other ways to report a scam:
● Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker: www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us/reportscam
● Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection 307-777-6397, 800-438-5799 orag.consumer@wyo.gov
● File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
● Report your scam to the FBI at https://www.ic3.gov/Home/FileComplaint
● Reported unwanted calls to the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registration. Online at https://www.donotcall.gov/report.html or call 1-888-382-1222, option 3
● Office of the Inspector General:  https://oig.ssa.gov/
● AARP Fraud Watch Network (any age welcome) Helpline 877-908-3360
● IRS: report email scams impersonating the IRS to phishing@irs.gov
● Call the Wyoming Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for assistance with potential Medicare fraud, abuse, or errors at 1 800 856-4398
 
Victim Support: The AARP Fraud Watch Network and Volunteers of America (VOA) created a new, free program to provide emotional support for people impacted by a scam or fraud, called ReST. Visit www.aarp.org/fraudsupport to learn more about the free program and register.