GOLDMINE FOR SCAMMERS WHO CREATE
LOOK-ALIKE FACEBOOK
ACCOUNTS.
BY STEALING INFORMATION FROM
FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, THEY
PROMOTE PHONY COVID-19 RELIEF
GRANTS AND SEND THE INFORMATION
TO THEIR NETWORK OF PHONY
FRIENDS
LIST.
WATE, SIX ON YOUR SIDE CONSUMER
REPORTER DON DARE TALKED WITH
A WOMAN IN BLAINE
DON:
WHAT TIPPED HER OFF IS THE OLD
ADAGE THAT GOES LIKE THIS, IF
YOU
HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING
THAT'S
FREE, THEN IT'S A SCAM. BUT IN
TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES, IT CAN BE
HARD TO TURN DOWN FREE
MONEY, ESPECIALLY IF IT APPEARS
TO BE
RECOMMENDED BY A FRIEND.
JANN LONGMIRE, A CANCER
SURVIVOR,
IS IN REMISSION, YET CONTINUES
TO
SEE HER DOCTOR MONTHLY. MRS.
LONGMIRE'S FRIENDS ARE
AWARE OF HER ILLNESS AND SEND
ENCOURAGING MESSAGES TO HER
ON JANN'S FACEBOOK PAGE. EARLIER
THIS MONTH, SOMEONE
IMPERSONATING JANN'S FRIEND
CATHY DOBBS SENT A TEXT.
JANN LONGMIRE: I REPLIED BACK TO
RIGHT NOW. SHE ASKED ME, HAS
DHHS CONTACTED ME? SHE
SAID, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICE, HAVE YOU
HEARD FROM THEM? I SAID, NO I
HAVEN'T. IN A REPLY, JANN WAS
TOLD THE
GOVERNMENT WAS OFFERING
FINANCIAL HELP TO PEOPLE IN ILL
HEALTH.
I TOLD HER, THAT'S A NICE THING,
BUT I'M NOT IN NEED
RIGHT NOW. AND, ANYWAY, THAT'S
WHEN SHE SENT ME THIS
WEBSITE. HIS NAME IS ROBERT
JAMES. HE SAID, IT'S A FEDERAL
ORGANIZATION.
AT THAT POINT, JANN DOWNLOADED
THE WEBSITE, GAVE HER NAME, BUT
NO PERSONAL INFORMATION, AND
THEN RECEIVED A TEXT RESPONSE TO
FILL OUT A FORM.
JANN: SO, I DID FILL IT OUT. IN
THE MEANTIME, I GO BACK TO
CATHY AND SAID ARE YOU SURE THIS
IS RIGHT. I SAID, IT SOUNDS KIND
OF FISHY TO ME. SHE SAID, OH,
NO, YOU REALLY NEED TO
DO THIS.JUST DO WHAT THEY TELL
YOU. I GOT 100-HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS. IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH
FOR YOU.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. DARE: WOW.
SO AT THAT POINT YOU GO
BACK TO MR. JAMES? AND HE SAID
YES, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE ON
HERE, YOU'RE APPROVED. YOU ARE
TO
CHOOSE BELOW THE AMOUNT YOU WANT
TO GET. DARE: WHAT'S THE AMOUNT?
JANN: IT SAYS I PAY 500 DOLLARS
AND I GET 50-THOUSAND. OR, I PAY
A THOUSAND AND GET A
HUNDRED-THOUSAND. OR, I CAN PAY
2-THOUSAND AND GET 200 THOUSAND.
IT JUST KEEPS GOING UNTIL IT
GETS UP TO 12 MILLION. DARE: AT
FIRST YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE
REAL? AT
FIRST, BECAUSE HE SAID DHHS, YOU
KNOW. DARE: YOU
THOUGHT IT WAS REAL? JANN: YES,
THIS IS A FRIEND TELLING ME
THIS.
THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
SAYS "BEWARE OF SCAMMERS
LIKE FACEBOOK. BY DOING THIS THE
FTC
SAYS "CON ARTISTS CREATE
SEPARATE
LOOK-ALIKE PROFILES BY STEALING
A FRIENDS PICTURE."
NEVER PAY ANY MONEY FOR A SO-
CALLED "FREE" GOVERNMENT
GRANT. IF YOU HAVE TO PAY MONEY,
ISN'T REALLY FREE. AND, THE FTC
SAYS
SCAMMERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
JANN: THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME I
SAID, NO. BUT THANK YOU ANYWAY.
JANN FIRED OFF ANOTHER TEXT TO
JAMES ROBERTS.
JANN: JUST WHAT I FIGURED, A
SCAM. I'M CALLING THE POLICE
NOW. I WILL PAY YOU NOTHING.
DARE: YOU ARE AFRAID THAT
OTHER PEOPLE WOULD THINK THAT
THIS IS REAL? JANN: OH,
SURE. I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD. THAT'S WHAT
CONCERNS ME. DON'T DO IT. DO NOT
DO IT.
DON:
REMEMBER JANN WAS TOLD THE
GRANT WOULD BE COMING FROM THE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES.
WELL H.H.S. DOES OFFER GRANTS
TO
SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS, BUT
NOT TO INDIVIDUALS.
ANOTHER DEAD GIVE AWAY OF A
SCAM, AND JANN NOTED THIS TO US,
IS THAT THE TEXT MESSAGES SHE
RECEIVED WERE FILLED WITH POOR
GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION.
AND IT'S LIKELY, HHS WOULD NOT
BE
SENDING YOU TEXT MESSAGES. BO.
BO:
THANKS DON.
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER QUESTION
FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
EMAIL AT D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT
COM, OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR
SIDE HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
LORI:
WE'RE JUST TWO DAYS OUT FROM
INAUGURATION DAY..
LORI: