On this very special episode of Money, I’m Home, Lynne is joined by The Sophisticated Fraudster to discuss some of the sneaky ways scammers like him are working to steal money and personal data from their unsuspecting victims.

 

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0:00:06.7 Lynne Jarman-Johnson (LJJ): Money I’m home. Welcome in. I’m Lynne Jarman-Johnson with Consumers Credit Union. From finance to fitness, we have it all. And I’ve got to tell you, I have to introduce you to someone today that I never want you to meet, The Sophisticated Fraudster. But you know what? Today we’re going to introduce you to him and all of his fraudster ways.

0:00:29.1 Sophisticated Fraudster (SF): Hello, Lynne.

0:00:30.4 LJJ: Well, how do you know my name?

0:00:31.8 SF: Lots of practice, I suppose.

0:00:34.1 LJJ: It is kind of interesting, you do dig deep into people’s backgrounds and things. I’ve heard.

0:00:39.4 SF: It’s not really too much digging, really. It’s quite easy.

0:00:43.3 LJJ: Easy?

0:00:44.0 SF: Easy.

0:00:45.5 LJJ: Well, we are here today so that we can really uncover some truths about fraud. So, let’s find out about the truth about you. How’d you get into this business?

0:00:56.6 SF: Quite frankly, I was in finance, I saw some opportunities and I took advantage.

0:01:03.5 LJJ: And so what happened? All of a sudden you just decided it was okay to scam people out of their own money after they worked so hard?

0:01:10.3 SF: Well quite frankly, I just saw opportunity.

0:01:12.8 LJJ: So, tell me about your favorite scam ever.

0:01:16.1 SF: Probably my favorite scam would have to be the text messaging scam. It’s quite simple, it’s quite easy, and I gain what I need.

0:01:24.2 LJJ: You just text random numbers?

0:01:25.9 SF: Absolutely. Or mostly I pose this, an account that perhaps most people have say eBay or PayPal or something to that effect and add a link and say there’s an error or a problem processing and people just click on the link.

0:01:40.8 LJJ: And you know what’s interesting to me is how deep that goes. Because if I did click on that link, I’d end up at a place that looks exactly like the businesses you’re talking about.

0:01:51.2 SF: Exactly. But it is my website. You’re on with my forms. It looks exactly identical. You wouldn’t know the difference.

0:01:58.6 LJJ: Now, that’s why it’s so important. Don’t just click on links randomly that just come into your phone. You have to know the trusted source. So Sophisticated Fraudster, we’ve talked a little bit about things like emails and we’ve talked about texting, but there are things that happen to our members and myself as an example, if I go to a gas station, or any place that has a card reader, it’s called skimming?

0:02:26.6 SF: Indeed. Yes.

0:02:27.7 LJJ: Are you into that, too?

0:02:29.8 SF: Yes, I am into skimming. It’s quite a easy little contraption that a little more sophisticated on my end, but quite simple really.

0:02:38.4 LJJ: And so what do I need to look for to make sure that I don’t get scammed?

0:02:42.9 SF: Well we enter little skimming devices into a card reader, say at your local gas station. And you just swipe your card in it, instead of going to the place it needs to, it goes to me and I collect the information I need.

0:02:57.8 LJJ: And then you collect money?

0:03:00.5 SF: Absolutely. I get the account number and all things I need.

0:03:03.2 LJJ: I want ask you, what would be something that just infuriates you because they caught trying to be a fraudster?

0:03:10.9 SF: I hate when they find my skimmers and when they figure out my email’s, not me. They have the audacity to actually call their financial institution and ask them if they’ve gotten that email. Ridiculous.

0:03:23.3 LJJ: Yeah, I’ve really, it’s… This makes me very uncomfortable to be interviewing a fraudster, but I do want you to know it’s very important to know what not to do. And you had mentioned that emails as an example, you just really don’t like it when people really look to see where the email’s from.

0:03:41.2 SF: Indeed.

0:03:42.0 LJJ: What about texting, how in the world, texting, you just get and now you just don’t pay attention, you just respond back.

0:03:48.3 SF: Indeed, it’s my favorite as well.

0:03:51.2 LJJ: So, what is it about texting that you have learned? Is it more personal?

0:03:56.3 SF: It’s a bit more personal because it’s coming right into their text and they get alert immediately, almost.

0:04:02.7 LJJ: So, have you found that it’s like if it says click on this link, that’s really what will make you mad. If we are like, yeah, no.

0:04:11.3 SF: Indeed. Yeah. If they don’t click on my link, then I’m not making money. You’re costing me.

0:04:17.2 LJJ: Well, that would be a good thing.

0:04:20.1 SF: I guess.

0:04:21.6 LJJ: So, tell me about your lifestyle.

0:04:23.8 SF: What about it? It’s sophisticated like me.

0:04:26.7 LJJ: Where did you grow up?

0:04:28.0 SF: I can’t tell you that, it’s none of your business.

0:04:30.6 LJJ: Well, you make it your business to get everybody else’s business.

0:04:34.7 SF: Well.

0:04:35.8 LJJ: Do you watch regular TV shows?

0:04:36.1 SF: Absolutely not.

0:04:37.2 LJJ: Do you play any games?

0:04:38.9 SF: No, I don’t handle anything, that’s for Jeeves.

0:04:42.7 LJJ: Well, you don’t play like chess. That’s a smart person’s game.

0:04:45.7 SF: No, I’m more an ideas man.

0:04:48.3 LJJ: So, tell me a little bit about your yacht.

0:04:51.5 SF: Yes, it’s quite large actually.

0:04:54.3 LJJ: While you are traveling.

0:04:55.9 SF: Indeed.

0:04:57.2 LJJ: You’re still being a fraudster.

0:05:00.1 SF: Anywhere and everywhere right now I’m making money.

0:05:01.9 LJJ: 24/7?

0:05:02.8 SF: 24/7.

0:05:04.0 LJJ: You’re contacting people at all times.

0:05:06.0 SF: At all times.

0:05:07.0 LJJ: It doesn’t matter what time of day or night.

0:05:08.6 SF: Night’s my favorite actually.

0:05:10.3 LJJ: Why?

0:05:11.4 SF: A 3:00 AM text might amplify the chaos of the moment to get what I need.

0:05:19.5 LJJ: Well, this has been quite an interesting episode. I can’t thank you enough Sophisticated Fraudster.

0:05:25.1 SF: You’re most welcome, Lynne.

0:05:26.5 LJJ: I have to say that saying thank you to a fraudster is not something that I thought I would do. But I will say to this as a member, please know that education is the most important thing. When you are aware of your surroundings, when you’re aware of what’s going on in your financial wallet, then you will succeed. So today we got to meet the Sophisticated Fraudster who is going to everyday, 24/7.

0:05:53.0 SF: 24/7.

0:05:54.3 LJJ: Keep trying to scam us. Now, don’t forget, if you find yourself in a situation where you have been scammed, number one, don’t be embarrassed. Pick up the phone and call us here at Consumers or go into your financial institution. But whatever you do, don’t shy away from telling people because we’re here to help. I am Lynne Jarman-Johnson, thank you again, Sophisticated Fraudster.

0:06:19.5 SF: You’re most welcome.

0:06:20.8 LJJ: Money, I’m Home. Don’t forget, send in your topics today. And again, if you do accidentally fall victim to a scam, don’t be embarrassed. Head into your local financial institution. Call us here at Consumers Credit Union. We are here to end his career.