Face to face scams can be some of the most frightening to be a victim of. Instead of anonymous hackers, the victim is brought face to face with the thief.
The way these scams typically work is using a pretense to meet at a specific location for any of a number of purposes. It could be to repay a debt owed by a family member or perhaps bail for a loved one in trouble.
The victim of the face to face scam either is defrauded of the funds or is placed in a position where they have to give the funds to the perpetrator or else they – or a loved one held ostensibly for ransom – will come to harm.
Sometimes a face to face scam will involve cash, other times the victim is asked to hand over a debit card and their PIN.
These scams are some of the most brazen, but also the most traumatizing to the victim. Learn more about them by watching this space. See below:
TSSA Impersonators: How The Scam Works This occurs in Ontario, Canada as you're reading this article. There have been reports that phony contractors disguised as gas inspectors with the TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) are gaining access to peoples' homes with the intent of selling them water heaters and furnaces. They are posing as […]
Dog For Sale in the Park Scam: How It Works Imagine you are on vacation or walk in a park, having a lovely time with your significant other. As you are walking or sitting on a bank you meet a man with a beautiful dog. You ask if you can pet the dog, which […]
How the scam works: Many people rate “watching television” as one of their favorite pastimes. With the preponderance of HDTV’s for sale today, the need for more and better cables to operate these sophisticated systems is staggering. But there are things to be aware of before you shell out big bucks on “special cables” to […]
How the scam works: Traveling is a wonderful and educational way to spend time. In fact, many people rate it as one of their favorite ways to spend their leisure time. Scammers are well aware of peoples’ propensity to see the sites, especially in such famous places as our Nation’s capitol, and will do anything […]
How the scam works: You’ve just had a long day of shopping at the mall and your arms are heavy with purchases as you make your way out the door into the parking lot. Suddenly a woman, dressed very stylishly and holding a perfume bottle, approaches you. She advises you the store you just left […]
How the scam works: Imagine you are shopping on a busy street. As you are walking, carrying your purchases, you see someone right besides you hop on a bike and ride away, followed by a person yelling for help to get his/her newly stolen bike back. If your gut instinct is to drop your things […]
How the scam works: This scam proves to be incredibly lucrative fast. Scammers will go door to door selling so-called counterfeit pens to businesses, claiming to be representatives of a marketing company which manufactures anti-fraud pens. They explain the pens work by marking the bills. If the color of the stroke turns green – the […]
How the scam works: Chances are you've played this game before at the carnival. Simply try to knock down the pyramid of six or more cans to win a prize. It's all a scam, even when you've actually done it. How is that possible? When you took your free turn and won, the heavier cans […]
How the scam works: Look at this card for a few seconds. The card is a 5. Look carefully at the very first row of tiny arrows, at the top. If you count the arrows from right to left, you’ll see that the fifth arrow has a little touch-up on the side. Scammers are working […]
How the scam works: (with video below) The Cloned Debit Card scam has been marking an alarming growth lately. The crooks operating it are either employees at a store you usually shop at — as they work till– or just come into stores as ‘customers’ and stick a skimmer into the PIN pad while the […]
PIN Pad Switch Scheme: How It Works (with video below) This scam makes its rounds again hitting the small business owners or cashiers at coffee shops, juice franchises or convenience stores. It is called the PIN Pad Switch Scheme. How does the scam work? Watch the video below to see in action the PIN Pad […]
Beware of the Water Purification Systems aka Home Water Filtration System scam, making its rounds right now.
How the scam works: (with video below) You are in need of a locksmith or plumber and find an ad for a technician advertising services for “only $25”. You hire them, but at the end of the service you're charged $75. When you try to argue they say the $25 is just the callout charge […]
Lottery Scratch Card Winners: How The Scam Works (with video below) As you probably know, most grocery stores have free magazine stands at their exit doors. Imagine this: one day, you find some lottery scratch cards on those stands. You pick one, scratch it and bam! The 3 numbers (or 5) in a row match! […]
Magazine Subscriptions Scam: How It Works Magazine subscribers often receive renewal solicitations disguised as bills from crooks. The thing is, you could become a victim of this scam whether you have a subscription for a printed magazine or for an online one.There are two variations of the scam: Scenario 1. The scammers select a […]
How the scam works: You might be walking through a mall or a street market and get called at by a woman (maybe wearing a doctor’s smock) at a table full of magnets who invites you for a 2-minute trial therapy, for just a few bucks. She starts moving a magnet all over your body or on […]
How the scam works: You are going towards a security gate and put your bag on the metal detector conveyor belt. Another person sneaks in front of you, seeming to be in a hurry. You are not in a rush, so you don’t mind. Then he gets held up at the detector, taking coins out of […]
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