Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is issuing a warning regarding a new scam targeting victims who have already lost hundreds of dollars.  Following  the U.S. District Court Judge order  to halt seven alleged tech support scams,  the already fleeced  consumers are being contacted by phone with offers of purported compensation.  The same people are now targeted again by bogus refund companies.

BBB has learned that the callers appear very credible and have a lot of information about the person they are calling. They inform the victims about the US Court order against the company that defrauded them by “servicing their PC “ and claim they are ready to offer a refund  if the consumer boots his/her  computer.

“To target those individuals who have already lost hundreds of dollars in the first scam is particularly cruel,”  said Kim States, BBB President.   “We are very concerned about the way the fraudsters  are now targeting the vulnerable victims of the original tech scam, taking advantage of the publicity given to the recent government action. “

BBB urges anyone who has been contacted in connection with either the original virus removal scam or the fraudulent offer of compensation to contact the Federal Trade Commission at 877- 382-4357, www.ftc.gov and The Internet Complaint Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

The Federal Trade Commission action can be viewed at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/10/pecon.shtm

With the worldwide attention the recent Colorado tragedy has received, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning those who want to help to be on guard and avoid charity scams.

Events like the one in Aurora can prompt charity fraudsters to exploit the emotional aspects of the tragedies to their advantage. Be especially cautious of any plea that is long on emotion and short on necessary details– such as where your donation goes, and how it will be used.

Individual fundraisers have already been started in the name of victims and survivors. These are managed most likely by family members of victims and survivors, employers, and other affected parties.

However, similar fundraisers may also crop up that appear to be legitimate but may not be. They may be set up by someone completely unrelated to those affected or someone posing as a friend, family member or otherwise related individual. Here’s how to try to steer clear of such scams:

• Verify a fundraiser’s legitimacy before donating
• Do not donate money on the spot to someone who comes to your door or solicits in a public place. Check them out first, no matter who they say they are.
• Know that fundraisers for individuals are not subject to many of the IRS requirements, laws, rules, or standards that traditional charitable organizations are. This also means that donations are generally not tax deductible. It may also be a real tax headache for recipients to receive direct donations as opposed to receiving donations through tax-exempt charitable organizations.

Other Tips:

• Beware of charities that use names or similar sounding names of well-known and trusted organizations. This may be a deliberate attempt to confuse their scam with a legitimate organization or fundraiser. Always verify they are who they say they are.

• Do not give donations over the phone. You cannot easily verify who is on the other end. Either donate to the organization in person or by mail- only sending to a verified and trusted address or on the charity’s secure and trusted website.

• Do not ever pay with cash (pay with check or credit card) and be wary of anyone that wants to send a courier or use an overnight delivery service to pick up your donation. Do not ever pay via wire transfer. Requests for wire transfers are always a huge red flag in any scam.

• Refuse high-pressure appeals. If the organization is legitimate, they’ll still need your donation tomorrow or whenever you are ready to give.

• Check out charities with the BBB. Charity reports can be found at www.bbb.org. Note that individual/memorial funds will not have a BBB report as they are not subject to our standards because they are not organizations that can be reviewed.

Be very careful online. And to ensure that your donation is getting into the right hands, stick with what you trust and what you’ve verified. The website, www.givingfirst.org is a helpful resource that lists several nonprofits that have are actively supporting causes related to the tragedy.

Southern Arizonans seeing the devastation wreaked by recent tornadoes are responding with generous gifts of time and money, as they’ve traditionally responded to disasters throughout the world.  But even when needs are close to home, givers should take steps to assure themselves that their donations will go to legitimate and reputable charities and relief efforts that have the capability to help victims, cautions BBB Wise Giving of Southern Arizona.

“Despite long experience in giving for major natural disasters, and with the desire to quickly help those in need, Americans sometimes forget to heed advice that’s relevant to all charitable giving,” says Kim States, BBB President.  “In the present situation, we advise donors to learn about what individual charities are doing and the time frame of their work. Donors who know what to expect from the charities they support are less likely to question the benefit of their gifts.”

BBB Wise Giving offers the following five tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations:

Take time to check out the charity. The best way to avoid being disappointed in helping Storm Relief Charities is to find out more about the charity before making the donation.  Unfortunately, most people don’t. Donors should review the charity’s website and go to third party sites such as the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (www.tucson.bbb.org/charity) to learn more about the charity and verify its accountability.

Identify what stage of relief the charity intends to provide. There are three general stages to relief efforts.  Find out which stage the charity is intending to address.  The Emergency Response stage involves immediate assistance and rescue needs and takes place within the first days after the storm.  Next, Disaster Relief occurs in the first month and provides clothing and temporary shelter for (more…)