How To Prevent Fraud
Everyone is susceptible to fraud. Innocent people fall victim to fraud scams every day. Quick Collect wants to prevent this from happening to you. So here are some fraud scam scenarios for you to consider before sending any money.
1. Never send money to people you do not know personally
Most fraud involves the victim sending money to a stranger, whether you are aware that this person is a stranger or whether this stranger has befriended you over a period of time. This request may also come from someone that you have “met” online, through an ad, e-mail, chat room or any other form of messaging – even if you have exchanged pictures and possibly spoke on the phone. Do not send them any money. They will disappear together with your money.
2. Scammers may pretend to be someone you trust
Scammers may try to get your money by getting in touch with you, claiming to be someone in a position of trusts such as a government official, a bank official or a charity. Do not provide any personal details or transfer any funds to such persons, even if the number or location of such number appears legit. It is relatively easy to use fake caller ID information. Government and bank employees will never request you to wire funds.
It is also common for the imposter to pretend to be a family member or a friend in distress, needing cash for an emergency. Some examples of such emergencies could be claims that they need the money because they are being detained, involved in a car accident, or need to pay fines. Never send money before verifying with your family member or friend that they have indeed requested such funds from you by calling them back on a number that you know belongs to them or by contacting them using a different medium, or by asking personal questions that an imposter would not be able to answer.
3. Do your research
You can always use a search engine to search a number or “company” that is reaching out to you and requesting money. Search using words like “scam”, “fraud” or “review”. You can also search a phrase that describes the situation that you are in, for example, “call from the bank requesting money transfer”.
4. Never pay anything upfront
You may get a request to make an upfront payment with a promise of getting bigger money or financial help. In return you may be promised a job, mortgage assistance, credit card offers, loan offers, debt relief, insurance cover, timeshare, and so on. It is highly unlikely that you would be requested to wire money to receive credit or loan. It is ILLEGAL for a telemarketing salesperson to request a payment via money transfer.
5. Lottery Scams
You may receive news (through any medium) that you have won a grand prize in a lottery that you do not even recall participating in. You are requested to wire some funds so as to be able to cash out your prize. Even if this amount is small, especially when compared to the cash prize you are being offered, it is a scam. You might even receive a check and asked to wire taxes and fees. The check is probably fake (even if cashed) and you will lose any money that you send as well as the money cashed from the fake check.
6. Purchases or Rentals
Never wire money to purchase or rent something from someone you do not know, whether you have seen the advertisement on a website, a newspaper, a magazine, a letter, email or SMS. There are other ways to send your payment safely. Such purchases or rent could be for anything, ranging from an apartment to a puppy, timeshare, or car. The scammer may even copy a legitimate rental or sale listing or he may make up listings of property or things that do not even exist.
7. Receiving Checks
You may receive a check together with instructions to deposit it and to wire some (or possibly all) the money somewhere particular. The check is fake, even if accepted by bank tellers (it may look legitimate and fool bank tellers too) – It may take the bank weeks to inform you that the check was a fake. If it turns out that the check was a fake, you will be responsible for it and you will owe that money you withdrew to your bank.
If you send money as a result of a scam, it is highly unlikely that you will ever get your money back. Quick Collect NOT responsible for verifying the authenticity of the person you’re dealing with.
If you suspect that you have become a victim of fraud, you should:
1. Report to your local police immediately
2. File an online complaint with the https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/ contact them by phone at Toll-free: 1-888-221-1687
3. If the fraudster contacted you through the internet, you should also file a report with the https://www.222tips.com/contact
8. Online Dating Scams
It's everything you've hoped for and more. She's beautiful, smart, witty, and you two just "get" each other. Sure, you've never met her in person — but that doesn't matter. You've been talking to her for months, exchanged pictures, maybe even spoken on the phone. Sometime soon you'll get to meet, but right now she's on the other side of the world, no doubt doing humanitarian work. Then, there is a problem. She's got an emergency and needs some funds. Not a lot, just a couple hundred dollars. Can you do that? And then the next week, someone got sick. You don't mind covering that too, right? Guess what? That beautiful woman you fell in love with in Ghana? She's probably a bearded man. He's built your trust, and now he's ready to take you for all your worth.
9. The Relative in Need Scam
Your grandchild is traveling in Mexico and has suddenly run out of money. She sends you an urgent email or phone call saying she has an emergency and asks for money. You don't remember her telling you she was going to travel to Mexico, but you're worried about her safety and want to ensure she's okay. So you send her a couple of hundred dollars. What're a couple hundred dollars when it comes to your grandchild's safety?
10. The Mystery Shopper Scam
Lucky you! You just landed a new gig as a mystery shopper and have been assigned your first task. All you need to do evaluate the customer service of a local retail store. Sounds easy enough, right? There is just one catch. You were sent a check or money order with instructions to deposit it, yet you find out the amount is more than it should be. So, now you need to send money back to the sender. Sounds a little fishy, but you don't think too much of it. Yet, as soon as you send your transaction, you learn that the original check was counterfeit and now you can't get back the money you just sent. So now you're out for both amounts.
11. The Vehicle Purchase Scam
Your fervent internet search for a great deal on your dream car has paid off! You found the car you want at a much lower price than what your local dealership is willing to offer. You contact the seller and he/she tells you to send either a down payment and/or the service fees for the application loan through a money transfer so you can avoid sales tax and get a better rate. He or she may even send you a receipt. Do not send a down payment or service fees via a money transfer. You won’t get your dream vehicle and you won’t get your money back.
12. The Internet Purchase Scam
You’ve found a terrific price on an apartment rental online and decide to move forward with signing the lease. Only the lease is actually a scammer who asks you to pay for the first month with a money transfer and that too-good-to-be-true apartment doesn’t actually exist. Be wary when shopping online and someone asks you to pay with a money transfer or even send a deposit to an individual or fake business. This can happen with any online purchase – a puppy, a vacation rental, a timeshare, or a car. You name it. Do not wire money for internet purchases. You won’t get the merchandise and you won’t get your money back.
13. The Newspaper Ads Scam
It’s Sunday morning, you’ve just poured yourself a fresh cup of coffee and are ready to sit down to breakfast, a newspaper in hand. Turning to the classifieds, you notice an ad for a new, stainless steel refrigerator for a price that seems too good to be true. You think about how you’ve needed a new refrigerator for some time and decide to take the plunge. You purchase it. Sure, you’re a little skeptical because you’re buying it from a stranger and even stranger yet – they’ve asked you to transfer money to them for the purchase. Never use a money transfer to purchase something from a stranger. You may never get the item and you’ll lose your money.
14. Charity Scam
A recent natural disaster has left an entire nation reeling to rebuild in the aftermath of destruction and you want to do your part to help by donating money. Sadly enough, natural disasters such as floods, tornados or hurricanes often result in scammers staging "charitable" organizations that prey on well-intentioned people. Your heart goes out to these people who have just lost everything. You receive a call or a letter from a charitable organization telling you exactly where to transfer money. Be sure to never send money to people or organizations that you don't know. Instead, contact the American Red Cross or another trusted organization that you know and that you understand how the funds are being collected and used. Chances are, if you transfer money to an organization you don't know, your money will not go to the intended cause but rather into the pockets of scammers.
15. The Check or Money Order Scam
You receive a check or money order through the mail as an advanced payment for that awesome job you’ve just landed – or for the merchandise you’re selling through an online ad. The only catcher is that the amount of the check is more than it should be so the scammer tells you to deposit the check and then wire the amount they’ve “overpaid” back to them. Before you know it, you realize that the check or money order is counterfeit and – worse yet – you can’t get back the money you sent through the money transfer.
16. The Elder Abuse Scam
While this scam can take on many shapes, it’s critical to know that nearly a third of all telemarketing fraud victims are age 60 or older. Be careful about sending money to a stranger in exchange for the promise of such things as home improvement, predatory lending, estate planning, or even just a large sum of money to build your “nest egg.” Don’t ever let a stranger manage your finances and assets. Scammers will try hard to manipulate you into turning over the property and/or money, which can leave your checking account or entire life savings wiped out within minutes. Never trust your money to someone you don’t know.
17. Billing
All transfers are subject to security verification. Your billing name, and phone number, and Zip Code must match the information that appears on your Debit card statement, failing which, your Transfer may be delayed or be canceled.
18. Website Security
We take all necessary measures to ensure that your information is transmitted safely and securely. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is used for every transaction that is placed through our site.
19. REPORT FRAUD
Contact Quick Collect fraud department
We want to know about it so that we can do everything in our power to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Contact us by email at FraudPrevention@quickcollect.com.