admin: Quick note:Warning by Utah Department of Insurance on international wire-fraud scheme in which the fraudsters used the name of Nationwide Insurance and instructed targets to send $3,750 to the U.K. by MoneyGram or Western Union to claim a $150,000 prize:http://www.insurance.utah.gov/docs/PressReleases/PR-Fraud-Nationwide.pdfAlso, story in The Salt Lake Tribune about a warning put out by the Utah Commerce Department after a woman who tried to sell a dishwasher for $45 in a classified ad received $1,900 in bogus money orders and was instructed to cash them, take out $45 for the dishwasher, another $100 for her inconvenience — and then send the balance to Georgia via MoneyGram.The woman, believing she had been targeted in a scam, called her state legislator, who reported the incident to the Commerce Department, which issued the scam warning.http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_13603402Patrick

Yet they won’t do anything about the ‘google’ scams going on in their own state.
http://scam.com/showthread.php?t=118436
http://scam.com/showthread.php?t=56093

Missouri woman, 82, was called on phone and told her grandson, a veteran of the Iraq War and a Purple Heart recipient, had been jailed in Canada and needed $5,000 to get bailed out.

Could Grandma please wire the money via MoneyGram?

Grandma wired 5K. The scammers called back and asked for another 5K.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/C05AA6FDB80800448625765500802A87?OpenDocument

Patrick

Warning by Utah Department of Insurance on international wire-fraud scheme in which the fraudsters used the name of Nationwide Insurance and instructed targets to send $3,750 to the U.K. by MoneyGram or Western Union to claim a $150,000 prize:

http://www.insurance.utah.gov/docs/PressReleases/PR-Fraud-Nationwide.pdf

Also, story in The Salt Lake Tribune about a warning put out by the Utah Commerce Department after a woman who tried to sell a dishwasher for $45 in a classified ad received $1,900 in bogus money orders and was instructed to cash them, take out $45 for the dishwasher, another $100 for her inconvenience — and then send the balance to Georgia via MoneyGram.

The woman, believing she had been targeted in a scam, called her state legislator, who reported the incident to the Commerce Department, which issued the scam warning.

http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_13603402

Patrick

Whether or not criminal charges will follow.

The agreement specifically states:

“7. This Order is in addition to, and not in lieu of,any other civil or criminal remedies that may be provided by law”

One wonders whether, in the current economic climate, the political will exists to draw a line in the sand with these fraud enablers.

Readers may wish to acquaint/reacquaint themselves with this column by Gregg Evans:

http://patrickpretty.com/2009/07/09/guest-column-payment-processors-that-give-refunds-unilaterally-help-surf-industry-live-to-see-another-day/

Patrick