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The FBI and the Better Business Bureau have each warned consumers in recent days about vacation scams.
As it turns out, the warnings were issued while I was exchanging emails with a vacation scammer.
The first message I got was apparently from Brian Borsook, a real doctor in Torrance.
“Hello,†the email said. “I was just wondering if I could get a quick favor from you.” “
Of course, I answered. I get emails from people in the medical profession all the time (some of which turn into columns, like last week’s article about leaked documents that showed huge markups by Scripps Memorial Hospital).
“It’s good to hear from you,” was the response. “I am so sorry to bother you with this mail.”
Then came the warning that I didn’t really correspond with Dr. Borsook.
“I need to get Google Play gift cards for my friend,†the email said. “I cannot do this now as I am currently isolated for Covid and tried to buy online but unfortunately no luck with that.”
What are the issues here? Let’s count the paths.
First of all, the gift cards. I can’t say enough: Any online request for untraceable, non-refundable gift cards is a scam. This is especially true if you are unsure of the person or organization making the request.
Second, the scammer said he couldn’t buy the gift cards himself (guess he’s a guy; most crooks are). He’s locked in with COVID-19.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, pandemic scams have skyrocketed since early 2020. Nearly 280,000 reports of fraud involving COVID have been filed with the agency, with losses approaching $ 650 million.
Finally, the scammer said he tried to buy gift cards online but had no luck. It’s just silly. There are tons of sites that sell gift cards. You can also buy gift cards directly from individual retailers, including Google Play.
“Can you get it at any store around you?” The crook asked me. “I will reimburse as soon as I get back.” Let me know if you can handle this. Wait for your fastest response.
I didn’t keep him waiting long. I asked how many gift cards he needed.
“Okay, thank you,” replied the fake Dr Borsook. “I’ll need you to get the card for $ 100 x 5 and scratch the backs of all 5 cards to reveal the pins, then take a photo on the back of the cards showing the pin.”
That is, he was brazenly asking me to provide him with the card numbers and PINs for $ 500 worth of gift cards.
Once I did that, the scammer told me, he would pass the information on to his friend and she would have a very merry Christmas. And in case I was too Grinchy to be motivated by it, I was told that she also has a birthday coming up.
I asked where I should buy the gift cards. The scammer helpfully said that they are available at Walgreens, Target, Dollar General, Kroger, CVS, 7-Eleven and Best Buy.
It was finally time for me to take control of things.
“I’m sorry for being rude,†I replied, “but how do we know each other again? “
And that’s where the conversation ended. The scammer, having no correct answer to this question, moved on to another potential victim.
A spokesperson for Dr Borsook’s Torrance law firm said I was not the first person to ask about questionable emails on his behalf. Apparently, the Good Doctor’s evil twin reached out to a number of people in the area, victimizing him as well.
“Yes, we are aware of it and our IT guy is looking at it,” the spokesperson said.
The computer scientist probably won’t find much, except that the scammer uses a common trick when it comes to online impostor schemes.
Even though the emails appear to be from “Brian Borsook”, a close examination of the sender’s Gmail address shows that he added an additional letter – “Borsoook”.
It’s too easy for email recipients to ignore such subtle changes, making a fake email look legitimate. It also saves the scammer from having to hack a real email account.
Always examine the web address or email address of a suspicious request or offer. Additional letters or characters tell you that this is not the real deal.
FBI says its Internet Crime Complaints Center has received a record number of fraud reports last year – almost 800,000.
“Scammers unfortunately don’t take vacations, and the main thing on their list right now is stealing hard-earned money from people,” the agency warned in a statement. recent announcement.
He advised consumers to avoid unfamiliar websites promising big discounts on branded products. He also called any request for gift cards a “major red flag for fraud.”
For its part, the Better Business Bureau says vacation scams are on the increase and consumers should be especially wary of offers or requests made via email or social media.
“Use caution when stumbling across social media ads for discounted items, event promotions, job opportunities and donation requests, as well as direct messages from strangers,” he said. declared the organization. warned.
“If you are asked to make a payment or donation by wire transfer or wire transfer, through third parties, prepaid debit card or gift card, treat that as a red flag. “
Also, keep in mind that scammers are exploiting “season of giving” with bogus charity requests, not to mention bogus charity requests.
Make sure you are dealing with a genuine nonprofit group. Find out on sites like Charity browser and Charitywatch.
Only use credit cards for online transactions. Your chances of being protected against fraud are much better than if you use a debit card or most other payment methods.
And while it’s nice to think that any of us can be contacted by a celebrity at any time, that doesn’t happen a lot in real life. So, ignore any email or social media contact claiming to be from a movie or TV star.
Yes, that includes Keanu Reeves, whom the crooks would have us believe he spends every waking hour connecting with fans online and asking them for money. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
Oh, and Fake Dr. Borsook, you might want to choose your victims more carefully. Targeting a latimes.com email address for someone who writes frequently about scams is probably not the smartest move.
Having said that, please send me where I can drop off these gift cards. I totally promise not to immediately forward it to the FBI. Believe me.
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