{"id":30538,"date":"2023-04-27T16:12:03","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T19:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=30538"},"modified":"2023-04-27T16:20:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T19:20:25","slug":"fake-profiles-con-artists-and-blackmail-online-scams-proliferate-in-troubled-times-says-prof%ef%bf%bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/fake-profiles-con-artists-and-blackmail-online-scams-proliferate-in-troubled-times-says-prof%ef%bf%bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake profiles, con artists and blackmail: Online scams proliferate in troubled times, says prof\ufffc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/SCAM2-1280x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30539\" width=\"840\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/SCAM2-1280x640.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/SCAM2-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/SCAM2-1320x660.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/SCAM2.jpg 1500w\" \/><figcaption><em>A fake account initiates a conversation about the &#8220;gradient community outreach support program&#8221; in a chat via Facebook Messenger.<\/em> <em>Screengrab: CHMA<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A Sackville resident\u2019s Facebook profile was recently duplicated, or spoofed, in an apparent failed attempt at a confidence scam.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The social media platform soon removed the fake account, after users reported the case of identity theft to Facebook.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s just one of the online scams that proliferate during troubled times, according to an expert in identity theft and fraud.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo often they&#8217;re playing on people&#8217;s emotions in their darkest hours,\u201d said William Kresse, a professor at the Governors State University near Chicago, Ill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Listen to the report from CHMA:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CI_Tantramar-Report-2.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>CHMA News has agreed not to disclose the identity of the man whose identity was fraudulently duplicated in the attempted scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fake account appeared to be an exact double of the original, using his name, profile picture and banner photo: a picture of his grandchildren.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The spoofed account attempted to add at least some of the man&#8217;s contacts as friends. This reporter was among those who received a friend request. The spoofed account then initiated a chat using Facebook Messenger.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018Gradient community outreach\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It started out with small talk, but the conversation quickly took a strange turn when the scamster asked about something called the &#8220;gradient community outreach support program.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This kind of scam is well-documented online.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically the fake account claims that the intended victim is eligible for a large financial assistance grant worth tens of thousands of dollars, but they have to pay a fee.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, there is a Minnesota-based financial services company called Gradient with a program called the <a href=\"https:\/\/gradientgivesback.com\/foundation#:~:text=Gradient%20Gives%20Back%20Foundation%20is,risk%20of%20losing%20their%20homes.\">Gradient Gives Back Foundation<\/a> that helps Americans in need.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The website of the real Gradient Foundation states: \u201cApplications are only accepted through our website and we do not contact individuals through any private messaging services.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also includes a link to the website of the FBI&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/\">Internet Crime Complaint Center<\/a> for people who believe they\u2019ve fallen victim to a scam.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scamsters thrive on disaster<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/500_wjkresseheadshotapril2018.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30541\" width=\"321\" height=\"321\"\/><figcaption><em>William Kresse of Governors State University<\/em>,<em> also known as &#8216;Professor Fraud.&#8217; Photo: govst.edu<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These kinds of scams tend to multiply during times of economic hardship, according to Kresse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVery often, these scamsters are very good at reading and playing with human emotions,\u201d he said in an interview with CHMA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDuring economic hardship, we see it, especially during disasters, whenever there is an earthquake,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are multiple user-reported examples of the \u2018gradient community outreach\u2019 scam on websites such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scampulse.com\/gradient-grant-community-outreach-support-program-reviews\">ScamPulse<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also <a href=\"https:\/\/consumer.ftc.gov\/consumer-alerts\/2017\/01\/government-program-pays-your-bills?page=3\">warned<\/a> of a similar scam targetting African-American church communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sexual exploitation&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other online scams in New Brunswick, there have been multiple reports of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca\/en\/news\/2022\/rcmp-investigating-reports-online-exploitation-targeting-youth\">sexual exploitation<\/a> targetting youth, according to the RCMP.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fake accounts on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram befriend teenage boys, convincing them to share \u201cintimate images and videos.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then they are blackmailed for money, gift cards and e-currency, with the threat that the photos and videos will be released if the victims don\u2019t pay up.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The RCMP have said they believe \u201corganized crime groups overseas\u201d are creating the profiles. In March, three people were arrested in Moncton in connection with the investigation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kresse said law enforcement agencies from different countries are &#8220;banding together&#8221; in an attempt to address the elusive online scamsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But he said the police in some places actually protect the perpetrators because of the money they bring into the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scams \u2018prevalent, in all forms,\u2019 police say&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other scams reported by the RCMP in New Brunswick this month alone include a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca\/en\/news\/2023\/police-warning-public-cryptocurrency-scam\">fake cryptocurrency deal<\/a> and a fraudulent buy-and-sell <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca\/en\/news\/2023\/rcmp-warning-public-buy-and-sell-furniture-scam\">furniture scam<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A spokesperson for the RCMP said in an email that \u201cfraud has been prevalent of late, in all forms.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the federal agency which collects information on fraud and identity theft, states that $133-million had been lost by the end of March this year, with about 12,000 victims and more than 18,600 reports of fraud.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Protect yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has published a set of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca\/protect-protegez-eng.htm\">tips and tricks<\/a> to help people protect themselves from scams and fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kresse advises people who use Facebook to search for their name every so often, to ensure that nobody  has duplicated their profile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The bottom line is the law enforcement agencies can only do so much we must always be constantly aware and vigilant of these types of frauds,&#8221; he said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Sackville resident\u2019s Facebook profile was recently duplicated, or spoofed, in an apparent failed attempt at a confidence scam.&nbsp; The social media platform soon removed the fake account, after users [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":30543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[472,492,482,558],"tags":[587,1202,546,343,387],"class_list":["post-30538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-daily-news","category-front-page","category-weekly","tag-crime","tag-fraud","tag-rcmp","tag-sackville","tag-tantramar"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fake profiles, con artists and blackmail: Online scams proliferate in troubled times, says prof\ufffc &#187; 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