Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: scams

  • Attorney General DeWine Offers Consumer Tips Following Marriott Starwood Hotels Breach

    Attorney General DeWine Offers Consumer Tips Following Marriott Starwood Hotels Breach

    Affecting as many as 500 million guests

    Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today offered tips for consumers following Marriott’s recent announcement of a data breach affecting as many as 500 million guests who made a reservation at a Starwood brand hotel, which includes Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Westin Hotels & Resorts, among others.

    Marriott has reported it believes hackers gained unauthorized access to the Starwood guest reservation database in 2014 and that people who made a reservation on or before Sept. 10, 2018, at a Starwood property may have been affected.

    The company has reported that for approximately 327 million guests, the information breached included some combination of name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date, and communication preference. It also said some payment card numbers and expiration dates may have been affected.

    “Any time there is a breach that has gone undetected for this long and affected this many people, it’s very concerning,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We’re hoping Marriott will step up to help those affected. We’re also encouraging individuals to take steps to protect themselves.”

    Tips for consumers include:

    • Monitor your accounts. Look for suspicious activity. If you find errors, immediately notify your bank or credit card provider.
    • Beware of scams related to the breach. Con artists may pretend to have information about the breach or they may falsely claim to want to help you. Some calls or messages may be scams designed to steal your money or personal information. Don’t give out personal information to those who contact you unexpectedly (even if they say they want to help you) and be wary about clicking on links or downloading attachments in messages.
    • Check your credit report. Monitoring your credit report can help you identify signs of potential identity theft. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com to access those reports. You can pull all three at once, or you can stagger pulling your reports throughout the year.
    • Place an initial fraud alert on your credit report. Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion — to place an initial fraud alert, which will stay on your credit report for one year. The alert is free of charge and will make it more difficult for someone to open credit in your name.
    • Consider placing a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze (or credit freeze) essentially puts a lock on your credit so that most third parties can’t access your report. This helps protect you from unauthorized accounts being opened in your name. Security freezes are permanent until you lift them, and they are now free to place or to remove. Contact each credit reporting agency separately to place a freeze.

    Consumers should keep in mind that even if their information is compromised in a data breach, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be used by an identity thief to open accounts or commit other fraud. However, consumers should watch for warning signs that their information may have been used fraudulently.

    Signs of possible identity theft may include:

    • Unexpected mail about accounts you did not open.
    • Unexpected collection calls or letters.
    • Another person’s name showing up in your background check or credit report.
    • Credit reporting errors or a lower-than-expected credit score.

    Consumers who want help correcting the effects of identity theft should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or www.OhioProtects.org. Attorney General DeWine created an Identity Theft Unit in 2012 to help victims repair the damage caused by identity theft, such as by clearing fraudulent debt in a victim’s name. The unit has eliminated over $2 million in fraudulent charges since its creation.

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  • Tips to avoid sweepstakes and lottery scams

    Tips to avoid sweepstakes and lottery scams

    With the high Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning consumers to beware of phony claims that they’ve won millions. Sweepstakes and lottery scams have been reported throughout Ohio in recent weeks.

    The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has logged over 80 complaints involving sweepstakes or prizes in 2018. The average reported loss is more than $13,000..

    The scams often begin with a call or letter claiming a person has won millions of dollars in a lottery or sweepstakes. The person is asked to wire a few hundred dollars or more to cover processing fees or taxes in order to receive the winnings. In reality, there is no prize and any money the person sends will go to a scam artist.

    “If you get a call saying you’ve won millions but you have to pay to receive it, it’s just not true,” Attorney General DeWine said. “You shouldn’t have to pay to receive a prize you’ve already won. Even if the person claims to be affiliated with a real lottery, don’t believe the claims, and don’t send your own money.”

    The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has logged over 80 complaints involving sweepstakes or prizes in 2018. The average reported loss is more than $13,000.

    While the scams often begin with a call or letter, they also may start on social media. A con artist may pose as a person’s friend and send a message saying the person has won money. The claim may seem more believable because it appears to come from a friend, but it is actually part of a scam.

    Tips to avoid sweepstakes and lottery scams include:

    • Don’t send money to receive a prize. Legitimate sweepstakes or lotteries will not charge you to receive your prize. Don’t trust people who contact you unexpectedly, claim you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes, and ask you to pay to receive the prize. If you truly won, you shouldn’t need to send your own money in advance to receive your winnings.
    • Be skeptical if a “friend” sends you a message saying you’ve won a lot of money. The message may be part of a scam.
    • Be wary of requests for wire transfers, money orders, or gift cards. These payment methods are used frequently in scams. Once the money is sent, it is difficult to trace or recover it. Also, be wary if you receive an unexpected check in the mail. It may be a counterfeit check used as part of a scam.
    • Talk to friends and family about scams. Older adults can be especially vulnerable to lottery and sweepstakes scams. If you have older relatives, talk to them about scams and look for signs that they have been targeted. Red flags include unusual banking activities, wire transfer receipts, and an increased number of phone calls made to them.

    Consumers who suspect a scam or an unfair business practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.orgor 800-282-0515.

  • Charitable giving tips following flooding, damage from Hurricane Florence

    Charitable giving tips following flooding, damage from Hurricane Florence

    Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today offered recommendations to help Ohioans make wise charitable contributions and avoid scams related to the flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Florence.

    “We encourage Ohioans to be generous and to help those in need,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We also encourage them to be cautious when evaluating charitable donation requests. When tragedy strikes, there is the potential for scams, unfortunately, and con artists will take advantage of the generosity of others and use donations for themselves.”

    Attorney General DeWine offered the following recommendations for charitable giving:

    • Carefully review donation requests. Do some research to make sure your donation will be used as intended. After a natural disaster, some sham charities may pop up to take advantage of people’s generosity. Don’t assume that charity recommendations on social media have been vetted. Check them independently. The first request you find may not be the best.
    • Evaluate charities using resources such as the Ohio Attorney General’s Office(or the offices of other state attorneys general), IRS Select Check, Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, and GuideStar.
    • Beware of “look-alike” websites or accounts. Be skeptical of charities or groups with names that sound similar to well-known organizations. They may be intended to confuse donors. If you receive a message from an organization asking for a donation, confirm that the request truly is from the organization, and not an impostor, by contacting the organization directly or visiting its website.
    • Be careful when giving to newly formed charities. Some charities that are formed shortly after a natural disaster or tragedy have good intentions but lack the experience to properly handle donors’ contributions. Established charities are more likely to have experience to respond following a tragedy and to have a track record that you can review.
    • Check out crowdfunding campaigns before donating. If you want to make a contribution using a crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising site, find out how your donation will be used before donating. Try to determine which campaigns are legitimate and supported by those close to the tragedy and which haven’t been vetted. (Some people ask for donations claiming to help victims but ultimately keep the money for themselves.) Also consider how much of your donation will go to the website itself or whether you will be charged any fees for making the donation. Find out how the website will use your personal information. Be wary of sites that don’t provide a privacy policy.
    • Review claims carefully. Some groups may sell merchandise online and claim that “100 percent of the proceeds” will benefit a specific charitable purpose, but this claim does not necessarily mean 100 percent of the sales price will go toward the cause. Contact the organization to ask how much of each purchase will support the cause. If the organization cannot give you an answer, consider donating another way.
    • Contact a charity before raising money on its behalf. If you want to set up a fundraiser for a particular charity, contact the organization in advance and determine how you can properly collect donations.

    Signs of a potential charity scam include:

    • High-pressure tactics.
    • No details about how your donation will be used.
    • Refusal to provide written information about the charity.
    • Organizations with names that sound similar to other better-known organizations.
    • Requests for donations made payable to a person instead of a charity.
    • Offers to pick up donations immediately versus in the mail or online.

    Those who suspect a charity scam or questionable charitable activity should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.govor 800-282-0515. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office investigates and takes enforcement action against charitable fraud.

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