Scams to beware of

Suspected Ponzi scheme leads to arrest

EUGENE (AP) - Police arrested the owner of a Eugene investment company suspected of running a Ponzi scheme that bilked money from mostly elderly investors. Dennis R. Thaut, 65, the owner of First Security Financial, was charged with theft and lodged Monday at the Lane County jail. "We are hoping for a quick resolution," said Bill Warnisher, a deputy district attorney. It was unknown if Thaut had a lawyer.

Water system scammers hit Southern Oregon

MEDFORD (AP) - When the salesman told Teodoro Perez his tap water was poisoning his family, Perez ponied up $5,000 for a filtering system. The pitch was convincing when the salesman knocked on his door and offered a free water test. He filled a vial from Perez's tap, added an unnamed chemical, and watched as the water turned yellow.

Spring Break Scam

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - The beginning of spring break has Oregon's attorney general warning of scamsters making middle-of-the-night phone calls to report a young person in trouble and in need of money for medical help or bail.

Oregon debt management agencies face scrutiny

"As we have more and more borrowers who find themselves needing help, a host of entities have sprung up to offer services, some of which are legitimate and some of which are not," said Cory Streisinger, director of the state Department of Consumer and Business Services.

Is it a scam? Assume yes

When times get tough, the naive get snookered. Assertive skepticism is the only defense. Don’t divulge your Social Security number, bank account data, birth date or other private information. Assume every unsolicited offer is a scam until proved otherwise.

State warns of foreclosure scams

Facing foreclosure? Beware of offers to modify your mortgage loan. It could be a scam, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services and Department of Justice said in a press release.

Scams focus on jury duty and tax refunds

State and local officials have uncovered a pair of scams masquerading as government notices for jury duty and tax refunds.

IRS warns about fraud schemes

The IRS chief investigator for the Pacific Northwest, Ken Hines, has a list of advice for avoiding scams that can rob people of their life savings or involve them in a criminal plot.

Banking scam targets Coquille residents

The ringing began at 6:30 Wednesday. Many Coquille residents woke up to the automated calls informing them their Oregon First Community Credit Union credit cards had been suspended.

Police: Problem of scams persists

Most people have heard the cliché: There's no such thing as a free lunch. There's no such thing as free money, either. It's a lesson Chris Jennings learned quickly

Phishing season: Don't get hooked

Elizabeth Krambeal of North Bend was lucky. She received a fraudulent e-mail this week bearing the Wells Fargo bank red-and-gold logo, but decided not to open a link that said "click here." "That was the signal," Krambeal said. "We thought it just didn’t sound right."

How to Report a Scam

Call your local Police department
Contact the Attorney General’s consumer protection hotline (877) 877-9392 [website]
Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center [website]

Resources / FAQ

What is Phishing?

Phishing is the fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Commonly uses to obtain access to banking records, financial accounts and Paypal

What is a Nigerian Scam

A Nigerian Scam is one in which a target is tricked into paying out a certain sum of money in order to realize an even greater sum of money. For instance if you are sent an email that you have won $1,000 and in order to collect it you need to pre-pay the tax of 15%. You send the 15% and never hear back from the scam artist.

What is a "Congratulations, you've won a . . . " scam

This scam is often done using current highly sought gadget. You get an email or see a banner that says you've won an IPod for instance. All you need to do is go to a website and enter your debit card id and pin to cover "shipping and handlink". This is just a variation on phishing to get your information so they can purchase items on your credit/debit card!

Protect Yourself

Don't reply to emails or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information.
Don't open attachments in emails if you are not sure who the sender is and that the content is safe.
If it sounds too good to be true, question it, as it probably is.
NEVER email personal or financial information, especially credit card information.
If you use online banking, make sure you are always on the website you think you are, scammers will try and fool you.

Scams to beware of

Suspected Ponzi scheme leads to arrest

Water system scammers hit Southern Oregon

Spring Break Scam

Oregon debt management agencies face scrutiny

Is it a scam? Assume yes

State warns of foreclosure scams

Scams focus on jury duty and tax refunds

IRS warns about fraud schemes

Banking scam targets Coquille residents

Police: Problem of scams persists

Phishing season: Don't get hooked

How to Report a Scam

Resources / FAQ

Protect Yourself

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Scam sad commentary on 'community'

Beware of lottery scams

Police detail local identity theft problem

If it’s too good to be true ...

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