NumberInvestigator.com Sheds Light on New Phone Scam that Piggybacks off Headliner Wikileaks Scandal

Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) April 6, 2011

Victims are finding help in NumberInvestigator.com to expose fraudulent phone calls that capitalize on the recent Wikileaks scandal. With Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s recent profession that he “fears for his life” because of his activities on his controversial website it was only a matter of time before scammers revealed an attempt to capitalize on the scandal.

Reports are pouring into the BBB of calls that inform victims that their computers and IP addresses are listed as having visited the Wikileaks site. The caller then explains that there are consequences for this, and threatens anything from a $ 25,000 fine to imprisonment. There are then instructions given for a number to call to pay the fine to avoid imprisonment.

NumberInvestigator.com is committed to exposing frauds by creating a forum for everyone threatened by telemarketers, scammers, debt collectors and other annoying callers. Visit NumberInvestigator.com to simply enter in the 10-digit phone number that the Caller ID gave when the offending call came in. Spread the word to others to protect the public from being taken in by similar scams. Number Investigator is one of the few customer advocate sites that allow consumers to report complaints. This empowers consumers to band together to eliminate fraudulent calls.

“Consumers who get phone calls from strangers need to keep their guard up, especially when the caller makes threats based on bogus accusations,” states Robert Schroeder, Northwest Regional Director of the Federal Trade Commission. “Insist on a written statement of what you owe. Don’t pay it if it’s fake. Don’t provide your bank account, credit card, or social security number.”

If you feel that you have fallen victim to this scam or have compromised personal financial information, file a formal report with your local law enforcement agency. Contact all merchants or financial institutions associated with the compromised accounts. File a formal complaint with the FBI as well as the FTC. If you feel you are in harm’s way, report your situation to the police.

About NumberInvestigator.com

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NumberInvestigator.com: Don’t Fall For The Publishers Clearing House Scam Circulating in The US

Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) July 09, 2011

NumberInvestigator.com, a leading online phone directory and consumer protection service, urges consumers to be skeptical if they receive a phone call notifying them that they have won a large cash prize from one of the nation’s most popular sweepstakes, Publishers Clearing House.

According to a recent article from WBOC, residents have reported receiving calls from callers claiming to be Publishers Clearing House representatives. These ‘representatives’ tell unsuspecting consumers that they have won a large sum of money and in order to claim their prize they must first purchase a “MoneyPak” reload card for $ 200.

MoneyPak cards are a specific type of gift card that are available for sale across the country in retail stores. Once purchased, the cards allow consumers to use them much like a debit cards which are typically used to make same-day payments or add money to existing prepaid cards and PayPal accounts.

Here’s how the scam works; once a consumer purchases the MoneyPak card, they submit the information to the fraudster in order to claim their prize. But, once the information has been transferred the scammer is now able to access the money on the card and quickly drains the $ 200 and disappears, leaving the victim who thought it was their lucky day with an empty wallet.

Law enforcement are warning that the instigators of this scam are using these MoneyPak cards to cheat consumers out of their hard-earned cash in a way that is similar to the recent wave of Western Union wire transfer scams. The major difference is that Western Union scams are typically found online, whereas the Publishers Clearing House scam seems to be run primarily via the phone.

NumberInvestigator.com issues the following tips to help consumers avoid falling victim of this scam:

    If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t let the excitement of winning overpower good judgment and common sense.
    Only people who enter the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes can win a prize. Assume any call that indicates you’ve won a sweepstakes you’ve never entered is a scam and report it immediately.
    Publishers Clearing House will never notify winners over the phone, so even people who have entered should be extremely suspicious if they receive a call at home.
    Find out more about the number where the suspicious call came from. Using caller ID, take down the ten digit number and use NumberInvestigator.com to find out more information about the caller or business associated with the number, including name, address, and to see if there have been other complaints lodged against the number.
    A legitimate sweepstakes will never ask winners to send money to claim a prize.
    Report suspicious calls to NumberInvestigator.com. Here, consumers have built a community around reporting and preventing phone scams and fraudulent telemarketing schemes by sharing offending numbers and reports with their fellow consumers.

About NumberInvestigator.com

NumberInvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number. NumberInvestigator.com empowers consumers with a community of users that report and share suspicious or malicious calls and the phone numbers associated with them.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NumberInvestigator.com Warns of Fraudulent Use of Better Business Bureau Organization’s Name

(PRWEB) June 15, 2011

NumberInvestigator.com warns consumers that criminals are deceptively masquerading as the BBB, telling victims they have won a lottery in an attempt to steal thousands of dollars from people who think that they have hit the jackpot. Up to $ 80,000 has been lost by individuals who have been contacted over the phone by people who pose as BBB employees. The “employee” then tells the victim that they have won a lottery and in order to receive the prize they must first wire money. Unfortunately for the victims, the money is directly wired to the scammers.

“Many people are struggling in the current economy and when someone tells you that you’ve won millions in a lottery, it can seem like an answer to prayer,” said Steve Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Every year, tens of thousands of people contact BBB about a suspicious lottery and instead of cashing in, many lose thousands of dollars they don’t have.”

NumberInvestigator.com arms consumers with a variety of resources to help them avoid falling victim to scams such as these. The BBB reminds consumers that the organization does not run a lottery or award prizes. Consumers who receive a call from a person claiming to be an employee of the BBB should consider the following tips to avoid becoming a victim themselves.

●    Collect information from the caller. Ask for a full name, contact phone number, and address. Use NumberInvestigator.com to do a reverse-phone search for the 10-digit number that called.

●    Confirm facts with the organization itself, whether it is the Better Business Bureau or another organization. Use contact information found on the organization’s website.

●    Do not reply to phone numbers or Web links provided by the “employee”

●    Don’t fall for a check, they often times turn out to be fake. The scammers send the check with instructions to deposit the check and wire back a portion to cover fees or taxes. The check may initially clear, but most often turns out to be fake. The wired money is taken out of the victim’s account and is sent to the scammer.

●    Don’t pay money to get money. Scammers are successful at convincing victims to pay money up front. Do not comply.

About

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number.

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NumberInvestigator.com Warns of Fraudulent Use of Better Business Bureau Organization’s Name

(PRWEB) June 15, 2011

NumberInvestigator.com warns consumers that criminals are deceptively masquerading as the BBB, telling victims they have won a lottery in an attempt to steal thousands of dollars from people who think that they have hit the jackpot. Up to $ 80,000 has been lost by individuals who have been contacted over the phone by people who pose as BBB employees. The “employee” then tells the victim that they have won a lottery and in order to receive the prize they must first wire money. Unfortunately for the victims, the money is directly wired to the scammers.

“Many people are struggling in the current economy and when someone tells you that you’ve won millions in a lottery, it can seem like an answer to prayer,” said Steve Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Every year, tens of thousands of people contact BBB about a suspicious lottery and instead of cashing in, many lose thousands of dollars they don’t have.”

NumberInvestigator.com arms consumers with a variety of resources to help them avoid falling victim to scams such as these. The BBB reminds consumers that the organization does not run a lottery or award prizes. Consumers who receive a call from a person claiming to be an employee of the BBB should consider the following tips to avoid becoming a victim themselves.

●    Collect information from the caller. Ask for a full name, contact phone number, and address. Use NumberInvestigator.com to do a reverse-phone search for the 10-digit number that called.

●    Confirm facts with the organization itself, whether it is the Better Business Bureau or another organization. Use contact information found on the organization’s website.

●    Do not reply to phone numbers or Web links provided by the “employee”

●    Don’t fall for a check, they often times turn out to be fake. The scammers send the check with instructions to deposit the check and wire back a portion to cover fees or taxes. The check may initially clear, but most often turns out to be fake. The wired money is taken out of the victim’s account and is sent to the scammer.

●    Don’t pay money to get money. Scammers are successful at convincing victims to pay money up front. Do not comply.

About

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number.

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find More Number Lookup Press Releases

NumberInvestigator.com Warns of Fraudulent Use of Better Business Bureau Organization’s Name

(PRWEB) June 15, 2011

NumberInvestigator.com warns consumers that criminals are deceptively masquerading as the BBB, telling victims they have won a lottery in an attempt to steal thousands of dollars from people who think that they have hit the jackpot. Up to $ 80,000 has been lost by individuals who have been contacted over the phone by people who pose as BBB employees. The “employee” then tells the victim that they have won a lottery and in order to receive the prize they must first wire money. Unfortunately for the victims, the money is directly wired to the scammers.

“Many people are struggling in the current economy and when someone tells you that you’ve won millions in a lottery, it can seem like an answer to prayer,” said Steve Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Every year, tens of thousands of people contact BBB about a suspicious lottery and instead of cashing in, many lose thousands of dollars they don’t have.”

NumberInvestigator.com arms consumers with a variety of resources to help them avoid falling victim to scams such as these. The BBB reminds consumers that the organization does not run a lottery or award prizes. Consumers who receive a call from a person claiming to be an employee of the BBB should consider the following tips to avoid becoming a victim themselves.

●    Collect information from the caller. Ask for a full name, contact phone number, and address. Use NumberInvestigator.com to do a reverse-phone search for the 10-digit number that called.

●    Confirm facts with the organization itself, whether it is the Better Business Bureau or another organization. Use contact information found on the organization’s website.

●    Do not reply to phone numbers or Web links provided by the “employee”

●    Don’t fall for a check, they often times turn out to be fake. The scammers send the check with instructions to deposit the check and wire back a portion to cover fees or taxes. The check may initially clear, but most often turns out to be fake. The wired money is taken out of the victim’s account and is sent to the scammer.

●    Don’t pay money to get money. Scammers are successful at convincing victims to pay money up front. Do not comply.

About

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number.

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Numberinvestigator.com Supports Green Consumer Day By Encouraging Consumers To Use Free Online Directories Instead Of Using Printed Phone Books

Numberinvestigator.com’s Reverse Phone Lookup and Call Complaint Feature

Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) October 12, 2010

Numberinvestigator.com, an online directory to find people, phone numbers and addresses, today announced its support of the messages behind Green Consumer Day, a global celebration that highlights the problems of consumerism and its impact on the environment. Numberinvestigator.com supports the effort in raising awareness on environmental impact and encourages individuals to use online directories to lookup directory information including phone numbers, cell numbers, addresses, and more to help reduce the impact of printed phone books.

According to the nonprofit YellowPagesGoesGreen.org, more than 500 million phone directories — nearly two books for every American — are printed and distributed every year in the U.S., requiring 1.6 billion pounds of paper (made from some 19 million trees). Some 7.2 million barrels of oil are churned through in creating them (not including the gasoline used for local deliveries). Producing the directories also uses up 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and generates 268,000 cubic yards of solid waste (not including the books themselves, many of which eventually end up in landfills in areas where recycling is not available or convenient).

Numberinvestigator.com offers consumers an easy way to go green by using its online directory to find people and people-related information such as phone numbers, cell phone numbers, addresses and other contact information. With access to one of the most comprehensive free online directories on the Web, consumers can easily find the contact information they are looking for to quickly and easily find an updated list of contact information and feel good about helping the environment.

Green Consumer Day focuses on awareness raising and the importance of recycling-reusing and reducing waste material. In “Easy Green Tips for Everyday Life”, Cindy Crawford shares some easy, green tips for consumers that demonstrate that even small changes can make a huge impact on the environment. One of her tips is to use an online phone directory to help offset the impact of phone books that make up more than 10% of waste at dumpsites.

Unfortunately, there is no centralized way for consumers to opt-out of receiving the big books like the National Do Not Call Registry for telemarketing. Most individual yellow and white page publishers have “no deliver” lists they can add you to, but they will not be held accountable if the books show up anyway. The yellowpagesgogreen.org website will find your local/regional directory pages publishers and ask them not to deliver on your behalf. The site warns, though, that there are no guarantees with this either.

About

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone number lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number.

Contact

If you have questions, please contact numberinvestigatorpr(at)gmail(dot)com.

http://numberinvestigator.com

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Numberinvestigator.com Enables Consumers to Conduct a Reverse Phone Lookup On Unknown Numbers and Make Public, Online Complaints About Harassing Phone Callers

Numberinvestigator.com’s free dynamic heat map shows phone number complaints across the United States

Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) June 29, 2010

Numberinvestigator.com today announced that due to the high volume of consumer complaints reported on its site regarding potential telemarketing fraud and harassing phone calls, it has enhanced its reverse phone lookup service with a dynamic heat map that helps users identify the area codes that have the most reports of potential fraud.

Most every consumer experiences unwanted calls on their phones. Some can be attributed to wrong numbers but there are a lot of different kinds of unwanted calls that can be truly annoying such as telemarketers and prank callers. Numberinvestigator.com is a reverse phone lookup site and phone number consumer complaint service that makes it easier for consumers to accurately find callers identities, widely communicate complaints and read others complaints about harassing phone calls and potential telemarketing fraud.

Until recently, most users could only complain to friends or file a complaint with various government organizations, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These organizations don’t typically reveal complaint information to the public and rarely with any significant detail. With this information, the consumer may be able to find out enough about their unwanted calls without having to pursue any additional action simply by using some of the information learned from finding callers’ identities and reading other people’s complaints and comments.

Numberinvestigator.com is one of the few consumer advocate sites that goes one step further and reports valid phone number complaints to organizations that have the ability to investigate and take action. Numberinvestigator.com gives consumers the collective power to not only report potential fraud to each other, but bind together to take action to eliminate these phone callers altogether.

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone number lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number. Now you can be assured that if you don’t recognize a number or if you miss a call from a person that doesn’t leave a message, you can use this service to find out if the number is from a business associate, bill collector, or just a wrong number. Reverse phone lookup services can be easier to use than traditional white pages people searches because phone numbers are more easily linked with specific people helping to get you to the right person faster.

It is important as consumers to learn how to recognize and report telephone fraud to help stop some scams. Organizations to contact:

    Contact a consumer advocacy group like the Better Business Bureau, which seeks to resolve     complaints on behalf of consumers.
    Look up the Attorney General’s office for the state in which the business is based: http://www.naag.org.
    Contact the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/phonefraud.

Of course, if you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, you can reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls you get.

About

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone number lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number. Please visit online at http://www.numberinvestigator.com.

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Attachments

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NumberInvestigator.com: Protect Against “Smishing” Scams

Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) April 27, 2011

According to a recent report by KABC in Los Angeles, a new scam targeting wireless users is sweeping the nation. While “Phishing” is still common place in email inboxes, “Smishing” attacks are being directed at wireless devices.

In the United States alone, there are more than 300 million people with wireless devices. People rely on their wireless devices for a variety of daily tasks, using mobile apps for online banking, managing their passwords, and even filing their taxes. But, responding to the wrong text message or downloading and installing the wrong app on a smartphone or tablet could be devastating.

Wireless users could experience something as severe as a substantial financial loss if their phone is compromised and their bank account information is available and exploited.

‘Smishing’, comes from merging SMS and phishing. Fraudsters use SMS texting to bait victims into giving them personal information. So for example, a wireless user may receive a text message from someone claiming to be from a financial institution or government agency requesting that the user to call them at a number they provide. When the user calls the number provided via text message, the criminal on the on the other end of the line tries to solicit personal or financial information from the unassuming wireless user.

Or in another example, a user may receive a text message from someone posing as one of their friends requesting that the wireless user download and install a mobile app. If the text recipient bites and downloads the mobile app, their screen will blink which is a subtle indication that they just downloaded mobile malware. Malware could potentially allow hackers or mobile fraudsters to monitor their accounts or use the victim’s phone remotely to send malicious text messages to their contacts without the mobile user ever knowing.

NumberInvestigator.com offers the following tips to help mobile users avoid ‘Smishing’:

    Check out app reviews before downloading an app to ensure it is reputable.
    Consider installing an anti-virus app or program on the mobile device, these types of programs will scan apps for malware or viruses before enabling them to be installed to a phone.
    Be wary of an app that requests a lot of permissions to access information. Make sure to read each permission carefully before granting the app access.
    A financial institution will rarely, if ever, send unsolicited text messages. Don’t respond to unsolicited texts that appear to be from a bank, especially if the bank is unfamiliar. Instead, contact the bank in question directly on the phone or at a local branch to inquire about the text.
    Use NumberInvestigator.com to look up the source of any suspicious text message requesting personal information via reply text, email or phone call.
    Never download an app from a link in a text without checking it out first.

About NumberInvestigator.com

Numberinvestigator.com is a leading provider of reverse phone lookup services that enable consumers to simply search a number, including cell numbers (where available), landline numbers and VoIP to accurately find the owner of that number. NumberInvestigator.com empowers consumers with a community of users that report and share suspicious or malicious calls and the phone numbers associated with them.

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NumberInvestigator.com Sheds Light on New Phone Scam that Piggybacks off Headliner Wikileaks Scandal
NumberInvestigator.com Seeks to Protect Public from Phone Scammers Posing as Government Officials Threatening Penalties and Imprisonment for Having Visited Wikileaks (PRWeb April 06, 2011) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/reversephone/numberinvestigator/prweb5224804.htm
Read more on PRWeb

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InstantPeopleFinder.com Celebrates Reconnection for All Ages
InstantPeopleFinder.com highlights a heartwarming story of Lost and Found in South Jersey (PRWeb April 07, 2011) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/instant-people-finder/people-search-tool/prweb5226694.htm
Read more on PRWeb