Weight-Loss Fraud Comes in Many Shapes and Sizes
Scammers are always on the lookout for human frailty, and they are keenly aware that many people struggle to lose weight. So it’s no surprise that the widely shared goal of weight loss inspires a lot of fraudulent advertising. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions the public to watch out for three types of phony weight-loss ads:
In one recent case, the FTC reached a $150,000 settlement with Southern Health Solutions, Inc. (known as NextMed) for claiming that average users of their product lost 53 pounds on average (23 percent of their body weight). The company was also accused of posting phony reviews online and luring customers with cheap subscription rates that failed to reference other costs such as for the lab tests and the product itself.
Scammers fail to reference that real, lasting weight loss can be difficult to achieve and sustain. Regulators urge the public to keep that reality in mind when considering buying products that promise to help. “The truth is that to get the benefits of exercise, you have to do the work,” notes the FTC. “Permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes, so don’t trust any product that promises once-and-for-all results.”
Beware The Threat of Cloned Social Media Accounts
If you spend much time on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably had the experience: Someone you know sends you a “friend request.” But you know that they are already your friend on social media. The request has come from a scammer who has cloned your friend’s account.
You figure this out and decline the friend request. Problem solved? Maybe for you, but not for your friend whose identity has been copied.
A new account is now floating around the internet with their name and picture, and perhaps other personal information like their list of contacts – which is how the scammer found you. Such cloned accounts are easy to create, given all the data now available in social media and other online platforms.
People whose accounts get copied are vulnerable to controversial posts that spread in their name online – such as the Michigan prosecutor who had to put out a statement disclaiming social media comments that were posted in his name.
Moreover, many people do accept the fake friend requests. When that happens, they may receive follow-up requests for money or messages with links enabling scammers to capture their personal information and contact list.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to reduce the odds that you will be a victim of cloning on social media. Experts in cyber security offer the following recommendations:
- Use common sense about accepting friend requests. When in doubt, check your own list of friends. If you have a question, you always can ask your known friend directly if they sent the request.
- Take advantage of privacy features on social media. Facebook and Instagram offer various privacyoptions that can limit access to your account and your list of friends.
- Consider restricting the visibility of your posts. Social media platforms typically offer options to limit who can see your posts, such as making them available only to your friends.
- Know that your profile may contain valuable information to scammers. Fraudsters may use details you have posted to contact your classmates from school or colleagues from work – even when such individuals are not on your friend list.
- Protect your account with a strong password. In addition, two-factor authentication – which requires two separate forms of identification – helps thwart hackers.
If your account gets cloned, it is important to report this to the affected platform. AARP points out that scammers may actually block their victim, so that the person they cloned is initially unaware of the foul play – and they won’t be able to see it. If you ask your friends who know about the cloning to inform the platform, it can then block the fake account.
New Text Scam: Fake Crypto Account Withdrawals
You might not have a cryptocurrency account. But scammers may still target you in text messages that pretend you do.
A new text scam features a message with a withdrawal code for “Coinbase,” a cryptocurrency platform, and it warns you not to share the code. Since you don’t have an account on Coinbase, you’re tempted to call the phone number that says to notify them if you got the code by mistake.
Stop there. The text is fraudulent. The crooks want you to call. If you do, they’ll try to pry sensitive financial information from you to use in identity theft. Even if you have a Coinbase account, ignore the text instructions.
Coinbase warns that “if you receive a text message reporting that you’ve received cryptocurrency that you did not authorize, it is likely a phishing attempt. Coinbase does not send out texts to verify transactions.”
One telltale sign that the text is a scam: It comes from a +63-country code, which is the Philippines. That’s where many of the overdue toll collection scams originated, according to a recent news report. The Coinbase texts received law enforcement attention this spring in Nevada, and social media reports indicate the texts are spreading across the United States. Scam Watch received one in mid-August.
If you receive a text like this, use the function on your phone to delete it and report it as junk. Don’t click on links in emails and texts from people you don’t know. And always go to the official website to verify information you receive in emails or texts. Scammers often change one letter in a website address so they can redirect you to a fraudulent site that may appear authentic.
Avoid Texts from ‘Recruiters’ Offering Jobs
Looking for work in an uncertain U.S. economy? Watch out for job-seeker scams. They often began as unsolicited text messages or WhatsApp messages from recruiters who offer part-time work where you can make good money, fast.
If you didn’t apply for the job, it’s likely a trap, warns the FTC. If you think the offer may be real, find the company’s phone number elsewhere and call to confirm.
As always with dubious text messages, do not click on any links.
Some of the fraudsters may also charge you for training costs or certifications to get the job. But legitimate companies will not make applicants pony up money as a condition to get hired.
The FTC advises job seekers to research companies before applying for jobs by searching for the name of the company and words like “review, scam or complaint.” It reports that more than $220 million was lost in job scams in the first half of 2024 alone.
