Kurniadi & Kurniadi, APC Blog
Archive for October, 2010
Who’s calling you? Beware, it’s not the FDIC.
October 23rd, 2010The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is warning of fraudulent phone calls from scam artists or bill collectors who falsely state they are working for the federal bank regulator. The FDIC says it has received numerous reports of unsolicited and suspicious telephone calls to individuals during which the caller claims to represent the FDIC and is calling regarding the collection of an outstanding debt.
To date, the callers have alleged that the person who answers the call is delinquent in payment of a loan that was applied for over the Internet or made through a payday lender. The loan may not actually exist. The caller attempts to authenticate the claim by providing sensitive personal information, such as name, Social Security number, and date of birth, supposedly taken from the loan application. The person receiving the call is then strongly urged to make a payment over the phone to “avoid a lawsuit and possible arrest.” In some instances, the callers have been aggressive and threatening.
These suspicious telephone calls are fraudulent. Anyone who receives such a call should consider it as an attempt to steal money or collect personal identifying information. The FDIC generally does not initiate unsolicited telephone calls to consumers and is not involved with the collection of debts on behalf of operating lenders and financial institutions.
If a caller demonstrates that he or she has your sensitive personal information, such as Social Security number, date of birth, and bank account numbers, you may be (or may become) the victim of identity theft. Review your credit reports for signs of possible fraud. Get free annual copies of your credit reports from the three major credit reporting bureaus at Annual Credit Report.com (www.annualcreditreport.com). Examine the reports closely for items you do not recognize and dispute inaccurate accounts.
If you are a victim of ID theft, you can place a fraud alert on your credit reports. This can be done by contacting one of the three consumer reporting companies listed below. Only one of the three companies needs to be contacted. That company is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of the report.
TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, California 92834-6790
Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, Georgia 30374-0241
Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9554, Allen, Texas 75013
Information about online and email fraud and other fraudulent activity using the FDIC name may be forwarded to the FDIC’s Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-3054, Washington, D.C. 20429, or sent by email to alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.
For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC’s website, and consumers can sign up for automatic alerts via email.
Based in San Diego, California, the Consumer Law attorneys at Kurniadi & Kurniadi, APC represent residents throughout the region who have been injured as a result of consumer fraud and scams. Contact the attorneys at Kurniadi & Kurniadi by calling (858) 755-0455 or by emailing info@kurniadilaw.com for a free consultation.
Crimes Against Elderly on the Rise
October 4th, 2010
Reported on September 2, 2010 by Sarah Buynovsky of WNEP:
One day after a Luzerne County woman was charged with stealing from her elderly aunt and uncle, investigators are speaking out about elder abuse.
Edwardsville Police Sergeant Hal Bond said he has seen the elderly taken advantage of time and time again. He is investigating a case right now in which a caller tried to scam a woman out thousands by telling her she won a million dollar prize. “There just seems to be more phone calls going in and more elderly people falling for the scam,” said Bond.
Edwardsville is not the only police department busy with elder abuse crimes.
Marisa Harlen of Kingston was arrested Wednesday, charged with stealing more than a $100,000 from her elderly aunt and uncle.
Brando Johnson is accused by Kingston police of using her job at Kingston Commons, a nursing home, to befriend and then steal from an elderly woman and a former administrator of a personal care home in Schuylkill County was charged with taking more than $60,000 from patients’ accounts and recently ordered to repay the money.
“We’re seeing more and more of it. More and more cases are being reported to this office and to local police,” said Luzerne County Detective Larry Fabian. He investigates elder abuse cases for Luzerne County and said these crimes seem to be on the rise, especially financial scams.
“Most of this financial exploitation is occurring with the involvement of family members and close friends of the elderly person so be very cautious.” Fabian said.
Investigators are warning the elderly to be cautious about their money. They recommend talking with a financial adviser and attorney before making any major decisions and never giving out personal or financial information.
“Over the phone you give no information, you don’t even give your name over the phone, is something is suspicious, call the police department” advised Bond.
Based in San Diego, California, the Elder Law attorneys at Kurniadi & Kurniadi, APC represent individuals and families throughout the region who have been physically or financially injured as a result of Elder Abuse. Contact the attorneys at Kurniadi & Kurniadi by calling (858) 755-0455 or by emailing info@kurniadilaw.com for a free consultation.