Scam Squad

Doris Roof, Senior Fraud Specialist at Montecito Bank and Trust warns about mailers that appear to be medical bills, but are really subscriptions tricking people into sending the scammers a check, and tech scams. She also talks about how the bank can often identify fraudulant wire scams and warn their customers.

Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson shares two scams which use Pay Pal to dupe people. In one scam, a person who claims to be from 'Edison' insists that the victim MUST pay for a new meter via Pay Pal, or lose electricity for close to a week. In a second scam, the victim googles Pay Pal to learn how to send money but reaches a phony site. A scammer proceeds to guide the victim on how to send money directly to them. Google is doing its best to crack down on phony websites but you can't be too careful! Scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated. Don't miss a single Scam Squad episode so we can stay a step ahead of the scammers. Subscribe today!

Restitution specialist, Dayton Aldrich, shows real-life footage of crooks who are peering in car windows for valuables to steal. He also gives great tips on protecting your purse from thieves and warns us not to engage with strangers in parking lots. These thieves often work in teams--and while one person distracts you, the other member of the team will steal your valuables. Stay safe! Don't miss a single epiode of Scam Squad. Subscirbe today!

A Montecito Bank & Trust Branch Manager becomes suspicious when her customer makes an uncharacteristically large cash withdrawal. With quick thinking and a pursuasive line of questioning, she saves her customer from turning over $13,000 to an unscrupulous scammer.

Fraud Specialist, Dr. Judy Christman Yates, reports on a plethora of IRS and tax scams and gives useful tips on how to avoid them. Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson ends the show with good news about members of the Nigerian "Black Axe Gang," many of whom recently faced justice for perpetrating romance scams and conning unsuspecting men and women out of large sums of money. Be sure to subscribe to Scam Squad today so you don't miss a single episode!

Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson interviews Dr Judy Christman Yates, who shares timely advice on many topics including how to do a safe internet search and how to look for legitimate organizations that may provide rent relief. She also delivers an important message about the economic impact payment cards--some people have been throwing them out, thinking the envelope it came in looked like junk mail! To report a scam in Santa Barbara County, call the DA's fraud hotline at 805-568=2442.

Join this special episode of Scam Squad where Co-host Patti Teel describes her experience being scammed to Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson. Patti describes her experience being scammed by RX Advocate. Beware of ordering prescription medications online. Fraudsters often appear to be non-profits or charity organizations. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Watch the full video interview on YouTube and follow our channel @Hub For Broadcasting https://youtu.be/ZG5JpMZ0sTI Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/

Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson is back with Scam Squad this week to talk about mail theft. In this episode, Vicki's special guest is Dayton Aldrich, a victim's witness advocate in the District Attorney's office. Dayton talks about how his group helps victims of mail theft and gives us some good tips on how to prevent it. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/

This episode of Scam Squad features Montecito Bank and Trust Senior Fraud Specialist, Doris Roof. Montecito Bank and Trust is on the front-lines combating scammers and alerting consumers not to be tricked by fraudsters! This week Doris Roof discusses puppy adoption scams, while reminding consumers not to send money in the mail or provide sensitive personal information to anyone whom you cannot identify! To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/

Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson is back with Scam Squad once again to talk about scams that involve Amazon.com. Over the last few weeks, Vicki Johnson’s scam alert team has been notified of various scams that involve online e-commerce. Specifically, Vicki details recent elaborate scams where consumers were notified by what appeared to be amazon.com customer service. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/

In this week’s episode of Scam Squad, Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson interviews our special guest Sarah. Sarah got in touch with Vicki Johnson through the Scam Squad Fraud Hotline. Sarah has a rental property in Santa Barbara County. It turns out that Sarah was renting her home through a property manager which may have allowed opportunity for a fraudster to infiltrate her beautiful property. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/ See the video and subscribe to our YouTube Channel @Hubforbroadcasting https://youtu.be/uA4WBIaSj1g

This week highlights what Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson calls the ‘Amazon scam’. There are multiple ways that fraudsters impersonate Amazon or other online retail stores. Pay attention if you receive an email notice from any of these companies, as it could be an imposter! Since online shopping is so common these days, watch out for scammers trying to phish your information. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/ See the video and subscribe to our YouTube Channel @Hubforbroadcasting https://youtu.be/Er4OnoKbGK0

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery. But don't be fooled! If you receive an email, text message, phone call, or social media notification that you won a sweepstakes that you did not enter, chances are it is a scam! To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/ See the video and subscribe to our YouTube Channel @Hubforbroadcasting https://youtu.be/NGScF6lYS20

With quarantine measures in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, people are finding new ways to meet and socialize online. As a result, online dating and social media websites are increasingly popular. But not everyone browsing social media sites is looking for innocent relationships. Professional scammers and fraudsters are stalking online social media and dating sites in order to steal valuable personal information. Professional scammers target vulnerable people to toy with their emotions in order to steal their identity or finances. Be aware that not everyone is who they appear to be online! To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442 Follow Scam Squad and other great podcasts on our website! https://hubforpodcasting.com/scam-squad/ See the video and subscribe to our YouTube Channel @Hubforbroadcasting https://youtu.be/bVEm6zSinGM

Scam Squad welcomes Criminologist and Financial Crime Expert, Dr. Judy Christman Yates. Dr. Yates discusses upcoming scams to look for as the new COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll-out. Dr. Yates reminds listeners to seek official information from legitimate sources. Do not answer anonymous calls from strange phone numbers. Be sure to identify who exactly you are communicating with, especially if you provide personal or financial information. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

As you get older, it is normal to check the obituary to see if you know someone who passed on. Obituaries sometimes contain personal information about the deceased to tell a story of their life. Sometimes obituaries contain the full name of the deceased, as well as their residential address. Unfortunately, scammers take advantage of any situation in order to capitalize. Beware of obituary scams, bereavement scams, and phony psychics who want to make a quick dollar on the grieving process. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Happy New Year to all of our listeners, from our heart to yours! Unfortunately, scammers don’t take breaks for the holidays. With COVID-19 vaccines now available, it is predicted that there will be large scale scams related to COVID-19 testing kits and vaccines. Not only is it a financial danger to get scammed with fake products, but fake testing kits and vaccines could negatively affect your health. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This episode of Scam Squad features Senior Fraud Specialist at Montecito Bank and Trust, Shawn Dyer. Shawn talks about a few reoccurring scams that seem to recirculate regularly. These common scams include, tech-support scams and scams where fraudsters impersonate official organizations like the FTC. Shawn reminds us that scams can happen to anybody! Be aware when giving out your personal information, especially when sending money. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This episode of Scam Squad features Judy Christman Yates, a senior financial fraud expert with over 13 years’ experience working in the Financial Fraud department as a volunteer with the Port Hueneme Police Department. She is also the author of a monthly financial exploitation newsletter. As online shopping during the holidays is increasingly popular, there are more ways for scammers to phish your personal information. If you have questions about return policy abuse: https://www.theretailequation.com/ Before donating to a charity, do some research: https://www.charitynavigator.org/

This episode of Scam Squad features Judy Christman Yates, a senior financial fraud expert with over 13 years’ experience working in the Financial Fraud department as a volunteer with the Port Hueneme Police Department. She is also the author of a monthly financial exploitation newsletter. Judy talks about how to protect your identity and credit card information.

The holiday season is here! Especially this year, many people are shopping and buying gifts online. As we know, scammers are trying to take advantage of people in any way possible. When shopping online, be aware that fraudulent websites do exist. Only make purchases from secure websites and reputable sources. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This week’s episode features Victim Witness Advocate Dayton Aldrich. Dayton talks about the importance of secure digital passwords and provides tools that can help you protect your identity when shopping or browsing online. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Thank you to Montecito Bank and Trust for making Scam Squad possible. This episode features Montecito Bank and Trust’s very own Senior Fraud Specialist, Shawn Dyer. When mailing checks at the big blue post office boxes, it is important for people to be aware that these mailboxes are targets of theft. Fraudsters also steal account information, write themselves counterfeit checks, and try to pass it through personal accounts. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Online shopping scams and tech support scams are the two scams most likely to trap seniors. Shopping scams also often happen to people who are actively searching for a particular product on the internet. Online shoppers can be enticed by a reduced price on a specific item or shoppers can stumble upon items that are otherwise difficult to find. The most risky items to buy online are pets and pet supplies. 25% of all online purchase scams are related to pets, while other common scams are related to vehicles and medical/nutritional supplies. When shopping online, be sure to buy from a reputable source or do your research before making a purchase.

This week on Scam Squad, Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson shares a warning that she received from the FBI, regarding potential charity fraud associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic. If you feel called to donate to charity, listen to this episode to get tips about what to look for when donating. If you want to learn more about a particular charity, you can learn more by searching about that charity on Charitynavigator.org. Vicki also shares statistics about the most common scams and the most vulnerable demographics. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Our guest, Sue, called in on our fraud hotline to report that her purse was stolen at the grocery store! Believe it or not, there are groups of people who go into grocery stores for the sole reason of stealing people's purses! Shoppers beware of strangers starting suspicious, 'random' conversations and do not leave your purse or valuables unattended! To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This episode of Scam Squad welcomes Senior Fraud Specialist from Montecito Bank and Trust, Shawn Dyer. In this episode Shawn discusses Utility Scams, Tech Support Scams, and she warns about automatic “robo-calls”. Tech Support scams occur when you are on your computer and you see an internet pop-up claiming that you need to fix your computer. Or the pop-up says you have a virus etc. It is true that pop-ups like this most definitely have scammers on the other side who want your money! They may even try to convince you to send them funds in the form of gift cards for the tentative tech support they supposedly offer. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This episode of Scam Squad features Dr. Judy Christman Yates a criminologist, specializing in financial exploitation. Judy shares the latest news on financial crimes and discusses how scammers use fear tactics to take advantage of unsuspecting people. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This week’s special guest, Susan, contacted Vicki via the fraud hotline. Susan found out that she was lured into a scam by receiving a phone call allegedly from Amazon. The scammers offered to send Susan money as a rebate, as long as Susan provided sensitive information like bank account information. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Scam Squad welcomes this week’s special guest, who contacted Vicki Johnson via the fraud hotline. One day, our guest received a phone call from El Paso, Texas, allegedly from the Social Security Administration and the DEA, notifying her that she is being monitored because her social security number is involved in various crimes. Even scammers will wrongfully impersonate authority figures! To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Scam Squad would like to welcome this week’s special guest Doris Roof. Doris Roof is the Senior Fraud Specialist for Montecito Bank and Trust. She is on the show today to tell us about some scams that are all too commonplace. One common scam is a sweepstakes scam; where scammers claim that you are the winner of a large sum of money – but you won’t go claiming that prize unless you send them money first! To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This week’s episode of Scam squad features special guest, Joni Maiden. Joni is now the director of Santa Barbara County’s Department of Child Support Services and Co-chair of SB County’s Census 2020 Complete Count Committee. Joni shares information about the census, which is conducted every 10 years. Anyone can go online to complete the census at www.my2020census.gov or English Speakers can call 844.344.2020, while Spanish speakers can call 844.468.2020. The U.S. Census is offered in 16 languages! The deadline for this year’s census is September 30th, 2020. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Special guest Marie called the fraud hotline because her 83 year old mother had gotten involved in a scam and lost a considerable amount of money. Marie’s mother was called by a man who claimed to be from Apple Computers. The fake Apple representative insisted that her system was hacked and the only solution was to purchase and send gift cards to the perpetrators. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

According to new data from the federal trade commission, the most common scam during the pandemic is Identity Theft. Particularly, fraudsters are filing fraudulent unemployment claims with a false identity. It is rumored that certain identity thieves have multiple government checks, addressed to different names, coming to one address. If you believe that you have been victim of identity theft, and someone has made a claim for government assistance using your identity, call the Employment Development Department, 1-800-229-6297. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This episode tells the story of a friendly stranger who suddenly enters the life of a lonely senior. In this particular instance, a young woman befriended an older gentlemen and ended up stealing millions! Countless stories similar to this continue to play out and we are warning others to not be fooled. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

On this episode of Scam Squad we are proud to welcome back senior fraud specialist at Montecito bank and trust, Shawn Dyer. Shawn reports on some reoccurring scams that target elders, specifically because the scammers use the US mail. Elders are more likely to be scammed via the USPS because young people most frequently use digital mail. People are receiving letters, addressed to them according to their last names. The letters appear to be from a legitimate bank or financial institution. Specifically letters are sent from Los Angeles and marked with the insignia of the Bank of Singapore. It is evident that this is a phony letter because, although it is labeled Bank of Singapore, the letter provides a personal gmail email address as the customer service contact information. Any time you are sent a letter by an official organization, a legitimate notice will provide email addresses or contact phone numbers connected to the official organization itself. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Join Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson and host Patti Teel as Vicki shares some important social media scams that are too frequently reoccurring. Social media potentially houses sensitive personal information. This lures fraudsters to phish unsuspecting browsers with fraudulent messages by making false claims or fake friend requests. In our last episode we talked about fraudulent friend requests and romance scams. This week we talk about scams that involve financial documents, such as your bank or credit report. Scammers can often appear to send legitimate messages from your bank, but if you are aware of potential scams you will know what to recognize as legitimate and phony. To report a scam, call the District Attorney’s Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442. The Better Business Bureau urges you to visit their Scam Tracker site at www.bbb.org/scamtracker/santa-barbara/reportscam or call them directly at 805-963-8657. A special thanks to Montecito Bank and Trust for sponsoring our show.

The week’s episode of Scam Squad features Santa Barbara community member Jeanne West. Jeanne has been a long-time advocate for senior wellness in the Santa Barbara community, serving as a member of the Santa Barbara County Elder Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention Counsel for 25 years. Now Jeanne works as a Community Engagement Manager at Hospice of Santa Barbara. Jeanne is here to talk to us about various social media scams that she recently noticed, including an increase in her social media friend requests from suspicious or rather exotic profile names. Other individuals that experience suspicious friend requests may be lured to communicate with unknown profiles under the guise of a romantic relationship. Please be aware of who you are friends with on social media and do not accept or open unidentified messages or invitations. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

This episode of Scam Squad features Montecito Bank and Trust Fraud Manager, Doris Roof. Doris sees many different types of scams at the bank. With social distancing in place, there are many fraudulent offers for ‘work at home’ job opportunities. Beware of offers that ask you to buy gift cards as a ‘mystery shopper’. Also fraudsters ask for personal information via text message. Scammers often pose as famous brands such as Nike and Amazon. If you receive a notice from a company and are unsure about its legitimacy, look up that company’s listing online and contact that company’s customer service directly. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

We know that scams tend to recirculate. Some scams are seasonal, and even predictable, leaving us to wonder if scammers still think they can get away with old tricks. One scam we cover today is an example of a reemerging classic style scam, involving a phony letter from the Bank of Singapore, Hong Kong. We also provide our listeners with up to date Covid-19 scams. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Through our show, we hope that our listeners are up to date about current scams going around in the market. It is not surprising that we see increased scams related to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson continually receives notices and warnings from the FBI and Department of Justice about COVID-19 scams. Scammers are posing as COVID-19 ‘contact tracing’ agents and asking for personal financial information over the phone. A legitimate COVID ‘contact tracer’ will not ask for any finances or financial information. During these challenging times, it is unfortunate that scammers will take advantage of people who are afraid. Perhaps equally sad, scammers are now taking advantage of people who are looking to buy a pet online. Pet adoptions are on the rise as people look for a furry animal companion during times that require social distancing. We want to warn our listeners not to buy pets online or send money to an unknown person. To report a scam or if you believe you have been scammed, call Vicki Johnson at 805.568.2442

Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson reminds our listeners about the many different forms of scams that take place. In a scam, what separates victims from non-victims? A recent study suggests that out of 1400 people who reported a scam, about half did not engage the scammer at all. Around 30% of people engaged the scammer but did not lose money. 23% of people engaged the scammer and lost money. Above all else, if something ‘just doesn’t feel right’ about an email or letter you received – especially if you are being asked to send money somewhere – trust your instinct and do not engage with the message. Even Social Media platforms are full of potential scams, so practice mindful browsing. The victim of a scam will frequently lose money if they believe they are being contacted by a legitimate agency, such as the IRS. Remember, legitimate government agencies will not ask you to provide personal, sensitive information over the phone.

Deputy district Attorney Vicki Johnson interviews a guest, Paulie, about an Amazon Credit Card Fraud Scam. Paulie, received an ‘order confirmation’ email from what appeared to be an Amazon Order. Paulie and her husband never placed the reported order from Amazon and proceeded to contact the listed phone number for the fraud department. This was an elaborate scam that our professional fraud investigator Vicki Johnson had never heard of and is quite a story!

This episode of Scam Squad features Senior Fraud Specialist at Montecito Bank and Trust, Shawn Dyer. Shawn talks about a few familiar scams that seem to continuously reoccur. E-mail compromise and tech-support scams continuously plague the market. Luckily for consumers, scams are easily recognized and avoided when proper precautions are taken. E-mail compromise happens when a scammer sends an email to a person, posing as a familiar contact. We see perpetrators posing as church pastors or charity organizations, in an attempt to obtain money or gift cards. If you receive an email from what appears to be a trusted contact asking for monetary compensation, be aware, it could be a scam!

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched at the United Nations on June 15th, 2006. This is an international effort to raise awareness within the global community about elder abuse. WEAAD serves as a call to action for our communities to educate people about abuse, neglect, and the exploitation of seniors. Elder abuse is a crime in the United States that is largely unrecognized or unreported. It is estimated that 1 in 10 seniors, ages 60+, has been victimized by some form of elder abuse. As many as 1 in 5 seniors have been the victims of financial exploitation. Elder abuse can take many forms, including neglect, and is not always easy to recognize. On Scam Squad, we often talk about scams that involve the financial exploitation of seniors. To report a case of elder abuse, please contact Adult Protective Services; reports can be made anonymously. Please due your part to prevent elder abuse.

UNEMPLOYEMENT FRAUD by Hub for Podcasting

Special guest Dayton Aldridge shares with us the reality of ‘voice cloning’ and ‘artificial intelligence’. As artificial intelligence becomes more common-place, computers are talking among themselves to provide better search results to human users. With each passing day, A.I. is gathering more data from the general population in order to become more advanced. As A.I. application becomes more widespread, people should be more aware of its capabilities; including, but not limited to, scams and fraudulent activity that involve A.I. Dayton shares about various scams and frauds that involve A.I., including the capabilities of A.I. to mimic and copy any individual’s unique voice.

We have all heard that phrase, "there is no such thing as a free ride" - This saying is more true than ever today. In the digital age, there are so many 'free' offers and product trials online that turn out to be fraudulent! Marketers of cosmetics and supplements alone recently defrauded customers out of 74.5 million dollars. Beware of 'free trial' offers - be sure that you are clear about what you are signing up for as a consumer. It is unlawful for businesses to lie to customers in order to lure them into a reoccurring monthly payment. We also know that the Corona Virus has fraudsters scamming at an unprecedented rate. In order to protect yourself more thoroughly , credit reports are now available for free until April 2021 from annualcreditreport.com

One topic that we have discussed repeatedly is check fraud. Check fraud is a topic that keeps coming up, and it is no surprise that there are increased incidents of fraud during tax season and the arrival of Covid-19 stimulus checks. Crooks and fraudsters are fishing through the mail, looking for checks and sensitive information. With increased social distancing restrictions, less people are on the streets, providing a prime opportunity for crooks to fish in the mail. The big blue public mailboxes are especially vulnerable to this kind of theft and criminal activity. Fraudsters are looking for utility checks and other bills because these envelopes almost always have checks in them. Crooks are able to ‘wash’ and alter the information on the checks. Perpetrators can even deposit the checks via mobile banking app. A special thanks to Doris Roof, Senior Fraud specialist from Montecito Bank and Trust. To report a scam, call the District Attorney’s Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442. The Better Business Bureau urges you to visit their Scam Tracker site at https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/santa-barbara/reportscam or call them directly at 805-963-8657.

May is elder abuse awareness month. In the United States, we estimate that 1 out of every 10 seniors, ages 65+, are victims of abuse. As many as 1 in 5 seniors are exploited financially. Surprisingly, even family members and caregivers are sometimes the abusers. During the Corona Virus Pandemic, many elders are more vulnerable than usual. Please honor and respect the seniors in your community. To report a case of emergency elder abuse directly to law enforcement, please call 805-683-2724