Myrtle Beach Sun News Logo

Be Wise to Scam Artists | Myrtle Beach Sun News

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Subscribe
    • Activate Your Account
    • Account Support
    • Mobile Apps
    • Newsletters
    • The Sun News Store
    • FAQ
    • Cancel SunValues Delivery
    • Plan
    • All Tourist Info
    • Vacation Planner
    • Calendar
    • Where to Stay
    • Ask a Local
    • Festivals Guide
    • Best of the Area
    • Play
    • Nightlife
    • Golf
    • Shopping
    • Shows
    • Myrtle Beach Blog
    • Restaurants

  • Obituaries
    • All News
    • Local News
    • Crime/Courts
    • Business
    • State News
    • Nation/World
    • Weird News
    • More News
    • Politics
    • Myrtle Beach Bike Rallies
    • Submit A News Tip
    • Tourism News
    • Real Estate News
    • All Sports
    • High Schools
    • Coastal Carolina
    • Recreation
    • Golf
    • MB Pelicans
    • Auto Racing
    • More Sports
    • College Sports
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • MB Marathon
    • Toast Of The Coast
    • Green Reading Blog
    • The Roost Blog
    • All Opinion
    • Letters To The Editor
    • Submit A Letter
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
    • Columns & Blogs
    • Bob Bestler
    • All Living
    • Coasting
    • Neighbors
    • Food
    • Best Of The Beach
    • Announcements
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Home & Garden
    • All Entertainment
    • Kicks!
    • Best Of The Beach
    • Movies
    • Calendar
    • Contests
    • More Entertainment
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Celebrities
    • Music
    • TV

  • Legals
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Classified Ads

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Letters to the Editor

Be Wise to Scam Artists

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 10, 2010 12:00 AM

Editor's note: The following editorial was published Thursday in the Florence Morning News.

It seems new scams are created every day, and it seems they all make their way to the Pee Dee at some point.

Most recently, several Florence residents recently received text messages on their cell phones indicating their Health Facilities Federal Credit Union had been deactivated. The messages asked for account information despite the fact that many of the people who received calls do not have accounts with Health Facilities Federal Credit Union.

A Florence Bank of America customer also reported receiving phishing e-mails about her account with the bank. While Bank of America officials acknowledged some of their customers have received phishing e-mails, they also said they have confidential procedures in place to prevent, detect and alleviate identity theft.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Sun News

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Last week, a Timmonsville woman came forward as one of many victims of a nationwide check scam involving a fake sweepstakes. She contacted the 12th Circuit Solicitor's Office after receiving two apparently legitimate, but fake, checks: one from a nonexistent company and the other supposedly from the New York City Comptroller's Office.

It's frustrating to report on these crimes because it's difficult to keep up with every scam out there, we can't help but feel badly for the victims and, no matter how many times people hear the adage, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is," the message doesn't sink in.

The website www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com, which is designed to help protect people from becoming the a victim of an Internet fraud scheme, points out that fraud is a crime in which people decide whether to participate. Hanging up the phone or opting not to respond to shady mailings or e-mails make it difficult for a scam artist to commit fraud.

If an apparent scam mentions your bank and/or credit card companies, contact them directly to see if any fraudulent transactions have shown up and to arrange for new cards or accounts, if necessary, www.fightidentitytheft.com recommends.

If you only saw a scam and want to report it, Fight Identity Theft recommends that you contact the company involved in the scam immediately and consider forwarding the e-mail to spam@uce.gov. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will place your e-mail in a database and use the combined information to track down and prosecute the scammer/spammers. You can also report the scam to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. This site is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.

The FBI warns people to be skeptical of others representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts. The federal agency lists common scams and ways to avoid them at www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm#imperson.

The website for Fraud Aid Inc., a nonprofit fraud victim advocacy organization (www.fraudaid.com/index.htm), also reminds people that they cannot win a lottery they didn't enter -- period. The site also cites the federal statute that makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to enter foreign lotteries.

If you should receive a check or money order from any source that you don't know to be legitimate, don't cash or deposit them, Fraud Aid Inc. cautions. They are likely stolen, forged or counterfeit and you could lose money or even go to jail for taking them to the bank or a check cashing facility. The site recommends that anyone who receives these documents write VOID across the front and take them and the envelope in which they arrived to law enforcement officers.

Yes, it's unfortunate that scam artists exist to prey on others, but a little common sense can go a long way toward thwarting them. Twelfth Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements III said everyone should remember a basic rule when it comes to free money: "If somebody's gonna give you something for nothing, they're fooling you."

  Comments  

Videos

UNC’s Roy Williams after win over Florida State: ‘We had 10 turnovers, I thought we had 103’

Coach K tells Syracuse to “take care of my friend” Jim Boeheim

View More Video

Trending Stories

Did you know about this Myrtle Beach secret? Tunnel stretches beneath Ocean Boulevard

February 22, 2019 01:17 PM

Large fire guts apartment building near Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach area

February 22, 2019 10:56 PM

Police charge Myrtle Beach man with arson in connection to Ocean Creek Resort blaze

February 23, 2019 11:15 AM

He forgot to grab his cash back from self checkout. Then, his $100 was taken and spent

February 23, 2019 12:34 PM

She killed her boyfriend then ate a burger. Now, at 72, she wants a new trial or death

February 22, 2019 07:38 AM

things to do

Read Next

Should we send students to jail for sassing the teacher?

Letters to the Editor

Should we send students to jail for sassing the teacher?

By Cindi Ross Scoppe Associate Editor

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 01, 2018 11:32 AM

South Carolina’s disturbing schools law that lets police arrest students who talk back to teachers or otherwise ‘act in an obnoxious manner’ could be repealed. A House committee votes Tuesday on a bill to limit the law to adults.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Sun News

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor: I didn’t know I was an environmental zealot until I read Sen. Goldfinch’s op-ed

December 22, 2017 04:34 PM

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor: Use Lake Busbee for recreation

December 15, 2017 10:53 AM

Letters to the Editor

Seniors want to keep rubber bridge

December 08, 2017 03:36 PM

Letters to the Editor

Opioid crisis is killing us — we need solutions

December 08, 2017 03:12 PM

Letters to the Editor

Those trying to change Myrtle Beach for the better will be attacked

October 14, 2017 10:45 AM

Letters to the Editor

S.C. Autism Society ready to help Myrtle Beach mother

October 14, 2017 10:44 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Myrtle Beach Sun News App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Place a Classified
  • Advertise
  • Rates
  • Contests & Promotions
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story