Deaf Customer Scam
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July 22, 2015 - This scam is currently being tried in Enid and targets massage therapists but could spread to others as well.
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Booking massage parties with several appointments sounds like a great way to grow your business. But lately there have been attempts to scam massage therapists and spas. The inquiries come through a text message saying they want to book a massage party for several individuals. The dialogue goes back and forth and the person never provides a phone number so you can contact them. The conversation continues getting more questionable and all around shady. As the business owner, you aren’t able to hear their voice and get a sense of who they are. This is a red flag. Should there be any weirdness like, “I am deaf so I need to text you because I cannot use the phone…,” it’s just an attempt to disguise themselves and continue the scam. (There are transcript services that can conduct a phone conversation for the hearing impaired.)
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Special favors like, “I want to buy 15 massages for a wedding party. The scammer also has the cake designer on text as well and asks you to do a special favor. The cake designers credit card machine is broken. So if you could charge an extra $300 at the time you run their credit card and give the $300 cash to the cake designer, they would appreciate it.” This is just a reason to grab $300 while using a stolen credit card to pay for all of the massages.
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IRS SCAM
March 5, 2015 - This is an alert issued by Central National Bank.
As tax time approaches, criminals find many new ways to try stealing your information. The IRS recently released the information below on several new scams that are circulating. At Central National Bank, we want you to be as safe as possible, if you believe you have been the victim of any of these scams please contact your local branch or our Customer Service Department at (580)233-3535.
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Identity Theft Scams
The IRS has issued several consumer warnings about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scammers trying to gain access to consumers’ financial information in order to steal their identity and assets. Scammers will use the regular mail, telephone, fax or email to set up their victims.
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The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email. Unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS, or from an IRS-related component such as EFTPS, should be reported to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. You may also report instances of IRS-related phishing attempts and fraud to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.
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IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scam
An aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.
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Or, victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information.
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If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.
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Note that the IRS will never: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
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