Scam artists play on your emotions and sometimes your ego.News 8 On Your Side received this email from a viewer:”My teenage granddaughter posted some of her art on the internet. Yesterday someone contacted her about a painting she had posted. The woman said she was creating a display for Universal Studios and wanted to use the painting as ‘inspiration’ for this display. She sent two $1000 checks electronically. Then later in the day, they wanted her to send them back $500 for project supplies. They are trying to get her to send Bitcoins.”This is another example of recognizing a scam based on the way the crooks are trying to get their money.Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin has become the favorite way for many scammers to get their money.Scammers like to use cryptocurrency because it’s hard to trace, they get the money almost instantly, and it doesn’t have the same legal protections for consumers as credit cards.Those two checks the young artist received are almost certainly fake.If she sent the $500 as requested, she would then owe money to the bank after the checks fail to clear.If someone you don’t know is asking you to send money using cryptocurrency, a gift card, a wire transfer, or a payment app, it could be a scam.
Scam artists play on your emotions and sometimes your ego.
News 8 On Your Side received this email from a viewer:
“My teenage granddaughter posted some of her art on the internet. Yesterday someone contacted her about a painting she had posted. The woman said she was creating a display for Universal Studios and wanted to use the painting as ‘inspiration’ for this display. She sent two $1000 checks electronically. Then later in the day, they wanted her to send them back $500 for project supplies. They are trying to get her to send Bitcoins.”
This is another example of recognizing a scam based on the way the crooks are trying to get their money.
Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin has become the favorite way for many scammers to get their money.
Scammers like to use cryptocurrency because it’s hard to trace, they get the money almost instantly, and it doesn’t have the same legal protections for consumers as credit cards.
Those two checks the young artist received are almost certainly fake.
If she sent the $500 as requested, she would then owe money to the bank after the checks fail to clear.
If someone you don’t know is asking you to send money using cryptocurrency, a gift card, a wire transfer, or a payment app, it could be a scam.
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