Scam Alert: Verizon Outage, Ozempic Scams, Utility Scams, and a Cybercrime Comeback

Verizon Outage Scam

• ⚠️ Scammers are exploiting a recent Verizon outage by sending fake text and email messages offering credits to customers.
• 🎯 These messages often lead to fake landing pages designed to steal Verizon login credentials or personal information.

Cybercrime Comeback: A Million-Dollar Recovery

• 💡 A woman who lost nearly $1 million to a tech support scam in 2021 has had her money returned, plus an additional $80,000.
• 🕵️ Investigators with the Secret Service successfully tracked down the cryptocurrency used in the scam and recovered funds for over 20 victims.
• 🏠 The victim, Janette Voss, had to live frugally for four years, highlighting the devastating impact of such scams.

Ozempic and Weight Loss Drug Scams

• 💊 Scammers are capitalizing on the high demand and cost of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic by advertising discounted versions online.
• 💻 Consumers are lured by ads, often on social media, to websites offering these drugs at a fraction of the cost, requiring pre-screening and fees over $500.
• 💸 These fees often cover only a website membership, with the actual medication costing more, and in many cases, the drugs are never received or are counterfeit.

Winter Utility Scams

• 🥶 With cold weather driving up utility bills, scammers are targeting consumers with shut-off threats and fake refund offers.
• 🚨 Scammers impersonate utility companies, demanding immediate payment via crypto or gift cards to prevent heat shut-offs, despite official policies involving written warnings and legal protections during cold months.
• 💰 Another tactic involves claiming a customer is owed a refund, then requesting bank account or Social Security numbers to process it, using publicly available routing numbers as a false proof of legitimacy.

Catch of the Day: Police Chief Impersonation

• 🚔 A text message impersonating a police chief threatened immediate arrest for a supposed complaint, demanding a callback within minutes.
• 🔍 While the chief's name and department were accurate, the use of text, the urgent threat, and the all-caps message are clear indicators of a scam.
• 📞 The advice is to always verify any official contact by calling the number directly from your utility bill or official records, and never trust unsolicited urgent demands.