Sophisticated new scam targets major charities

Written on January 29, 2024. Posted in Fraud Watch News.

Sophisticated new scam targets major charities

The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office has been alerted by a major locally-based charity about a scam that targets businesses and charities for large donations.

An e-mail is sent which suggests that a person of importance within the charity approved a large donation. The scammers provide what looks like a conversation thread between the person of importance and the scammer that indicates the charity wishes to donate a large sum of money to a fake charity that the scammer represents. The person of importance then instructs the scammer to send an invoice for the donation to the financial representative for the major charity, who will then process it and remit the money to the fake charity.

In the case of the scam attempt in question, someone who is savvy to such fraud attempts caught it and reported it to NSO.

The “Pledge Invoice” shown here provides banking transfer information as well as some “legitimacy” by showing IRS numbers and the like.

DO NOT FALL FOR THIS AND REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO FRAUD WATCH.

If you've been subjected to a scam attempt like this, please contact
the Norfolk Sheriff's Office's Consumer Protection Unit to file a report.

File a fraud report

Hospitals in Virginia report an alarming rise in THC ingestion in children because of copycat edibles

Written on January 16, 2024. Posted in Fraud Watch News.

Hospitals in Virginia report an alarming rise in THC ingestion in children because of copycat edibles

According to an investigative report published by WAVY-TV 10 , "Pediatric ER Visits are climbing due to the amount of kids ingesting cannabis products in the Commonwealth.

"Cannabis, fentanyl and other street drugs are also contributing to a higher number of pediatric deaths this year in Virginia, as well as nationally."

Read and watch the entire report HERE

According to the report, one of the primary drivers behind this problem is companies which produce edible cannabis products putting those products in packaging which mimics popular brands of candy.

fake candy

The Federal Trade Commission, as well as the Food and Drug Administration have issued warnings about this growing problem in an article titled: THC edibles that look like snacks popular with kids? FTC and FDA have something to say about that.

Read the report from the FTC HERE

If you've been subjected to a scam attempt like this, please contact
the Norfolk Sheriff's Office's Consumer Protection Unit to file a report.

File a fraud report

With the normal uptick in deliveries during the holidays, the U.S.P.S. warns about a scam called "Smishing."

Written on December 06, 2023. Posted in Fraud Watch News.

From the U.S. Postal Service:

Have you received unsolicited mobile text messages with an unfamiliar or strange web link that indicates a USPS delivery requires a response from you?

If you never signed up for a USPS tracking request for a specific package, then don’t click the link! This type of text message is a scam called "smishing."