Internet scams hit Henry County

MT. PLEASANT — At least two Henry County residents have fallen victim to internet scams recently.

According to a press release from Henry County Sheriff’s Office, one individual reported suffering the consequences of a scam Dec. 20.

“The investigation determined the scam took place involving the social media platform, Facebook, and the digital wallet, Venmo,” the release states.

According to the release, the incident occurred while the victim attempted to sell items via the Facebook marketplace.

“A price was agreed upon and the money exchange would take place through venom,” the release states.

During the money exchange, the suspect created fake emails and other documents to appear as though Venmo support was contacting the victim.

“The suspect then began requesting money form the victim as an insurance to confirm the transaction was legitimate,” the release states.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released any names at this time.

Small business owner Kristin Osborne Woodsmall recently found fraudulent activity connected to her online financials, as well.

“Unfortunately I will not be able to accept any more PayPal payments at this time,” Woodsmall wrote in her business’s Facebook group Tuesday.

“I went into my PayPal account yesterday [Tuesday] to look over my transactions over last year and had noticed someone was slowly taking out twenty dollars here and there until November 30th,” Woodsmall said.

According to Woodsmall, the withdrawals changed on Nov. 30.

“That is when they made multiple PayPal withdrawals on my business account along with transferring most of my business account information to a California address and changing my number to a California phone number as well,” she said.

Woodsmall reported the situation to PayPal.

“This has hit at a bad time with newly starting out, but I am hopeful it will be resolved quickly,” she said.

“In the meantime, I still accept cash, check, Venmo, and cards,” Woodsmall assures her customers.

Henry County Sheriff’s Office reminds those using virtual financial platforms that there numerous scams and everyone should be vigilant.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, currently, most scams take place via the internet and web-based applications such as Venmo, PayPal, Cash App and Facebook.

“Scammers tend to pray on the good will/nature of people,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in their press release.

“Scammers can hide behind the computer and put up a facade,” they said. “We ask people to do research and due diligence on their transactions and dealings through Facebook marketplace, Venmo, and Cash App.”

As with the incident on Dec. 20, the Sheriff’s Office warns, “scammers will use several accounts with different names.”

“They will over promise items or money, which will never arrive,” the press release states. “Scammers also resort to pressuring and sometimes rising to the level of threats to get the resources they are looking for.”

The Sheriff’s Office warns that individuals should never give out personal banking information over the phone or internet and to attempt to have face-to-face interactions whenever possible.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office offers the following advice to help protect yourself from many internet scams:

When possible, look for established businesses or sellers

An impressive looking website or name doesn’t necessarily mean the seller is reputable, so know who you are dealing with.

Make sure you know the seller’s physical address and phone number, should there be a problem.

Research the seller

What turns up when you run the seller's name through an Internet search engine?

Do you see complaints?

Check the Better Business Bureau's website at www.bbb.org.

Know the item and the price

The seller should provide a full description of the item, the item's condition if it is not new, the price, and any other fees (such as shipping, handling and return charges).

Watch for unsolicited emails and pop-up advertisements

Never provide your bank account number, credit or debit card numbers, or other personal information in response to an unsolicited emailed or pop-up advertisement.

While emailed advertisements and pop-up ads may be legitimate, it's also possible that they are "spoofed," meaning they look legitimate but are not.

To be safe, go to a search engine, type in the seller's name, and go directly to the seller's website.

Use credit cards whenever possible

Credit cards generally offer more consumer protections than debit cards or prepaid money cards.

For example, you can dispute a credit card charge if it is fraudulent or if the seller did not live up to the terms of the transaction.

Debit card and prepaid money card transactions are much closer to cash transactions and therefore harder to dispute.

Don’t Wire Money

Never "wire" money electronically to people you don't know, as you have virtually no consumer protections if something is wrong.

Criminals who seek payment through wire fraud often do so from other countries, which may be beyond the reach of law enforcement.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com