SEND MONEY

    Consumer Fraud Prevention

    STAY PROTECTED!

    While the internet has connected us to more information than ever, today’s digital age has made it easier for scammers to perpetrate their fraudulent activity. From faux social media postings to password phishing for financial accounts, scammers have found countless ways to get their hands on other peoples’ money.
    They use any means to contact victims—telephone, snail mail, email, and the Internet.
    They gain your trust and when they have you hooked, they ask you for money; then they take it and run.
    The scenarios they use to lure you in change, constantly. But you can protect yourself and your friends and family by arming yourself with knowledge of the most common types of fraud.

    TYPES OF FRAUD/SCAM ACTIVITIES

    1. LOTTERY /PRIZE SCAM
    These scammers are often unsolicited but persistent!
    Victims are contacted by way of letter, text messages, emails and/or telephone calls, and advised that they have won a lottery or sweepstake, which they did not enter. Names of legitimate gaming entities and organizations are oftentimes uses to create the illusion of “reality”.
    Generally, victims are asked to send funds prior to collection of the winnings; oftentimes referenced as costs such as insurance, attorney fees, taxes, bank fees etc.
    Scammers generally target the elderly, widowers or persons who may be lonely and are looking for relationships. Lottery scammers often isolate their victims and, using savvy methods, are able to disguise their call location to give the impression they are located in the particular state or country in which the victim is situated.

    TIPS TO AVOID LOTTERY / PRIZE SCAMS

    If it looks or sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
    Do not send or pay any “fee” in order to claim winnings.
    Do not open emails or entertain phone calls purporting that you have won money.
    Never reply to spam emails or call numbers in emails or letters or respond to texts from persons indicating that you have won a lottery or sweepstake which you did not enter.
    Don’t click on links or attachments in emails or messages claiming you have won a competition which you did not enter.

    2. LOAN / INVESTMENT SCAM
    Criminals using this method often pose as legitimate companies or institutions that offer loans and high yielding investment opportunities. These criminals may sometimes place advertisements in papers or on the internet.
    Persons who respond to the advertisement are often asked to provide personal information, such as ID, credit card information, bank account details, among other things.
    The victim is then asked to send money to the person, institution or company posing as a loan provider or investor to pay for insurance or to cover other costs such as the first loan payment or the purchase of the investment or mandatory fees.
    Some scammers may request several months’ payments in advance.
    Loan investment schemes come in many forms including, letters of credit; prime bank notes; ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes.

    TIPS TO AVOID LOAN / INVESTMENT SCAMS

    Do not invest in anything unless you understand the deal. Scammers rely on complex transactions and faulty logic to explain fraudulent investment schemes.
    Be wary of any investment that promises high yields on your principal.
    If the opportunity sounds too good to be true, it perhaps is!
    Always independently verify the terms of any investment that you intend to make, including the parties involved and the nature of the investment. In that vein, be very wary of investments that make it difficult for you to verify their legitimacy.
    Be on the alert for any investment that requires that you bring other persons in the loop to increase your earnings.

    3. INTERNET PURCHASE SCAM
    Scammers use websites or online classifieds to advertise items, such as mobile phones, event tickets and cars, that don’t exist.
    Usually, an internet scammer may try to convince you that you are purchasing from a legitimate company or seller with items oftentimes advertised on Craigslist, eBay, Alibaba, etc.
    They may instruct you to make a payment using JN Money or another popular and established remittance brand, or to provide your credit card number or account information.
    After a transaction takes place, no merchandise is received.

    TIPS TO AVOID INTERNET PURCHASE SCAMS

    Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
    Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
    Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active.
    Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
    Inquire about returns and warranties.
    If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
    Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card numbers.

    4. ELDER/SENIOR ABUSE SCAM
    Financial fraud is the fastest-growing form of elder abuse. Scammers target elders that they perceive to be vulnerable — those that are isolated, lonely, physically or mentally disabled, unfamiliar with handling their own finances, or have recently lost a spouse.
    The scam artists often pose as trustworthy helpers. They can be strangers, such as telemarketers and tradespeople, or have a relationship with the targeted victim, such as friends, family members, doctors, lawyers, accountants, and paid or volunteer caregivers.
    Elder fraud abuse scammers can be tough to catch. Many scammers have paperwork that appears to give them legal authority to act — including powers of attorney etc…

    TIPS TO AVOID ELDER/SENIOR ABUSE SCAMS

    If you are a legitimate relative/caregiver, check to ensure that no unusually large withdrawals/transfers are being made from the persons’ bank accounts that they are unable to explain.
    Avoid any individual who suddenly wants to form a close relationship with the older person, allowing for easier access to his/her home, money, and other property.
    Ensure that no newly executed documents, such as a will or power of attorney is signed that the older person doesn’t seem to understand.
    Do not open emails or entertain phone calls purporting that you have won money.
    Never reply to spam emails or call numbers in emails or letters or respond to texts from persons indicating that you have won a lottery or sweepstake which you did not enter.
    Don’t click on links or attachments in emails or messages claiming you have won a competition which you did not enter.

    5. EMPLOYMENT SCAM
    Fraudsters use this method very often to deceive their victims into believing that they have found their dream job. These jobs are often posted in classifieds and on job-seeking websites or some scammers send their victims emails about jobs that require minimal effort to earn substantial incomes.
    A popular “dream job” scam is an offer for customers to act as secret shoppers and send money transfer transactions to test the money transfer company’s processes.

    TIPS TO AVOID EMPLOYMENT SCAMS

    Reject any “company” that requires payment for anything or to send funds in order to test processes for money transfer companies etc.
    If the opportunity sounds too good to be true, it perhaps is!

    6. RELATIONSHIP / ROMANCE SCAM
    Scammers contact their victims online and gain their trust by building fake relationships. The scam activity is executed invariably when the criminal creates the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
    After they have established trust, scammers ask their victims for money for various travel expenses, fees or other emergency expenses.
    Persons who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable.
    Fraudsters use social networks, online dating sites, and mail bride services.

    TIPS TO AVOID RELATIONSHIP / ROMANCE SCAMS

    Always be mindful that the person with whom you may be corresponding is a fraudster and do not allow emotions to factor into your decision making.
    Think twice before sending money to someone you have only recently met online or have not met in person.
    Never give credit card or online account or any personal information to anyone by email as criminals may also use your photos and personal information to steal your identity.
    Do not make arrangements with strangers who ask for money up-front.

    7. PERSON “IN-NEED” SCAM
    Scammers using this method will try to convince you to provide funds urgently by posing as a relative/friend or business opportunists that is ultimately in need.
    The victim is contacted by an individual pretending to be in distress, (i.e., bail, medical expenses, emergency travel funds) requiring a money transfer to be sent immediately.
    The “Nigerian letter” or the “419 Scam” is a good example of this type of fraud.
    No emergency has occurred, and the victim who sent money to help the situation will ultimately lose their money.

    TIPS TO AVOID PERSON “IN-NEED” SCAMS

    Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as a foreign national or government/business official, including relatives and friends, via email or letter, asking for your help by placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
    Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
    Guard your account information and identity very carefully.

    GENERAL WARNING SIGNS

    Scammers have many excuses why they can’t meet you in person. They list numerous reasons why they need money and always seem to be in trouble.
    Scammers claim they’ve been in an accident or have a sudden family tragedy right before boarding a plane to meet you or are held up in Customs and needs money for their release.
    Scammers continue to ask for money for a plane ticket to see you, or to “float” them until payday.
    Scammers need money because they were mugged and their money, passport, and ID were stolen while traveling.
    Scammers will tell you to send the money in the name of a friend or family member to verify you have funds or to act as an escrow until you receive the purchased goods or services.
    Scammers claim they have been in an accident, are in the hospital and their medical bills have to be paid in full before they can leave.

    PHISHING & EMAILS

    Passwords and IDs hold high value with cyber criminals. Sending phishing emails to a lot of random email addresses is one easy way scammers steal information from unsuspecting people.

    It’s probably a phishing email if:

    The email is poorly written with misspellings and incorrect grammar, or a familiar company name is misspelled.
    Your name isn’t in the “To” line. This email has likely been sent to thousands of people.
    The sender’s email address is suspicious; it might have a familiar company or government organization that is misspelled.
    The email doesn’t use your name. Any financial institution you have an account with knows your name. Email beginning with “Dear valued customer,” “To Whom It May Concern,” or even “Hello,” could signal a scam.
    The URL is a fake. Hover over the “click here” or “take action now” link with your mouse. If you see a strange URL instead of a legitimate company website, don’t click. Secured URL’s must have at the beginning – “https://”.
    You’re informed that there’s a security breach on your account, and if you don’t take the action recommended in the email, your account will be suspended.
    The email asks for your personal, credit card or online account information or takes you to a website that asks for it. Legitimate companies don’t usually do that.

    IF YOU RECEIVE A SUSPICIOUS EMAIL:

    Don’t open it; delete it immediately.
    Don’t follow any links in the email – even if its to “unsubscribe” from the sender – or open any files attached to it.
    JN Money will never send you an email asking for your ID, password or personal information. If you’re not sure whether an email is from JN Money or not, don’t open any links, click on any attachments, or provide any passwords or user IDs.

    JN MONEY – NEVER EVERS!

    In order to lower your chances of falling victim to fraud; ensure that you are mindful of these “super seven” rules to consider when using a money transfer service.

    Never send money to people you haven’t met in person.
    Never send money to pay for taxes or fees on lottery or prize winnings.
    Never send money in advance to obtain a loan or credit card.
    Never provide your banking information to people or businesses you don’t know.
    Never use a test question as an additional security measure to protect your transaction.
    Never send money for an emergency without verifying that it’s a real emergency.
    Never send a money transfer to an individual for online purchases, without conducting proper due of the legitimacy of the business.

    IF SCAMMED, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

    Be resourceful, get educated and stop fraud. Keep informed and stay protected. The more information you have, the better you can shield yourself against criminals. Report fraud, stay updated on the latest scams, and learn how to detect con artists with these additional resources.
    If you believe you have been scammed, contact your local police department immediately. We provide money transfer services from sender to receiver and urge our customers to be very careful to ensure that they do not send money to unintended recipients.
    You may also contact the following organizations depending on the country you are located in to file a complaint.

    USA
    Federal Trade Commission
    Internet Crime Complaint Center
    National Consumers League’s Fraud Centre

    CANADA

    Phone Busters(Anti-Fraud Call Centre)

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Metropolitan Police
    Serious Fraud Office

    EUROPEAN UNION

    European Anti-Fraud Office

    THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

    Royal Cayman Islands Police Service

    JAMAICA
    Ministry of National Security
    Financial Services Commission
    Tax Administration Jamaica
    Ministry of Justice
    Jamaica Constabulary Force

    STAY PROTECTED!

    We know that you work very hard for your money, and you want a company you can rely on when it comes to sending your money to your family and friends.

    That’s why we want to help you protect yourself from fraud.

    #protectyourself