scams | KCUR

Platte County Spoofed Out Of $48,000

By Steve Bell • Jun 2, 2016

The Platte City Corthouse — plattecitymo.com

Platte County Treasurer Rob Willard fell for an e-mail scam Friday, and it cost the county more than $48,000.

Willard received an e-mail, purportedly from Presiding Commissioner Ron Scheiber, requesting an immediate wire transfer of $48,200 to a Florida bank to pay for tax consulting services.

Scheiber was on vacation and not responding to text messages and it was late in the day – nearing closing time for the Florida bank.

Willard said the e-mail looked legitimate and seemed urgent, so he complied ... all before Scheiber checked his messages

St. Teresa's Academy In Brookside Will Likely Give Away Tainted Donation

By Kyle Palmer • Aug 6, 2015

St. Teresa's Academy, a 150-year old private Catholic all-girls school in Kansas City's Brookside neighborhood, is trying to cut financial ties with one-time donor Tim Coppinger.

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission accused Coppinger of defrauding low-income customers of millions of dollars in a payday lending scam. The FTC's injunction accuses Coppinger and another payday lender Frampton Rowland, III, of using the information of loan applicants to "deposit money into the applicants' accounts without permission...then withdraw reoccurring finance charges without any of the payments going to pay down the principal owed".

School Scam Sweeps Across 22 States Including Missouri

By Sam Zeff • Sep 12, 2014

Authorities in 22 states, including Missouri, are investigating a scam aimed at school districts.

There’s nothing fancy about this scam. There’s no hacking or card readers. It’s just what the Better Business Bureau calls an old time invoice scam.

It works like this: someone sends around invoices for $647.50 for workbooks.

The company name on the invoice, investigators say, is Scholastic School Supply, which is suspiciously close to Scholastic Inc., the huge educational book publisher.

Federal Authorities Ask For Help In Protecting Consumers From Fraud

By Dan Verbeck • Mar 6, 2014

In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, postal inspectors and U.S. Attorneys from Western Missouri and Kansas are asking the public for help fighting sweepstakes scams. According to prosecutors Tammy Dickinson and Barry Grissom, most are operating from outside the United States.

Many of the lottery winning schemes mail impressive looking certificates. Tom Noyes of the postal inspection service in Kansas City says most gullible victims are elderly and will often send up front money to con artists.

Air Tickets Too Cheap To Be Legit

By Dan Verbeck • Jul 9, 2010

Kansas City, MO – A laptop stolen five years ago in Overland Park has led to federal charges of a custom, stolen-to-order airline ticket scam that ranged through 28 states and Canada. Secret indictments were opened today describing thousands of identity thefts.

Scammers Target Medicare Rebate Checks

By Marshall Griffin • Jun 15, 2010

Jefferson City, MO – Elderly Missourians who qualify for $250 rebate checks from Medicare are being warned to watch out for scam artists.

The checks that are being mailed out are legitimate, but seniors who receive them may be targeted by con artists. State Attorney General Chris Koster says recipients should not give out their personal information to anyone calling to ask for it.