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Beware Of Social Media Scams

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I have the “Shame Warning Flags” up for a scam that’s circulating around Social Media: Bogus Grant Applications…..”CFDA/CDFA” Scams. (Community Development Finance Authority)

A long-time Facebook friend was targeted and fortunately realized it was bogus.

Investigators say it’s an ID Theft Attempt…or attempt to get you to mail them “taxes” as part of getting your application funds.

They try to copy your friends list to use your name..or a friends name to convince you it’s legit.

Faith Based Events

Social Media may be fairly new to you, but the same old scams are turning up over and over again trying to trick anyone they can find. It’s often an international ring with digital “boiler rooms” and groups of cyber fraud criminals working all day trying to catch online victims….and their personal ID’s and financial data.

Remember the “Nigerian Prince”?

Here’s some background from the Community Development Finance Authority:

If you have been contacted over Facebook or by text from someone claiming to be from CDFA or another government agency, be advised that this is a scam. The criminals may also use the identities of one of your friends to trick you into thinking they’ve received money and you can too. Some potential victims are targeted through Facebook Instant Messenger; others received text messages.

CDFA, a quasi-state agency which operates only within New Hampshire, does not make financial awards to individuals anywhere in the country. Nor would we ask you to send us money for any reason.

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from con artists while online. http://www.nhcdfa.org/resources/news/163

[vc_message message_box_style=”3d” message_box_color=”turquoise”]By Al Sunshine, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Consumer Investigator,April 28, 2016[/vc_message]

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Al Sunshine is a South Florida-based Broadcast and Digital Journalist whose career has spanned more than 40 years at the local and national levels. His award-winning investigations have triggered more than a dozen state and local consumer protection laws and his work’s been cited in Congressional Testimony before the U-S House of Representatives. He is best known for his “Shame On You” features for CBS Miami which sought to expose businesses, agencies and individuals defrauding or deceiving consumers, as well as endangering the safety and welfare of the general public. In 2013 Al retired from CBS Miami to set up his own Digital News Business, “Sunshine News, LLC” and Al continues to blog for the Radio, Television, Digital News Association, sponsors of the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards”. An avid environmentalist, Al is one of the founding members of the “Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition”. The Florida Non-Profit is fighting to save and restore the last 2% of Pine Rocklands found only in South Florida and nowhere else in the continental United States. Al was recently elected its President.