The MyChargeBack Blog

In our previous article we examined some of the challenges customers are facing in trying to obtain COVID-19 travel refunds. We saw some of the tactics airlines are employing to delay and avoid paying back their customers for their cancelled flights. That’s pretty bad, but it gets worse. Not to worry, though. Spoiler: there’s a happy ending.

First, the Bad News

There is a mass of customers clamoring for well-deserved COVID-19 travel refunds. Unfortunately, many refunds are rejected. That, in turn,  created an opening for scammers. There are numerous reports around the globe of spam emails promising to help obtain refunds for cancelled flights. What happens, however, is that these emails steal the recipient’s personal data when the victims open them.

MyChargeBack advises, therefore, to double check the authenticity and reliability of any company you deal with before clicking any links or parting with any sensitive information.

Another disturbing trend involves stranded travelers in the middle of a trip far from home. There are instances when they face what amounts to extortion. One American couple stuck in Europe had no alternative other than pay $1,800 for tickets home. That was because the  airline refused to fly to the original destination. It cited a lack of screening at that particular airport. Now the airline says it “will try” to process a refund at some point in the future. When they get around to it.

Another American couple became ill, possibly with coronavirus, during a cruise in South America. They planned ahead for any contingency, however, by purchasing travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage. When push came to shove, however, it didn’t matter. They were shocked and disappointed to discover that the insurance company offered every excuse it could think up. It refused to evacuate the couple or do anything else to help them.

No, an Online Travel Agency Won’t Necessarily Help

All the challenges and complications of getting a refund are multiplied if you booked your trip through an online travel agency. After all, it doesn’t even have your money any more. To do that it first has to get your money back from all the companies it paid (airlines, hotels, shuttles, etc.).

The bottom line is that there may be many hurdles for the ordinary passenger to overcome. Thankfully, some airlines and travel and leisure companies are quite forthcoming in refunding the cost of cancelled trips. Many others will not. Consumers who are unsatisfied do have other avenues.

COVID-19 Travel Refunds: Can Anyone Help?

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that airlines must provide refunds, not vouchers, to purchasers of tickets on flights cancelled due to COVID-19. In Israel, a major law firm filed a class action lawsuit against a number of American and European airlines for failing to issue timely refunds.

It remains to be seen if either the government or the courts will be effective or efficient at getting people’s money back in their pockets. What you really need is a professional to look out for your interests. MyChargeBack‘s expertise and experience have allowed our clients all over the world to recover millions dollars that they feared were gone forever. Contact us today for a free consultation.

The world’s economy ground to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And few sectors have been hit harder than travel, hospitality and tourism. The industry’s responses to the crisis are as many as the number of tickets. In many cases, travelers are frustrated because of the apparent inability to obtain coronavirus refunds from airlines and insurance companies.

Consumers like you are not giant corporations like the airlines. But  you’re also facing economic  hardship. Relatively speaking, the price you are paying may even be higher.  The travel plans you made became impossible to implement overnight. Maybe it was a once-in-a-lifetime family vacation. Or a wedding, or some other family event.  Whatever the case, it’s no longer going to take place when you thought. And if it ever does, you have no idea if you’ll then be available.

And what about your money? You paid in advance of course. So why can’t you get coronavirus refunds from airlines? Is that money all gone? We readily understand the difficult position the companies are in. But that’s no reason for you not to get your money back. You didn’t do anything wrong. So what’s going on out there?

Insurance May Not Cover It

A recent report by the BBC addressed the possibility that you might get your money back if you took out travel insurance. Is that possible?

The bottom line is that the chances of success depend on a few factors. First and foremost is the fine print of your policy. Second is the reason why you could not travel. If the government prohibited it, your odds improve. If you decided it’s too dangerous, your odds are minimal.

Moreover, the fine print may differentiate between a hotel that’s been closed and an open hotel in an area where travel is not recommended. And of course, timelines matter. There will be a deadline to apply. But you may not be able to file immediately. You might have to wait until close to the original date of departure. And save your receipts and contracts! Without them there is no way to obtain coronavirus refunds from airlines, from insurance companies or from anyone else.

Can You Get Coronavirus Refunds from Airlines?

The best case scenario at this point would be to get all your money back directly from the airline. Don’t be surprised, however, to learn that this may be easier said than done. Another BBC article warns that refunds are difficult at best given the delays and byzantine bureaucracy.  In particular, many travelers complain that while they could book their flights online, and even get vouchers for cancelled flights, they have to request a refund over the phone. And that entails interminable waits and numerous calls. After all, the system is now simply overwhelmed . And don’t forget: If you’re skipping a flight that was not cancelled — even for the most justifiable of reasons —  you may not be entitled to a refund at all.

Chargebacks: Your Last Chance to Obtain Coronavirus Refunds from Airlines

Not surprisingly, many travelers report that they finally requested chargebacks from the bank that issued them the credit card or debit card they used to pay for their tickets. If you opt to ask your bank to raise a dispute, however, be sure to request a refund directly from the travel agency or airline beforehand. Your bank will want to know if you tried to resolve the dispute with the merchant  before initiating a chargeback. That is because a chargeback is your final option, not your first.

There are several conditions that could give you the right to a chargeback. Aside from fraudulent transactions, where the card was used without your knowledge, other cases include not receiving what you paid for, receiving goods or services that were not as described, and being charged the wrong amount.

If your travel was cancelled and the merchant is refusing to refund you, a chargeback may be an attractive alternative to losing your money. Be aware, however, that some experts have warned that the banks and credit card companies may, in the current crisis, lean towards denying chargebacks more than approving them. Your best bet, therefore, is to have a professional behind the scenes preparing your case for you. Someone with a deep and broad understanding of all the relevant laws, regulations, and company policies, but who’s on your side. Now who might that be?

Your Bottom Line

There is no reason why a global catastrophe needs to sweep your hard earned money away. You do not deserve to be another victim. If you are finding all doors closed to helping you, consider MyChargeBack. We are an American fund recovery firm with clients around the world, and we have helped people like you recover millions of dollars. Reach out to us for a free consultation today.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has, from late 2019 through spring 2020, moved from a local problem to international crisis to global catastrophe. But there’s one group of people for whom the pandemic has not been catastrophic. There are people who thrive in periods of panic and uncertainty: scammers. And they’re now running COVID-19 shopping scams.

For the most part, the COVID-19 scams are nothing more than re-purposed versions of classic con games. Take for example the “good” old-fashioned shopping scam. There have always been criminals out there selling counterfeit or poor quality merchandise — or just taking your money in exchange for nothing at all. But now, not only are the stakes higher, but the potential victims are often easier to fool, due to their increased levels of stress, urgency, and uncertainty.

If you’re like millions of other people, you have at least thought about buying a face mask or other PPE (personal protective equipment). If you’re lucky, some local chain might have some in stock at wildly inflated prices, but at least you know what you’re getting.

On the other hand, maybe all the local stores and trusted online retailers are sold out. Or perhaps you want to buy a lot in bulk. You may even need to, if you’re procuring on behalf of a hospital or other large institution. In that case, you are likely to find that the suppliers are overseas, specifically almost always in China. What could go wrong?

COVID-19 Shopping Scams: Sellers Who Are Thieves

The most obvious case is when the merchant takes your money and gives you nothing in return. It’s straightforward theft, and it’s becoming far more common. A common tactic among these criminals to lure victims into their trap is to offer their non-existent wares at prices far lower than legitimate sellers.

COVID-19 Shopping Scams: Resellers With No Stock

Many folks pretending to be online retailers are nothing more than resellers. Not all of them are compete thieves, but they’re not what we’d call honest merchants either. Their idea, or hope, is to batch enough orders to be able to fulfill them eventually by buying bulk stock from a legitimate manufacturer or wholesaler. This hope is not always realistic, and many customers have been left holding the bag.

Quality Issues

You will hopefully not be shocked to learn that many shady online retailers exaggerate the quality of their merchandise. But during the crisis, promising one thing and shipping another can literally be a matter of life and death. Countless victims have received face masks that fail to meet basic medical standards, or are even second hand! And others have bought COVID-19 testing kits that didn’t work at all. These are now classic COVID-19 shopping scams.

Get Help

Did you fall victim to a coronavirus  shopping scam? There is no reason why a global catastrophe needs to sweep your hard earned money away. You do not deserve to be another victim. If you are having a hard time getting your money back, consider MyChargeBack. We are an American fund recovery firm with clients around the world. And we have helped people like you recover millions of dollars. Reach out to us for a free consultation today.

Love is a complicated emotion. And if you fall for a romance scam it will be a losing proposition.  When Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, Valentine’s Day scams move into high gear.

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, romance scams of all types increased sharply over the last few years. The statistics show that in the United States alone, victims reported more than 21,000 romance scams to the authorities in 2018. This is a sharp increase from 2017, when the figure stood at 16,900. Over this period, reported losses rose from $88 million to $143 million. Results for 2019 are still unavailable but if the trend continues, you can bet that things will only get worse.

Don’t Trust What They Tell You

Romance scammers generally source their victims online through dating sites, apps and social media. They misrepresent themselves by using fake names, fake photos and fake profiles. Scammers slowly build trust with their victims over a period of time. Once victims fall in love with the scammer, they’ll be willing to comply with any request. At this stage, the scammer moves for the kill and requests money through wire transfers, gift cards or cryptocurrencies.

The lead up to Valentine’s Day provides the perfect cover for cybercriminals to set the trap. By hiding out among the many legitimate dating websites, scammers conceal their true intentions and make their move.

Other Examples of Valentine’s Day Scams

Flower Delivery Scams

On or just before Valentine’s Day the victim receives an email or phone call from a supposed florist. The fake florist will then ask the victim to provide a little bit of information to assist with a flower delivery from a secret admirer. Using sophisticated techniques the scammer is able to obtain personal or financial information for fraud and identification theft.

Fake eCards

Scammer often send an innocent looking Valentine’s Day eCard to victims. The victims, in their excitement, will open the eCard without thinking of what might happen next. The eCard, however, will include malware or links to dodgy websites designed to steal your personal information.

Tough Love – How to Avoid Falling for a Valentine’s Day Scam

The best advice to avoid becoming a victim of Valentine’s Day scams is to trust your instincts. We all have a built-in system to detect a threat. If it sounds too good to be true, don’t ignore your internal warning signals. Below are a few points to keep from getting scammed when looking for love on Valentine’s Day.

• Stay away from stories that are designed to pull at your heart strings sent by strangers requesting money
• Never share your personal information such as usernames, passwords, bank account details, or credit card numbers with strangers
• Don’t send money or gifts to anyone you haven’t met in person
• When conversing online, take your time to evaluate the people you speak with; evaluate responses and look out for inconsistencies in their stories
• Call to verify a request from someone you know; don’t rely on social media messages
• If you suspect a romance scam, immediately cut off contact and notify the site

The world’s attention has turned to the latest pandemic coming out of China. The coronavirus is causing panic and concern. The World Health Organization is working with global experts and governments in an attempt to diagnose and contain the Coronavirus. But what it cannot stop are scammers who are cashing in on the Coronavirus.

News of the epidemic first made headlines in early December 2019. The death toll is slowly approaching 500. Estimates are that infections are in the region of 24,500 and growing.

Needless to say, scammers never miss an opportunity to cash in on a major crisis or tragedy. This incident is no different. Each day, more reports of scams that attempt to cash in on fear of the Coronavirus continue to stream in.

Cashing in on the Coronavirus with Phishing Scams 

Always beware of emails sent to individuals and businesses with an appealing subject line to draw you in. Claiming to represent a reputable organization, the scammer offers links to exclusive information and content based on trending news headlines. Links then direct the unsuspecting user to malicious websites where credit card and identity theft occurs.

This approach is now popular with Coronavirus scammers. One example is a phishing email doing the rounds that purports to come from a professional virologist. The email consists of articles and links claiming to contain information on how to best protect yourself from the virus.

Cashing in on the Coronavirus with Online Retail Scams

As international concern regarding the virus increases, the demand for face masks to help reduce the risk of exposure is rising.

While some healthcare professionals debate the effectiveness of such masks, consumers continue to purchase large numbers of them online. That’s an open invitation for scammers to rush in with websites of their own and take advantage of the demand. There are scammers who are hawking defective face masks. For that reason, the Better Business Bureau issued a warning to consumers regarding possible resale scams involving these products.

Therefore, consumers should keep a close eye out for fake websites. Ignore sponsored advertisements, deceptive posts and links on social media sites, which are known to be venues for scammers intent on cashing in on the Coronavirus.

How to Protect Yourself from Coronavirus Scams

Scammers are criminals. They have no moral inhibitions about taking advantage of a global pandemic in order to steal money from people overcome by uncertainty.  Nonetheless, there are a number of ways in which you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of scammers who are cashing in on the Coronavirus.

Phishing Scams

• Look at the sender’s email address. If it is from an unknown user or looks suspicious in any other way, delete it.
• Don’t click on any links received in an email from an unknown or suspicious sender.
• If you receive an email from a known source, hover over the link with your mouse before clicking to confirm its destination.
• Look out for red flags, such as words like “exclusive,” “sensational” and/or “shocking.” They are widely used by scammers.

Online Retail Scams

• If the retailer does not provide a physical address and contact information, consider it a scam unless you can prove otherwise.
• Use a credit card to make online purchases.
• Do your research on the product and market prices to ensure that the amount you are paying is not exorbitant.
• Avoid online marketplaces such as Craigslist, which is a popular site for scammers to operate.

Scammers understand that in unpredictable times, people become desperate for information, comfort and security. They know all too well how to play on consumers’ emotions and take advantage of their vulnerabilities. Trust your instincts and ensure you make sound decisions based on the facts, rather than emotion.

The morning after the Kansas City Chiefs won their first NFL championship in 50 years, millions of fans outside the United States were outraged. Actually, judging by their posts online, the Super Bowl 2020 outages they experienced left them seething with anger.

The league’s official streaming platform, Game Pass, repeatedly failed during the broadcast. Worse yet, the signal died during the most crucial part of the game. Instead of seeing how Kansas City came from behind to win the game with only a few seconds remaining on the clock, international fans were left staring at a blank screen.

For its part, the NFL fessed up to the snafu. It apologized, claiming that Game Pass simply was not able to handle the number of fans who tuned in. It also offered subscribers an automatic 20 percent refund on the cost of their subscription.

But is that – or should it be – the end of the story? Is 20 percent fair compensation? What about fans who bought a full year’s subscription but may not have used the service until the Super Bowl? Or fans who only bought access to post-season games? Do they deserve the same percentage compensation as fans who watched every minute of every game broadcast during the full season? And what about other streaming services  that also went dark when push came to shove? (Hulu, which ironically ran an ad featuring Tom Brady during a Super Bowl commercial break, is one.)

This Is a Complex Dispute Resolution 

Questions such as these are what makes this a particularly complex dispute to resolve.

On the one hand, the cold fact of the case is that Game Pass collapsed under pressure only for a short amount of time. It successfully delivered all the service that fans contracted almost all the time. Super Bowl 2020 outages were unexpected and unintentional occurrences.

On the other hand, the service that Game Pass failed to provide was the climax of the entire season. Those last six minutes were the most exciting six minutes of the one game that the NFL knew very well that virtually every subscriber would watch. They knew the numbers but apparently didn’t ensure that the infrastructure would be able to handle the traffic.  

Is a dispute justified? What we can tell you is that the rules governing Visa and Mastercard disputes are clear-cut. They are not a matter of opinion.

Super Bowl 2020 Outages: How to Resolve a Dispute FAQs

• What comes first?

Begin with the merchant. Try to settle the issue amicably by emailing Game Pass or the other streaming service you relied upon to see the Super Bowl. Ask if they would be willing to provide you with a full refund. You cannot (and should not) undertake the following steps unless you tried to negotiate a mutually acceptable compensation directly with the merchant. After all, Game Pass has already come to the table.

• What if the streaming service refuses to give me a full refund?

In the event you cannot come to an agreement with the streaming service, the next step is to turn to the dispute department at the bank that issued you the credit or debit card you used to pay. Ask them how to raise a transaction dispute. To do so you will have to supply documentary evidence of the transaction and the merchant’s failure to provide you with the service that was contracted, namely, the Super Bowl broadcast.

• What is a transaction dispute?

A transaction dispute is the necessary first step in obtaining a full refund through the intercession of your bank. In credit and debit card terminology, such a refund is called a chargeback. In simple terms, a chargeback is the retroactive cancellation of the transaction you are disputing. 

• And then what happens behind the scenes?

Should your bank agree that the reasons you cite for requesting a chargeback are justified, it will send your dispute on to the merchant’s bank. It will then inform the merchant, who may respond accordingly. You will be able to reply to that response. 

Conclusion

No doubt this all sounds like a long and complicated process. That’s because it is. But keep in mind that it’s an established procedure governed by guidelines formulated by the credit and debit card companies themselves. When consumers do not receive the level of service they ordered, they are justified in getting their money back. And that includes you.

What Are Forex Scams?

Foreign exchange trading is all the rage at the moment. Users from across the globe are scrambling to get in on the action and make their fortunes. So are the operators of forex scams.

But what is forex trading and how do you protect yourself from becoming a victim of forex scams?

The Foreign Exchange Market

The foreign exchange market is a localized international market for the trading of global currencies. In simpler terms, it’s where you trade pairs of currencies, like buying US dollars with British pounds. A recent survey indicates that roughly $6.6 trillion passes through foreign exchange markets each trading day.

Know Your Broker — Regulated vs. Unregulated

Forex trading first became available to retail traders as early as 1999. Since that time, many fake trading platforms have popped up online. They are forex scams. And they bring a wave of devastation upon their unsuspecting victims. 

Scam brokers are international criminals with no moral compass. They have no problem leaving their victims penniless and destitute. The sites they operate are unlicensed by reputable national financial regulators. To make it hard for anyone to identify them, unregulated brokerages generally base themselves in safe havens offshore. The most popular destinations to conceal their operations are generally Eastern European countries and small, isolated island states. Their modus operandi is to create the illusion that clients are trading, but, in fact, no trading takes place. Only when clients decide to withdraw their funds do they realize something is not quite right.

Types of Forex Scams

There are many types of forex scams. Below is a list of the most common ones:

• Signal seller scam companies or individual traders who claim, based on so-called “expert” recommendations, that they can identify the best times to trade. They draw their victims in by misrepresenting their knowledge, abilities and success through fake testimonials and endorsements. Once a victim deposits a significant amount of money, the scammer disappears without a trace and cannot be contacted further.

• Forex trading robots, which use trading programs with complex algorithms to signal when to enter and exit a trade. Many of these systems are not tested by independent third-parties. As a result, invalid parameters and optimization codes generate unreliable signals. Since reliable systems do exist, traders should do their due diligence before signing up even with any broker.

• Managed accounts scams, in which victims put their trust in the hands of a “professional trader” who trades their capital in exchange for a percentage of the profits. The problem, of course, is that unsuspecting victims are trusting total strangers simply due to the allure of financial success. These managed accounts often turn out to be scams. The  “professional trader” ultimately disappears along with the invested capital.

How to Spot a Forex Scam

The best advice is to use common sense, do your research and due diligence. Do not fall into the trap they set by promising quick wealth and grandeur. Follow your instincts and do not base your decisions on emotion alone.

Ensure that the company is a registered and regulated brokerage in your country. Look for customer feedback on independent review sites. It is also important to ensure that the company has a verified track record and trading history.

Be wary of companies advertising on Facebook and other social media platforms. Offering profits, rewards or bonuses for opening accounts is a red flag.

If you sense you may be caught in a scam, contact MyChargeBack. We have assisted clients recover millions of dollars of lost funds due to forex trading scams.

Not all scammers are pros. Some scammers do get caught.

The most common questions scam victims ask when they contact us at MyChargeBack may very well be these:

1. Do scammers get caught?

2. Do police ever arrest them?

3. Will they ever serve time in prison?

The answer to all those questions is “yes.” Some scammers do get caught, and the chances are excellent that those who are will wind up in prison. Others, perhaps most, are luckier, and get away with it.

Amateur Scammers Do Get Caught

You may have missed it, but earlier this month two Mississippi men tried to fake a winning lottery ticket. Their story sounds like an Abbott and Costello routine, but it’s absolutely true.

The dynamic duo from the Magnolia State pasted the winning numbers on their lottery ticket in a vain attempt to claim the $100,000 prize. That was a fatal mistake, since it was a “scratch ticket.” The numbers on scratch tickets are invisible when you buy them because there is a silvery film that  hides them. Buyers literally have to scratch it off with a coin or their nails to uncover the numbers underneath, so lottery agents will immediately spot anything pasted on them. And that’s exactly what happened. Police arrested the two after they showed up at the lottery office to collect what they expected to be their ill gotten gains.

International Cooperation

In October 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice made a dramatic announcement. Extensive international coordination resulted in the arrests of 281 scamming suspects across four continents. A total of 167 in Nigeria, 74 in the United States, 18 in Turkey, and 15 in Ghana. Police in France, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom arrested the remainder. The codename of the joint effort was Operation reWired, and it was the largest such bust of scammers in history. But it wasn’t the first such international effort.

A few weeks earlier the Department of Justice indicted 80 others and charged them with money laundering. Authorities succeeded in locating and arresting 14 of them by that time.  And a year before, another international operation called Wire Wire succeeded in nabbing 74 alleged scammers.

Yes, You Can Catch a Scammer Yourself

It sounds like the theme of a comedy film, but yes, there are instances in which the intended victim turns the tables and winds up catching the scammer. The most notable (and probably the most comical) case involved an intended victim named William Webster. If that name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, he happens to be the only man in history who served as director of the FBI as well as the CIA.

In 2014, a Jamaican named Keniel Thomas contacted Webster (among, it turned out, many others) claiming he was calling from Mega Millions, one of the two main jackpot lotteries in the U.S. He congratulated the former FBI and CIA director for winning several million dollars and a Mercedez-Benz in the jackpot. To collect the cash and the car, Thomas told Webster that he had to send him $50,000 to cover taxes and other assorted fees.

Webster understood immediately that it was a scam. He alerted the FBI, which arrested Thomas in New York in 2017 when he stepped off his flight from Jamaica. A court convicted him and the judge have him a prison sentence of more than six years. Webster, of course, never paid Thomas, but others did. All told, Thomas succeeded in scamming hundreds of thousands of dollars from his victims.

What You Can Do

The moral of the story, however, is that you too can catch someone who attempts to scam you. If you suspect that someone who contacts you is a scammer, report it to your local law enforcement authorities. If the scam involves investments or trading in stocks, bonds, forex, CFDs, binary options, or other type of financial instrument, report it to your relevant national financial regulator.

But if you are the victim of a scam, know that we at MyChargeBack are on your side and are ready to assist in recovering your funds.