The following fraud and scams are not from RMG GROUP. We are listing them here in an effort to combat fraud and stop the bad guys. We also want to let you know about the scams so you do not become a victim of them. If you feel you may have been a victim of fraud you should contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. You may also contact the Consumer Fraud Division of your state's Attorney General's office.
Tips to Help Avoid Gift Card Fraud
Common Gift Card ScamsThe Grandparent ScamIn this scam, the scammer will call a victim and indicate that a loved one is in some sort of trouble (i.e. kidnapped, arrested, etc.). Sometimes, the scammer pretends to be a lawyer or the loved one themselves and asks directly for money. The scammer then instructs the victim to purchase gift cards and give the gift card numbers to the scammer over the phone.
The Tech Support Scam
Perpetrators of tech support scams try to trick victims into believing their computers are infected and they need help. Some scammers pretend to be connected with Microsoft, Apple or a familiar security software company such as Norton or McAfee, and claim to have detected malware that poses an imminent threat to the person’s computer. Other scams feature planted website ads or pop-ups that display warning messages, some even featuring a clock ticking down the minutes before the victim’s hard drive will be destroyed by a virus — unless he or she calls a toll-free number for assistance in deactivating the menace. Such scammers will often ask for remote access to your computer to run phony diagnostic tests and pretend to discover defects in need of fixing. They’ll pressure you to pay for unnecessary repairs or new software and ask for payment via gift cards.
Additional ResourcesAvoid Being the Victim of a Scam
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alertsFederal
Trade Commission (FTC) 10 Things You Can Do to Avoid Fraud: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0060-10-things-you-can-do-avoid-fraudThe
National Council on Aging Top 10 Financial Scams Targeting Seniors: https://www.ncoa.org/economic-security/money-management/scams-security/top-10-scams-targeting-seniors/Reporting
Suspicious BehaviorInternal Revenue Service (IRS)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Government Impostor Scam
Scammers sometimes pretend to be government officials to get you to send them money. They might promise lottery winnings if you pay “taxes” or other fees, or they might threaten you with arrest or a lawsuit if you don’t pay a supposed debt. Regardless of their tactics, their goal is the same: to get you to send them money.
IRS Scam
During tax season, scammers pretend to be from the IRS or other Government Agencies to scare customers into sending them money. They trick people into believing they owe taxes to the IRS. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation, or loss of a business or driver’s license. They ask the victims to go to Walmart to send a money transfer or to put the money on a prepaid card or gift card.
The IRS usually first contacts people by mail – not by phone – about unpaid taxes. The IRS or any other government agency, such as prisons or jails, won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card, gift cards, or money transfers. The agency also won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone.
Common Tactics Used by Callers Committing Fraud
What You Need to Know
How to Protect Yourself
Be alert for phone and email scams that use the IRS name or other Government Agencies
The IRS will never request personal or financial information by email, texting or any social media. You should forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov. Don’t open any attachments or click on any links in those emails
Additional Resources
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
FTC Complaint Assistant
Report Phishing
Money Gram Payment Services Consumer Protection Information
Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker
Ria Money Transfer Consumer Protection
Fraud Warning
Scam Awareness
A fraud method in which the fraudster sends out a legitimate-looking email to gather personal and financial information from recipients. The scammer sends an email to an unsuspecting customer that may look just like a legitimate Walmart email (including use of the Walmart logo.) If the customer falls for the bait (thus the “fishing” reference), the thief could get credit card numbers, PINs, account passwords, expiration dates, credit card/bank account numbers and even Social Security numbers. Learn more about phishing. Learn more about phishing.
Vishing:
Vishing is very similar to "phishing" but instead of occurring through email, vishing happens over the phone. In these scams, fraudsters pose as a trusted retailer or bank and obtain personal information from the customer by requesting they "verify" the information on file. The information gained is then used for fraudulent transactions.
A good rule of thumb: If someone is contacting you to verify your personal information, it is very likely you did not provide it to them in the first place, and it is not a legitimate request. Legitimate companies will not expect you to provide your social security number or other personal information when they call you. If you receive a call like this, do not provide any information. If in doubt, call back a trusted number for the company, such as the one on a statement or invoice, the back of your credit/debit card, or on their official website (Do not use the phone number provided by the person on the phone or sent through a suspicious email.) Learn more about vishing.
Smishing:
A combination of the terms "SMS" and "phishing." It is similar to phishing but refers to fraudulent messages sent over SMS (text messaging) rather than email. The fraudster may text you saying you’ve won a free gift card. Remember, you can’t win a contest you didn’t enter. Walmart doesn’t notify winners of any contest via text message. Learn more about smishing.
Tips to Avoid These Scams
Don't respond or reply to an email, phone call, or text message that:
States that your account has been compromised or that there has been third-party activity on your account, then asks you to enter or confirm your personal or account information
With an international company such as RMG GROUP, brand abuse is inevitable. If you received an order confirmation email from an RMG GROUP Brand about a product or service but you did not place an order, it may be a phishing scam attempting to gather information, or in some cases, spread malware.
Signs of Fraud
How to Protect Yourself
If you were a victim of fraud, you should file a report with your local law enforcement agency along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
Additional Resources
OnlineOnGuard: Avoid Online Scams
Scammers may pose as relatives or friends, calling or sending messages to urge you to wire money or load prepaid cards immediately. They’ll say they need cash to help with an emergency---like getting out of jail, paying a hospital bill, or needing to leave a foreign country. The goal is to trick you into sending money before you realize it is a scam.
Common Tactics Used by Callers Committing Fraud
What You Need to Know
How to Protect Yourself
Be alert for phone and email scams from individuals that could be impersonating a loved one. Providing gift card numbers over the phone should not be a method of providing funds. Once the numbers are provided, the funds are gone. ALWAYS validate that the loved one is in trouble.
Additional Resources
Scam Awareness
RMG GROUP In-Store Experience Survey
RMG GROUP offers a survey, located at survey.rmggroup.com, from invitations appearing on receipts in our or email confirmations. Customers are offered entry to the survey through receipts or emails from our survey team, and the survey can only be completed online. The survey participants may choose to enter a sweepstake which offer five winners $1,000 gift card every 3 months, and 200 winners a $100 gift card. Winners are notified via phone and certified mail. Gift cards are not given away through Twitter, Facebook, or text message. If you receive notice through one of these channels, it is likely a scam. Do not click on any links in these messages.
You also may receive RMG GROUP surveys related to other products or services through our official brands including Ramsey Management Group Inc, RMG Management Group Inc and all RMG GROUP Brands.
RMG GROUP Customer Elite PanelThe RMG GROUP Customer Elite Panel consists of RMG GROUP customers who have agreed to be a part of our online survey community. Our goal is to foster interaction and involvement among our customer base while strengthening the RMG GROUP brand through customer feedback. We engage panelists within the community via quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Currently, panelists are invited to join the RMG GROUP Customer Elite Panel via a double opt-in method. Panelists are rewarded for their participation in the panel activities. The RMG GROUP Customer Elite Panel is proprietary, and panelists agree to keep all information confidential.
The RMG GROUP Customer Elite Panel will never ask for any sensitive information such as passwords or social security numbers. If you receive a request like this, please contact customerelitepanel@rmggroup.com.
If you would like to learn more about the panel or confirm your invitation to participate, or if you are receiving emails about the panel and would like to unsubscribe, please email customerelitepanel@rmggroup.com.
Surveys About Your Recent Shopping Trip
Our goal as a company is to put our customers first. One way we can learn about and improve our customers’ store experiences is through feedback surveys. Sometimes after shopping at RMG GROUP, we will send you an invitation asking you to take a survey. We intend to allow you, the customer, to tell us about your store visit, shopping experience and gather other general feedback. The goal of our survey is ultimately to learn how we are doing and what we can do to make shopping at RMG GROUP the best it can be.
RMG GROUP will never ask for any sensitive information such as passwords or social security numbers. If you receive a request like this, please contact surveysupport@rmggroup.com.If you are having an issue with a survey, would like to learn more or if you are receiving these surveys and would like to opt-out, please email surveysupport@rmggroup.com.
RMG GROUP Practices
Passwords Social Security Numbers Bank account details Credit card numbers Other financial information
RMG GROUP will not make unsolicited calls or send emails asking for such information. However, for fraud prevention purposes, RMG GROUP customer service may ask for you to verify personal information such as address or telephone number, that you have previously provided.
Signs of Fraud
The surveys we describe above are our legitimate surveys. Scammers may try to imitate RMG GROUP to gain access to your personal information. The following are signs of fraudulent surveys:
How to Protect Yourself
If you were a victim of fraud via the internet, you should file a report with your local law enforcement along with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICCC). The ICCC is a partnership between the FBI and the National White-Collar Crime Center. You can make a report with the ICCC by going to the following link: ICCC.
Additional Resources
The goal of this scam is to encourage consumers to take multiple surveys and pay for shipping in exchange for a “free” gift, like a high-quality piece of jewelry, a store-branded gift card for a significant amount, or another product. However, after fulfilling the requirements, the consumer may never receive the promised gift, or they will be charged more than just shipping.
How These Scams Work
RMG GROUP Practices
How to Protect Yourself
To Report Suspected Sponsor Offer Scams
If you suspect you have been directed to a phony website claiming to be connected with RMG GROUP, please send an email with the link to abuse@rmggroup.com. The email abuse team will then work with authorities to put an end to the particular scam.If you suspect you have received a fraudulent email claiming to be from RMG GROUP, please send the email directly to RMG GROUP at OnlineAbuse@rmggroup.com with the scam as an attachment. For investigatory purposes, please do not cut and paste the email, forward the email, or change the subject line.
Additional Resources
RMG GROUP
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