| With remaining unstable economies in both the U.S. and | | | | mentally prepare you for the most important part of |
| Mexico, particularly now approaching the holiday | | | | the scam. After a few tense minutes of conversation, |
| season, scam artists are up and on the prowl for new | | | | during several phone calls and "exaggerations" of what |
| victims all around the country. The increased ease of | | | | may happened with McFly, the officer will seek your |
| accessibility to personal information online and public | | | | collaboration to help your relative/friend cover the fine. |
| records has considerably made extortion plots rather | | | | It is likely that during one of these phone calls McFly |
| complex and harder to spot by new unsuspected | | | | himself clearly distraught may speak with you and ask |
| victims. | | | | for your help, promising to pay you back as soon as |
| Regardless of nationality, most of us who now call | | | | he arrives to town and cashes one of his checks. At |
| Mexico home, share something in common. We all | | | | this point the officer will provide you with a bank |
| have at some level or another family, friends or | | | | account number and the amount needed to be |
| acquaintances who reside in the U.S. or overseas. This | | | | deposited without delay, if McFly is to be released that |
| similarity is the very basis for the latest scam | | | | same day. |
| successfully used on dozens of people around Mexico | | | | If you went ahead and deposited the money, the con |
| to date. This article will give you an inside look at how it | | | | is completed... but not entirely finished. Whether you call |
| works, and how to prevent it from happening to you. | | | | the officer back to inform him that the money has |
| The scam lays-out as follows. You receive a call from | | | | been deposited or he may call you to check on the |
| a friend, relative or former classmate, co-worker etc, | | | | status of the deposit, there will usually be new |
| usually someone you have not spoken to in quite | | | | developments. Most commonly the officer will now |
| some time. He or she will identify themselves with their | | | | inform you that more hidden cash or checks were |
| full name, ( even maiden names ), time or place you | | | | found in McFly`s luggage, therefore the fine has |
| may have met or lived, mentioning they are the son or | | | | increased, which means an additional deposit may be |
| daughter of such and such to refresh your memory, | | | | needed. And so, they will try to get more money from |
| and may even tell you specific details about family, | | | | you, exploiting your moment of good will, confusion and |
| friends, locations and more. Unlike amateur scammers, | | | | solidarity. After all, as far as you know everything else |
| these are well researched individuals who will be telling | | | | checked out, numbers on the caller ID, personal details |
| you legitimate information about yourself or their | | | | and so on. |
| connection to you, so much so that you are most likely | | | | How to Avoid Becoming a Victim |
| to say.. oh! yes.. McFly how you`ve been?, which in | | | | 1. Always keep a personal level of privacy. On |
| essence will confirm the first step. A few days later | | | | personal, business or networking sites, there`s no need |
| the perpetrator "McFly", will call you back explaining | | | | to specify your full name, date of birth, home phone |
| that he would like to visit Mexico and perhaps take a | | | | etc, even if you only approve friends you know. - |
| look at the real estate market he has heard so much | | | | When disposing of mail, be sure to shred your bills, |
| about in ( eg. Cancun, Cabo San Lucas etc ). McFly | | | | bank statements or any other mailings containing |
| informs you of the day he plans to travel and | | | | personal information; this simple procedure it's still highly |
| promises to keep you updated during the flight. He | | | | neglected. |
| utilizes every phone conversation with you to build | | | | 2. No matter whom they claim to be. Don`t ever |
| rapport and prepare you for what is to come. | | | | volunteer personal information over the phone, unless |
| On the day of travel McFly calls you to let you know | | | | you have a way to confirm who`s the person on the |
| he is at Mexico City`s Airport waiting for his transfer | | | | other end. - Banks, stores or creditors don`t ask for |
| flight to Cancun. An hour goes by, and you receive a | | | | PINs or passwords, unless you are the one calling |
| call from an individual identifying himself as a Aduanas | | | | them to request a transaction. |
| Officer ( Mexican Customs ), he asks if you are the | | | | 3. Your e-mail inbox is a window to your life. Consider |
| relative and/or friend of McFly, you naturally answer | | | | changing your password to something more secure, |
| yes, and the officer goes on to ask you how you | | | | ideally to contain letters & numbers. - |
| know him (like any other law enforcement officer | | | | Unfortunately, with a little technical knowledge every |
| would), then the officer proceeds to explain that | | | | email service can be illegally hacked, (yahoo, Gmail, |
| through the routine security checks McFly was found | | | | Hotmail, Aol etc). |
| to have much more money than he originally declared, | | | | 4. Play detective. When faced with a situation similar to |
| in addition they found several bank checks for 10 | | | | the above, ask a lot of questions, even make up a |
| thousand dollars each hidden on his laptop case, | | | | fictitious relative`s name to test the perpetrator. A real |
| jackets etc. The officer puts McFly on the phone to | | | | relative may say.. Who are you talking about?, while |
| speak with you, he apologizes and tells you that rather | | | | the perpetrator may play along and tell you what he |
| than carrying cash he`s bringing the checks to make a | | | | thinks you want to hear. - If you simply feel |
| down payment if he were to find a property he may | | | | uncomfortable, just hang up the phone. |
| be interested, as he previously mentioned to you. At | | | | 5. Do a background on yourself. Run your own name |
| this time, you are annoyed and even a bit skeptic for | | | | on several online search engines to see what |
| the bad news, however part of you wants to believe | | | | information is out there about you and how easy it is |
| that it is true because McFly already established who | | | | to find or access. Even if only bits and pieces of |
| he was and what his intentions to visit Mexico were. | | | | information are found on numerous sites around the |
| The Aduana Officer takes over the phone and | | | | web, all put together may complete a decent profile |
| proceeds to explain to you that McFly is subject to | | | | about you. |
| arrest and even possible conviction under money | | | | Last but not least, if you become or have been a |
| laundering laws, he also explains that Mcfly has the | | | | victim of similar scams, always report it to your local |
| option to pay a fine based on the amount of the | | | | police station or Ministerio Publico, even if you think |
| undeclared money and be released immediately, yet | | | | they may not do much. In certain occasions having an |
| the officer continues to explain the procedure and | | | | official police report may help you recover money |
| perhaps even mentioning the codes and jail times that | | | | from the banks. |
| may apply, essentially playing a psychological game to | | | | |