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Serena Gomez lost $17,000 in a Social Media Scam Yet, She Managed to Recover It

Keep an eye out for red signals; you never know how well scammers will set up traps for you. In situations like these, no phone calls, fake images, and a price that seems too good to be true may be beneficial. As a result, while there is no definite strategy for eliminating payment frauds, there are always certain strategies to ensure that the negative repercussions they produce are mitigated.

With the advancement of innovation, social integration, and digitalization, internet-based scams have increased by an estimated 70 percent – if not more. Online scams are a type of cybercrime that uses the internet to defraud innocent people and victims of their assets, money, and other sensitive and confidential information. 

There are several types of online fraud, including the following: 

  • Scams involving online dating/romance 
  • Scams involving shopping 
  • Scams involving cash/money 
  • Scams on social media 
  • Scams involving money 

Over half of those who claimed to have been cheated by online frauds said they were defrauded through online social networking applications. Our team of research experts investigated this claim, and it is correct! Scammers will use various web-based social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others to promote bogus and counterfeit ideas under the guise of an opportunity in the hopes that people will invest in those so-called opportunities, and the scammers will then take their money and vanish. Given how quickly online scams are on the rise, securing your personal information, money, and precious valuables is critical. Do not be alarmed if you have been a victim of internet fraud. You can work with a team of professionals to recover your stolen money, regardless of how much money you lost. If you’ve ever fallen prey to a scam like this, call Chargebackway’s team of skilled specialists, and they’ll help you get your money back and recover your stolen dollars!

If you want to keep yourself safe from falling victim to internet scams, then you’re definitely at the right place. We can give you the best practices in identifying red flags as well as help you in recovering your stolen money from scammers!

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A Flashback To The Serena Case!

Social media pervade many people’s lives; we use it to remain in touch, meet new friends, shop, and have fun. However, filings to the Federal Trade Commission suggest that scammers are increasingly using social media to defraud consumers. Serena Gomez is a full-time housewife and mother of two children, but she asked her husband to take a bereavement leave after her mother died of cancer in early March, and she went to work as a sales specialist in a firm. She controls all of the household costs at the age of 28 and has a sizable portion of her husband’s and her own savings in her bank account. For the past year, things have not been easy. During the epidemic, Serena Gomez wanted to get a new puppy to make things a little simpler and happier for everyone else at home. However, the odds were not in her favor, and she was duped into a $17,000 pet and payment fraud by a well-organized crew of con artists.

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The Typical Social Media Puppy Scam

Serena’s spouse lost his mother in early March 2020, just before the pandemic began. His mother had cancer, and the children were scared and depressed. To improve matters, she had an impulsive thought when her eyes were drawn to a Facebook advertisement for puppies. Pet scams have been around for a long time. Nonetheless, with the advent of the pandemic, the number of cases climbed substantially, maybe because dogs became linked with comfort and company during the lockdown, as was the case with Serena.  These pet scams take place when you view gorgeous and cute pets online and are requested to pay a fee to discover that the pet does not exist. Serena reported that the Facebook ad included a captivating story about the puppy and included information about their warm and affectionate behavior. She felt her mood lift as she went through the advertisement, staring at smiling tiny faces.

She stated that her intention was to make her mother’s final days as pleasant as possible; therefore, the list price of $2000 seemed reasonable when she chose the puppy named Maxie with black spots all over and a beach hat. She also attempted to meet the puppy in person at first, but the scammer, as usual, used the excuse of covid 19 measures to avoid meeting her. As a result, the purchase was completed following a fast phone conversation. She claimed she had overlooked a slew of warning indications. When the fraudster originally asked her to pay $2000, she obliged without question, regardless of the amount. She later received another request, requiring her to pay an additional $500 for safe delivery, as the company had previously lost two puppies owing to poor container quality. Isn’t it awful? Why would a corporation bring up its flaws and the deaths of two of its pets so quickly? Serena, it’s no surprise it was a ruse!

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Furthermore, the fraudster demanded an extra $100 for the ‘nanny’ to bring the dog to the cargo. “It was just the joy I wanted to see on my family’s faces, so I kept ignoring the prices, even as my faith began to sway,” Serena stated. Serena was immensely relieved when she received a text message reading, “Your pet is on its way.” She had no idea that it was merely another ruse used by the cunning thieves. But it wasn’t long before she received another text, this time stating that the puppy had been quarantined and that they required another $1100 to release it. Is it possible that they’re real!? Serena felt it like a punch in the gut at that point. Maxi will not appear today if she did not pay, they warned. ‘I know you’re thinking I should have spotted the warning signals, but I was so preoccupied with my mother, husband, and children that I continued disregarding everything else.

‘ Serena stated in a conversation with us. She paid an extra $1100 for the dog, but it never arrived. She received a text the next day alerting her that her phone number was being transferred to a different network provider. She received a hint and attempted to log in to her internet banking, but she was unable to do so. She began receiving emails about her PIN to the credit card being charged because she made all of her payments to the scammer through online banking and card. She immediately rushed to the bank, where she was informed that the con artists had maxed out her credit card, stolen her identity, hacked her internet banking account, and taken up to $17,000! Disgusting! Serena was able to see everything properly now. These individuals were not dog breeders but rather common criminals! She requested that the banking App reverse all transactions from the previous 24 hours, but they refused and stated that they were final. She also filed a police report, but neither it nor her app helped her figure out who the scammer was.

If you’ve been a victim of an online scam and gave out your account information to scammers, then consult with us to help you get your account data and stolen money!

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She Did Not Give Up - Serena Reached Out For Help Instead

But that’s not all. Serena refused to give up. She spent the entire week going to various recovery firms, but she kept failing. Then she heard about Chargebackway via a friend, whom we had previously assisted in recovering money lost in a dating scam. We at Chargebackway make sure that everyone gets their money back through a thorough research process, investigations, and analysis through numerous steps of developing the case and collecting the evidence since it is our top priority! Serena arrived at chargebackway at last. 

Serena’s first words to us when she arrived at our office were, ‘This pet scam was the worst thing that could have transpired to me at the worst period of my life.’ But that’s not all. Serena refused to give up. She spent the entire week going to various recovery firms, but she kept failing. Then she heard about Chargebackway via a friend, whom we had previously assisted in recovering money lost in a dating scam. We at Chargebackway make sure that everyone gets their money back through a thorough research process, investigations, and analysis through numerous steps of developing the case and collecting the evidence since it is our top priority! Serena arrived at chargebackway at last.

The worst that could happen. She had already lost a significant sum of money in the swindle, most likely all of her savings. She explained that she had heard about our company’s commitment to providing clients with the most professional recovery service possible while staying within their budget and that she wanted us to charge as little as possible. We asked her to pay us only if we were successful in retrieving her money in the end, making full use of our customer service. She was ecstatic, which fueled our enthusiasm even more. We initially began by reviewing her case, which is the first stage in the healing process. Serena told us when the scammers spoke with her, how they communicated, and how much she paid after each message.

scam on laptop

Phone calls, text messages, payment information, and account information were all retrieved to bolster the case. Our members decided to enlist the help of a neutral third party, the Federal Trade Commission. They gave Serena a 60 percent refund after gathering all of the evidence and conducting a lengthy inquiry. We also put a credit freeze on Serena’s credit record to prevent the scammer from taking out a loan. The creation of a fraud alert also followed it. On the other hand, Serena was satisfied with the 60% she had collected and wanted to drop her case. Perhaps she had lost faith in the remaining sum.

We were, however, tenacious and determined to reclaim the 40 percent. We finally found the scammer by tracking his phone number and the area from which he attempted to log in, and other procedures. We were successful after a lengthy and difficult process. Finally, Serena’s tale has the happiest ending. At Chargebackway, one of our top concerns is customer service. As a result, we provided her with a tiny puppy that was identical to what she had requested. The excitement and happiness on her face were priceless, and we aim to see this in all of our clients! Despite the fact that the case was successful, we advise everyone to be vigilant and follow the procedures to avoid becoming a victim of payment fraud. For example, only send money to people you know, and make sure all of your accounts have security measures like multi-factor authentication enabled.

Report Your Scam Today & Recover Your Stolen Assets

While investment and romantic scams top the list in terms of money lost, the majority of reports were from consumers who were duped into buying something they saw advertised on social media. In fact, internet purchasing accounted for 45 percent of the money lost to social media scams in 2021. People reported they placed an order, generally after viewing an ad, but never received the product in over 70% of these instances. Some publications detailed ads that imitated actual internet retailers and directed consumers to fake websites. Nearly nine out of ten people listed Facebook or Instagram as the source of their undelivered product reports.

Keep an eye out for red signals; you never know how well scammers will set up traps for you. In situations like these, no phone calls, fake images, and a price that seems too good to be true may be beneficial. As a result, while there is no definite strategy for eliminating payment frauds, there are always certain strategies to ensure that the negative repercussions they produce are mitigated. Remember! It’s never too late to file a complaint. Payment scams are common these days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t avoid or recover from them. Chargeback Way ensures that all forms of fraud are recovered and protected. Please don’t give up; we encourage anyone who has been scammed or is in the midst of being scammed to contact us. We also provide information on where to get assistance and how to avoid becoming a victim of a scam. Visit our website and tell your friends and family about it to keep them safe!

We Can Help You

Victims of scams are stressed out because they don’t know what to do. We have the tools and experience to fight off scams, and our team can help you in getting your money back.

Please fill up the form now so that our team will get in touch with you.

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