Radio Show NEWS 12-31-2018

For Your Eyes only News Stories ~~~~~~ Ecommerce Enterprise Radio Show December 31, 2017 8:30 pm EST 1

An Orange Park woman was scammed out of $1,500 she had purchased in gift cards. It’s a scam so many people have fallen for, eBay Motors put out an online warning. It sounded like a great deal: $1,500 for a 2003 Toyota Camry that Buyer saw on Craigslist’s Jacksonville page. The seller told the Buyer, “My child of only 26 years died four months ago in a bike accident, the car belonged to him and it brings me bad memories and that’s the reason I want to sell it ASAP.” “That just broke my heart because I’ve got two boys, 22 and 18,” the Buyer said. Then Acosta got an email with an invoice from what she thought was eBay Mo- tors. The invoice had eBay’s logo, detailed instructions on how to pay, and how to get a refund if you’re not satisfied. Acosta faxed eBay gift card information to the number she got from that email. The car never arrived.2

But a closer look at the email address revealed it didn’t come from an eBay.com. “The transaction in question DID NOT take place on eBay Motors or through eBay checkout. Unfortunately, scam artists will list vehicles for sale on fake landing pages, Craig- slist or other non-eBay trading sites, and promise eBay’s protection as a means of completing the scam. Criminals often exploit well-known, trusted brand names like eBay to attract consumers and then lure them onto fake websites and into fraudulent transactions. We always encourage all our shoppers to be cautious when they aren’t purchasing a vehicle directly through the eBay website. We provide tips for safe car shopping and warning signs to look out for scams on the eBay Motors Security Center page,” an eBay spokesman told Action News Jax in a statement. eBay’s online warning said you can only buy an eBay Motors car on its website, not through websites like Craigslist. 3

Nigerian prince’ email scammer arrested in Slidell, Lousianna A 67-year-old Slidell man who served as a go-between for an internation- al team of scammers running a “Nigerian prince” email scheme has been arrested after an 18-month investigation. Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince, has been charged with 269 counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Neu helped shuttle fraudulently obtained money to his co-conspirators, some of whom actually do live in Nigeria, according to the Slidell Police Department. The scheme begins when an email is sent to an unsuspecting recipient. The scammers claim the recipient has been named as the beneficiary in a will. The scheme is designed to collect personal information that is then4

used to steal money and identities online. The scheme nets millions of dollars each year, according to the Slidell PD, and is difficult to track since many of the participants operate outside of the United States. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal said. “Never give out personal information over the phone, through e-mail, cash checks for other individuals, or wire large amounts of money to someone you don’t know. 99.9 percent of the time, it’s a scam.” To avoid identity theft scams like this, always ask for a callback number and verify the identity of the person attempting to collect the information, according to the SPD. 5

eBay Data Reveals Resurgence of Physical Media The UK is experiencing a comeback of books, music, movies and games you can hold in your hands – especially among 18-24 year olds. The way we consume entertainment and media has transformed drastically over the last 10 years. Where digital media has given us unparalleled access to the entertainment we love, physical media has stood the test of time as an emotional anchor to ownership and collecting. Recent research by eBay in the UK reveals a resurgence of physical media, with over half of Brits preferring to buy books, music, films and videogames in their physical rather than digital form. “In today’s digitized world, physical media has an emotional and social cache that appeals to our desire to own the things we love, as well as our penchant6

for status and showing off,” said Rob Hattrell, Vice President, eBay UK. This preference for physical media also seems to be fueled by an increas- ing desire to disconnect from the digital world.When it comes to gifting, physical media is the UK’s format of choice, andmore than half (54%) of shoppers in the UK have bought a book,DVD, CD, vinyl record or video game as a gift for someone elsein the last year 7

Ingersoll Lockwood, an American political writer, law yer and novelist, combined a unique mixture of sc ence fiction and fantasy into his novels from the la 1800s. Two of his most popular works of literatu were illustrated children’s stories, focusing on a p culiar fictional character whose name rings a bell 2017: Baron Trump. So the internet is going crazy about this book wi Baron Trump in the title from 1893. Trump, an aristocratically wealthy young man living Castle Trump, is the protagonist of Lockwood’s fir two fictional novels, The Travels and Adventures Little Baron Trump and His Wonderful Dog Bulga and Baron Trump’s Marvelous Underground Journe8

w- The little boy, who has an unending imagination and “a very active brain,” is bored ofci- the luxurious lifestyle he has grown so accustomed to. In a twist of fate, Trump visitsate Russia to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will shape the rest of his life.ure Trump is reminded as he sets out of his family’s motto: “The pathway to glory is strewnpe- with pitfalls and dangers.” in Illustrations from the novels depict Trump dressed in lavish, old-fashioned clothing and jewelry as he departs from Castle TrumpithBut by Lockwood’s third novel, The Last President, things become even more eerily linked to the present day.g inrst The story begins with a scene from a panicked New York City in early November,of describing a “state of uproar” after the election of an enormously opposed outsiderar, candidate.ey. (continued on next 2 pages.) 9

“The entire East Side is in a state of uproar,” police officers shouted through the streets, warning city folk to stay indoors for the night. “Mobs of vast size are organizing under the lead of anarchists and socialists, and threaten to plunder and despoil the houses of the rich who have wronged and oppressed them for so many years.” “The Fifth Avenue Hotel will be the first to feel the fury of the mob,” the novel continues, citing an address in New York City where Trump Tower now stands. “Would the troops be in time to save it?” Lockwood’s creations have resurfaced online in recent weeks on forum, thanks to users who shared images and conspiracy theories about the fantasy stories. Some claimed the Trump family possesses a time machine that has allowed them to remain powerful to this day. The Last President doesn’t follow the same fictional narrative of Lockwood’s previous novels, though the links to Trump are once again abundantly clear. The president’s10

hometown of New York City is fearing the collapse of the republic in this book, also titled 1900, immediately following the transition of presidential power. Some Americans begin forming a resistance, protesting what was seen as a corrupt and unethical election pro- cess. A filmmaker and Trump supporter named Leigh Scott is now trying to crowdsource funding to create a fantasy feature film, saying he’s a “huge fan of trolling.” “Even though I work in Hollywood, I actually support President Trump,” Scott says in a promotional video for his project. “The book has tons of strange references to the modern day, but we can actually amp that up a bit and put in things that only we as Trump sup- porters and people who are on the internet all the time really understand and appreciate.” 11

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