Colorado Springs man scammed out of $25K in new fraud scheme

Hackers are finding new ways to target their victims by impersonating contracting companies to lure in some extra cash.

“I’ve been through this before,” said Patrick Kertson, a victim of the scam.

Kertson got caught in a lucrative contracting scheme that was busted last year.

“I lost $25,000 after a contractor I hired blew all the money in Vegas,” he said.

He is one of nine victims looped in the fraud that lost a combined total of $86,000. The contractor, Henry Jerry Thompson, was convicted of two felony theft charges last May.

The new twist

Scammers are impersonating legitimate contracting companies by sending emails with links to website requesting their contact and billing information in order to process their “order request.”

The message will typically request credit card information that will be a required ‘fill in’ for an account.

The site is fake and hackers will just take your credit information. That’s the scam.

“They ask for your log-in information, your password, your credit card information, just to “have it on file,” he said.

Tips and tricks

A tip to avoid this is to verify the website’s connection type. Check to see if the URL starts with “https” which is a sign that it’s usually more secure.

Or you can look for the green padlock icon, most browsers will have this to verify it’s a safe site.

Det. Jon Price explains it’s important to spot these clues, because these schemes are constantly advancing.

“So you have to examine each email, each text with a critical eye and ask if it’s legitimate,” he said.

If you have any doubt with any company, request to see a copy of their professional license. If they don’t have one, that’s a red flag. It’s required by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.

Report a scam

Email me at Stephanie.Sierra@KRDO.com