SCAM ALERT
We recently received a complaint of a phone scam from an elderly resident who advised she received a call from an entity claiming to be from Publisher’s Clearing House. They advised our complainant she had won $7 million and a luxury car then instructed them to open an account at a local bank. They told them they would deposit a smaller amount of money that they then needed to send back to them. These scams are possible a means to launder money or otherwise circumvent taxes, laws, or banking regulations.
In another recent instance, we received a report of an aggressive phone scam attempt where the caller advised the victim they owed an enormous sum of money, had some identifying info for the victim to try and confirm the veracity of their claim, and demanded payment in gift cards from a national business chain.
An additional common scam is they claim to be from a computer company (Apple, Microsoft, etc.) and advise there is an issue with the victim’s computer. The victim then gives them remote access to their computer where the scammer is able to access personal information or steal funds from online accounts. Do not give any unexpected, unsolicited entity access to your computers or electronic devices, whether remotely or by providing passwords or other personal information.
In another instance last year, a local community member received a call advising a family member was being held for ransom. The call started with a crying, sobbing female asking for help but unable to be clearly understood. Then a male voice came on the phone claiming to be a police officer and advising the female had been in a car accident and had provided the victim’s number to call for assistance. The caller would not provide a name for himself, his police department, or the supposed loved one involved. When the victim pushed back about identifying information, the male caller advised he was actually a drug dealer, the female owed him money, and he would harm her if they did not pay several thousand dollars. In this case, the caller referenced Walmart gift cards, which is a common means scammers use to acquire money through their scams.
NO LEGITIMATE ENTITY WILL REQUEST PAYMENT IN THE FORM OF GIFT CARDS.
These are a couple types of aggressive scams that are occurring these days. Thankfully the victims in these cases were able to recognize these scams for what they were and did not fall prey.
– Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.- Verify the person’s identity by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.- Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.- Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.- Don’t wire money, purchase gift cards and give out the numbers, or send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier.
For more information on please see the Federal Trade Commission website below:
Original source can be found here.
