By Wesley Harris
Early in my law enforcement career, I investigated numerous scams. People fell victim to “pigeon drops,” “bank examiner schemes,” home improvement fraud, and a host of other “film-flams.” The risk to the con artist came with the requirement of face-to-face contact with the victim. Unfortunately, these scammers were long gone before the crime was reported to the police.
Technology provides new ways to victimize Americans. Many current scams do not require in-person contact with an intended victim. Phones, emails, credit cards and computers provide all kinds of techniques for stealing from the innocent.
The simplest and most effective tool for the thief who steals through a scam is the telephone. With specialized equipment, scammers can make thousands of calls in a short amount of time and even “spoof” the number of the local police department on the victim’s caller ID.
Scores of scams exist but here are some law enforcement is dealing with today:
Pay up or go to jail—One of the common ploys going around involves scammers posing as law enforcement and calling residents to demand money for fines or to get a warrant quashed. It’s important to know that law enforcement agencies do not ask for payments over the phone. If you receive a call like this, hang up.
These scammers may even use devices that allow the name or number of your local police or sheriff’s department to pop up on your caller ID.
If you believe you may have a warrant for your arrest, call your local law enforcement agency.
Fake charities—Some scammers pose as fake charities to steal money. One of the most common fundraiser telephone scams involve people pretending to collect money for local police and fire departments.
Before you give out any personal information or even think about making a donation, ask for the caller’s information and the details of the charity, then hang up. Then check with your local police or fire department to see if they really are using callers to raise money.
It’s not just fake police and fire department fundrasiers who will call. Recently, the FTC filed a civil complaint against four supposed cancer charities.
Phony debt collectors—If you get a call from a debt collector, ask for a name, number and company information, then end the call. Then you can check with your creditor about the call to verify if the debt collector is real.
It’s free but costly—The phone call begins, “Congratulations! You’ve won a free cruise to the Bahamas! To claim your reward…” A simple rule here: if it’s too good to be true, it likely isn’t. The free prize, Disney trip, Caribbean cruise, or whatever is a common scam. It isn’t you who will get something free; it will be the scammers if you provide your personal information or money.
A major red flag with these free prize scams is a request you pay a fee or give credit card information to collect your prize. They will be very convincing with an explanation why you need to do this. If you have really won something, then you shouldn’t have to pay for it.
Phony IRS agents—Americans lose millions of dollars each year to scammers posing as IRS agents. The IRS warns taxpayers not to fall for scams targeting older adults. Scammers pretending to be government officials, aim to steal sensitive personal information and money. By posing as representatives from agencies such as the IRS, Social Security, or other government agencies, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims.
The call will demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
These fiendish scammers threaten to immediately bring in local police or send an agent to the home to arrest the taxpayer arrested for refusal to pay.
The IRS and other government agencies do not accept gift cards as payment. If you receive a phone call or email claiming your tax payment is due in the form of a gift card, cayou know this is a scam.
These scams don’t require any personal contact with the victim. A victim answers the phone and the stratagem may include efforts to intimidate, threaten, or cajole. The scammers could be in Texas, Canada, or a faraway Asian country, making it impossible for law enforcement to apprehend them.
Scammers tend to prey on senior citizens but everyone is vulnerable. I recommend letting all calls you do not recognize go to voice mail. Callers you really don’t want to talk to, including the scammers, won’t leave a message.
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