Every year the Peters Township Police Department receives
numerous reports of individuals attempting to “SCAM”
residents of their hard earned cash. Listed below are the types
of scams that our area has recently been experiencing.
IRS
An individual (often with a foreign accent) calls saying that you
owe taxes. They may say that there is a “warrant” for your arrest
and the only way to avoid arrest is immediate payment.
The IRS website clearly states that they will not contact yo u
by phone. The IRS only corresponds by US Mail. You will
receive several notices if legitimate.
•
Debt Collectors
Similar to the IRS scam, someone will call saying you owe money.
They will often direct you to buy gift cards or reloadable debit
cards from CVS, Rite Aid, etc. Often the caller will have a foreign
accent.
Gift cards / Debit Cards are not used as payment for
normal debts.
•
Craigslist / eBay
Prize Winnings / Lottery
Similar to the “over-payment” scam, you get a letter claiming you
have won prize money. You are directed to cash or deposit a check
and send back a portion of the money for “fees” or “taxes.” The
check is later found to be fraudulent. These could appear to be
special customer prizes from Walmart or other businesses many
people frequent.
Follow the old adage: “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
•
Relatives in Trouble
Someone calls claiming to be an attorney or court
representative stating that your relative is in trouble in another
state or even another country. The caller will say that money is
needed for bail so this family member does not have to stay in jail.
Sometimes it appears that legitimate travel information is
obtained from Facebook to support these claims. A quick phone
call to the actual relative or family reveals this as false.
This scam can take place in a couple of different ways:
1. Several people come to your house offering improvements
– roofing, driveway, siding, etc. Someone will distract you
while another gains entry into your house to steal property.
They may sneak in another door or ask to use the bathroom.
2. You may agree to enlist work, but only a small part of the job
is completed. They require payment up front, but then say
they need more supplies or to return at a later date to finish.
All legitimate solicitors are required to obtain a permit
through the Peters Township Police Department. These
groups have been reviewed and accounted for. A solicitor,
if approved, is provided with a permit that they are
required to display on their clothing while soliciting in
the Township.
•
Fraudulent Credit Cards
In this situation, you may receive a credit card in the mail that
you never signed up for. It may have all the correct biographical
information, but have a fraudulent email address. It appears that
there may be available promotions during sign up that include
gift cards or credit towards an account that the scammer was
targeting.
Be sure there are no charges on the card, close the account
and monitor your finances, as your sensitive information has
been compromised.
•
PROTECTING YOURSELF
Protecting your personal information can help reduce your risk of
identity theft.
There are four main ways to do it:
Know who you share information with
Store and dispose of your personal information securely,
especially your Social Security number
Ask questions before deciding to share your
personal information
Maintain appropriate security on your computers and other
electronic devices.
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Take the time to do a little investigating. Utilize your home
computer. Open up the search engine you are most comfortable
with and simply enter the word “scam.” A list of web sites reporting
on scams will be returned. If a particular organization like the IRS
or a business enterprise is of concern, try entering something like
this in the search engine “IRS scam.” Research results may provide
sufficient information and save you some inconvenience. It is that
simple!
Remember: The person most responsible for your safety online or
in the real world is you!
Peters Township | June/July 2016 | icmags.com 15
www.peterstownship.com 724.941.4180
These transactions fall under the “buyer beware” category,
especially if a physical meeting will take place to complete the
exchange. Avoid paying upfront when not using guaranteed
payment methods such as PayPal. If a meeting is needed, chose
a well-traveled, public place. The parking lot of the police
department has a specially designated “exchange area” for such
purposes.
In some cases, we have seen “over-payment” scams for goods
being sold. The buyer will direct you to deposit a check they sent
you, and then send back a portion of the money. The check turns
out to be fraudulent and you are responsible for paying the bank
back.
Home Improvement Scheme
P E TE RS TOWN SHI P N E WS
PROTECT YOURSELF
Peters Township
SCAMS