Winsted senior warns others about phone scam
NANCY DASHWOOD
Staff Writer
The Herald Journal received a phone call last week from a concerned Winsted resident . The caller , a 75- year-old female , wanted to share a recent encounter she had that almost cost her some money .
She said she felt the scam attempt was sophisticated , and wanted to warn other people about it .
The scam attempt
The caller said she had been using her computer , looking at Facebook , when a white screen popped up and a loud beeping began .
A message came onto the screen from “ Apple Security ,” advising her not to shut her computer off , and to call a given phone number immediately .
She did . The person who took her call said they wanted to help her get her computer back to normal , and also wanted to help her “ clean up ” her computer . Things got fishier fast . The Winsted resident was told she had “ Apple points ,” worth several thousand dollars , and that her computer ’ s firewall was out of date . Of course , the scammer was happy to use the accrued Apple points to fix the firewall .
The scammer confirmed that the resident ’ s Visa card ended in a particular four numbers . It did .
The scammer then instructed the resident to use that Visa to purchase gift cards . . . and to call back with those numbers .
At that point , the resident said , she realized what was happening and hung up . “ It was so ridiculous ,” said .
The resident called and canceled her Visa card . The Visa representative told her that particular scam has been called in hundreds of times .
What to do if it happens to you . . .
Winsted Police Chief Justin Heldt did not seem to be surprised to learn a resident had received a scam call like the one the Winsted resident described .
“ I would say that year-to- year , for the last five to seven years or so , the amount of phone scam calls has stayed about the same ,” he said . “ There are certain times of the year that we see more calls – tax season and holidays – compared to other times of the year . I estimate we average one of these calls every 10 days or so .”
Heldt said the majority of the calls his department receives
Scammers will often try to confirm a debit or credit card number , request gift cards , or claim to be working with the IRS , Medicare , or DEA . Once money is handed over , there ’ s little law enforcement can do .
FILE PHOTO are from people reporting an attempted scam : most have not incurred a financial loss .
“ The most important thing a person can do is to not give out any personal information ,” Heldt said . “ Do not give your social security number , bank account numbers , etc . Hang up the phone call , don ’ t call them back , or don ’ t respond to the email .”
Top phone scams reported in Winsted
Heldt said there are four common scams people report to the Winsted Police Department . Those scams include :
• Gift cards – the scammer tells the person that they owe money for something , and then they talk the person into buying gift cards , and then providing them with the numbers to these cards .
• IRS – the caller informs a person that they failed to pay taxes years ago , and demands payment electronically , or asks for personal information .
• Medicare – the scammer either asks the person for their Medicare number , or sends them a medical device that they did not order , and then bills them for it .
• DEA – the scammer states that there is a warrant in another state out for their arrest , and that they must provide personal information , and have the warrant paid for .
Reporting it
Heldt said people may report a scam – or an attempted scam – to local law enforcement . He said there is good information on the Minnesota Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission websites .
No getting it back
Heldt said that typically , once a person has fallen for a scam and incurred a financial loss , there ’ s little chance of getting their funds back .
“ Once someone provides another with gift card numbers , wires funds , or otherwise gives their money to another electronically , there is little that law enforcement can do to track down and have those responsible prosecuted ,” he said .
Helpful websites
• Minnesota Attorney General : https :// www . ag . state . mn . us / Consumer / Scams / Default . asp
• Federal Trade Commission : https :// www . ag . state . mn . us / Consumer / Scams / Default . asp
Training on self-care for senior workers offered
National Alliance on Mental Illness ( NAMI ) Minnesota , in collaboration with McCubbin Training and LeadingAge Minnesota , has created a free , online training on self-care for senior workers during COVID-19 .
The training helps caregivers develop personal strategies for managing stress and practicing selfcare as they continue to provide care for others .
The training , which includes a salute from Governor Tim Walz , is targeted for caregivers of older adults living in care centers , assisted living , their own home , and adult foster care settings .
It is about 20 minutes long , and can be viewed on a smartphone , tablet , or desktop computer .
To access the training , go to namimn . org and see “ Self-Care Training for Senior Workers .”
For more information , call 651-645-2948 .
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Senior Connections Sept / Oct 2020
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