October 2022 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 7
How to avoid fraud
scams . The new twist — someone coming to
We have seen a rash of fraud your door to collect money for that grandchild in distress reports lately ; here ’ s how to
� Government imposters targeting grieving survivors of people who have died of COavoid becoming a victim
BY ROBERT WURPES
VID-19 by offering to help pay for their loved one ’ s funeral expenses
WILSONVILLE POLICE CHIEF
� Bogus COVID-19 vaccine surveys designed to collect personal information and steal money � Fake unemployment websites Visit www . consumer . ftc . gov / features / scam-alerts for more information . It ’ s an excellent resource that provides useful , detailed information about what ’ s happening in the world of scam artists .
Recently we have been made aware of some confusion about what phone number people should use to contact police . The most familiar is 9-1-1 to be used for emergencies of any kind from medical to crimes in progress . For situations falling short of an emergency such as damaged or stolen property or general questions related to fire or police , use the Clackamas County non-emergency line : 503-655-8211 .
WURPES
This line is monitored all days and hours . Our police department does have an office business line but it is not answered 24 / 7 . Wilsonville police officers are on duty 24 hours a day , seven days a week .
We have also seen a rash of fraud reports so I wanted to provide some information related to avoiding frauds and scams . Tricksters have been a part of every culture throughout time . But over the years , scammers have become craftier at concealing who they are through the use of modern technology . They ’ ve crept into our daily life and become an annoying , commonplace part of technology . You name a form of communication and scammers have something figured out , whether it ’ s by phone , computer , post , on the street or at a shopping center . People call masquerading as a family member or grandchild in trouble to tell us about an expiring warranty service , wanting to help safeguard our personal information , or to fix a “ bug ” in the software on our computer .
We get emails from all over the world . Maybe we ’ ve won something , inherited money or have an old friend reaching out . It could be through a popular site like eBay , Offer Up , Tinder , Instagram or in a Google Hangout .
Some new twists and old favorites we need to keep an eye on :
� Don ’ t open your door to grandparent
Good to remember :
� The Social Security Administration doesn ’ t call and ask for our social security number . They already have it
� Gift cards are not an acceptable form of payment for most companies when it comes to fees or past due balances
� Police will not accept gift card money to make a warrant go away . They want you to appear before the appropriate court . A judge will make the financial decisions
� If someone calls from a business and asks for personal details , call their business back using a phone number you find on your own , not the one they give you . Better yet , go into a local branch of that business to discuss the issue and they can provide answers
It ’ s OK to hang up when something feels fishy , delete emails or block senders . We don ’ t have to be polite when it comes to scammers .
Check in on your older friends , neighbors and relatives and help keep them safe from scams . It ’ s embarrassing , but let ’ s help each other talk about what to do if it happens or how to avoid it so that it doesn ’ t .
Scammers are out to make money , not spend money . Once they know we ’ re onto them , they ’ ll move along — Maybe not without a nasty parting shot , but we start costing them time and money , and it stops being a lucrative business venture . We can take that nasty verbal hit .
We caution anyone using the internet to research scams . Be careful about the sites you visit . A safe resource to help navigate what ’ s happening is the Federal Trade Commission ’ s site , ftc . org . This is also a great place to report scams : ftc . gov / complaint . You can also call toll-free : 1-877-FTC-HELP ( 1-877-382-4357 ).
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