Don’t be a Victim of Fraud

There are several types of fraud going around today that residents should be aware of and guard against. Some of these frauds intentionally target seniors, while others target anyone.

Recently, several residents were victims of three different types of scams. The first was a distraction burglary. This is usually perpetrated by two individuals. One of them will start up a conversation with the homeowner pretending to offer some type of service. This person will keep the homeowner occupied by getting him/her to go outside or to a different part of the house. Meanwhile, a second person will then enter the house and go directly to a bedroom where most people keep their valuables. In the most recent instances, a female engaged the homeowner about trimming trees and got the resident to go into the backyard while her male partner entered the home and made off with jewelry and collector coins. The entire time, the female was talking in a foreign language on a cell phone. If you did not contact anyone for a service, or the person does not show proper identification, tell them you are not interested and tell them to leave.

In another instance, a resident was approached by a female in a parking lot. The female showed the resident what appeared to be a large sum of money and was willing to split it with the resident. In this scam, the suspect will insist the person go to their bank to withdraw money as a “good faith” gesture to cover fees. A second suspect is usually involved posing as a banker, lawyer or trustworthy stranger. This scam is referred to as a “pigeon drop.” You should never have to pay money to anyone in order to get money. This is also true of letters or e-mails you may receive claiming you have won a foreign lottery. These usually want you to wire money to cover fees and taxes. Don’t do it.

Another recent scam specifically targeting seniors is known as the grandparent scam. The victim will receive a phone call from someone pretending to be one of their grandchildren. They will claim that they are out of town or out of the country and have some type of financial crisis that they do not want their parents to know about. They may claim to have been arrested, been in an accident or that their car had broken down. They will always ask to have money sent via Western Union or MoneyGram. Don’t be a victim. Before sending any money, check with family members to determine if the grandchild is really on a trip or traveling somewhere.

For those who use the internet and e-mail, there are frauds referred to as “phishing.” This involves receiving very authentic looking e-mails from banks, credit card companies, or government agencies such as the IRS, FBI or Social Security Administration. The e-mails will claim there is a problem and that they need to verify account and personal information. Government agencies will NOT send e-mails to gather information. If you do on-line banking, you have a user name and password; if you don’t need to log into your account to proceed then delete the e-mail. Always go outside of the e-mail to enter the banking location and never directly off of an e-mail. Notify your bank or credit card company through your online account of the possible scam.

Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t give out information or send money until you verify it is legitimate. Don’t let anyone you don’t know or did not call for service into your home and don’t let them get you to leave your house. When in doubt, call the Mentor Police Department at 440-255-1234 for assistance.

Additional information on scams and frauds can be found on the following agency web sites: National Council on Aging and Federal Bureau of Investigation.