Chief Douglas Goodman and the Ashland Police Department are warning businesses and residents of two types of telephone scams reported throughout the Central Virginia area. Callers targeting potential victims, especially senior citizens, falsely identify themselves as government officials with such agencies as the Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation or a municipal law enforcement and tell residents that they will be arrested if they do not pay a “fine” immediately via the telephone. The scammer usually demands payment using pre-paid debit cards purchased at retail stores. The resident is instructed to provide the scammer the card number over the telephone. The scammer then draws the money from the pre-paid card. The Internal Revenue Service states these scams include the following characteristics: -- Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves. -- Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number. -- Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling. -- Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls. -- Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site. -- After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim. A variation of this crime involves the scammer calling the resident and claiming he or she is the resident’s family member (often a grandchild) and has been arrested in a foreign country and need bail money. The scammer will tell the resident not to contact any other family members about the incident due to embarrassment and arranges payment using a pre-paid debit card. The scammer may also claim to be a law enforcement official in another country and state a family member is under arrest and needs bail money. Although both of these scams can sound authentic, please note that none of these steps are protocol for any governmental agency and should always be viewed with a high degree of suspicion. The Ashland Police Department reminds residents to be vigilant against these and other phone scams and not give out any information or make payment arrangements over the phone unless you have verified the other party is legitimate. If you have doubts regarding a caller stating that you owe money or a family member needs help, hang up and call a number or someone you know is genuine and confirm the information. “We also ask our retailers and bankers to be aware of this information as you may be in a position to prevent an unwitting victim from completing this fraudulent transaction,” Goodman said. Residents with questions or concerns about phone scams can contact the Ashland Police Department at 804-412-0600.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:21:16 +0000
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