Police Warn Holiday Scammers Targeting Area Residents
KOSCIUSKO — Though the holiday season is typically filled with good will and gifts, area law enforcement agencies are warning of those with colder intentions targeting the unsuspecting this holiday season.
According to First Sgt. Chad Hill, the Kosciusko County 911 Center has received numerous calls today reporting a potential scam. According to callers, these calls claim to be from a local business portrayed as a utility company. Reports indicate the scammers will claim they will be “turning off power/electricity/service” if a “late payment/restitution” is not received promptly for the outstanding bill. Hill advises the public to advise the caller to stop calling and immediately hang-up the phone.
In addition to the utility bill scam, Kosciusko residents are also being warned of two other prevalent scams. Callers are being warned of IRS scams alleging back taxes are owed. In these calls, scammers threaten immediate arrest if funds are not wired as directed. Another scam to be mindful of involves alleging a victim’s credit card has been suspended and, in order to unlock the card, the credit card number must be entered into the phone.
Callers are urged to never give out their credit card number during a computerized or unsolicited phone call. Should a live caller ask for the number, individuals are advised to ask that caller to hang up and call back using the 1-800 customer service number listed on the backside of the credit card.
ISP reminds individuals of a few key items to never give out to a scam caller, including:
- Bank Account Numbers
- Social Security Number
- Birth Date
- Credit Card Numbers
Things to Remember:
Whenever you receive a call, be it computerized or from a live person, claiming legal action is pending, or asking for your credit card number, or any of the hundreds of various scams that have the common thread of trying to get people to part with large sums of money; the call is most likely fraudulent.
A quick check citizens can make to confirm if a phone number is associated with a scam it to type the phone number into your favorite search engine. You’ll typically see the number has been reported as being associated to scam activity.
Regrettably, these scams nearly always trace back to a foreign country and it is virtually impossible to successfully prosecute the persons responsible for these criminal acts. Unfortunately these scams will continue as long as a percentage of the population responds by sending money to the scammers.
When an unsolicited call comes to your home, business or cell phone, and has the common factors of being threatening and demanding money, be assured that 99.9 percent of the time it is a scam. Just hang-up. They won’t call back. They will just move on to the next number looking for someone to victimize.
For more details on IRS scams, visit this website: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Warns-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam To learn more about other credit card scams click this link: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/8-hot-scams-1282.php