Beware we are hearing about many seniors being scammed over the phone. Callers will LIE to you and tell you things to make you fearful.
- Scams we have seen in Commerce:
Call and tell you your grandson/daughter has been arrested and if you send money they can make sure they are not charged with a crime or get them out of jail - Call and tell you that you owe IRS money and the police will come and arrest you if you don’t pay the money immediately
- They will tell you that your HOUSE will be foreclosed on and you need to send money now
- Tell you that you have won a large sum of money, but you need to pay taxes up front
- Asking for money for the sheriff’s office
- Emails that seem to come from your bank, credit card or online shopping account that tell you to click on a link or your account will be suspended or cancelled.
- Online dating profiles that ask you for money
- Scammers will often ask you to buy gift cards from the store and scratch off the back and give them the number, when you do that you have just given them the amount of money on that card. They will also ask for you to mail them cash, or give credit card information. Many times these are people from outside our country so the money cannot be returned.
What to do if this happens to you:
- DON’T ANSWER THE PHONE FOR NUMBERS YOU DON’T KNOW HANG UP (its ok to hang up on people you don’t know)
- Don’t give anyone money for any reason (over the phone)
- Do not click on a link in an email that you are not sure who it came from.
- Call your bank, credit card or customer service for shopping accounts if you get an email that your account is locked.
- If someone is trying to get you to transfer money for any reason call the Commerce Substation 248-624-0715