There has been a recent surge in scam reports, you may have seen it on the news or on other agencies social media sites, and we want to help get the word out on how to prevent yourself or a loved one from falling victim.  This is going to be fast, because there is a lot to say.

If you’re not going to watch the video past the one minute mark then just read these 6 things that I think will prevent 80 percent of the scams we see.

1.      Don’t send payment in the form of gift cards to anyone claiming to be from a business or government agency.

2.      Don’t send money to anyone you meet online that claims they have a significant hardship.

3.      Don’t compromise yourself via webcam, a scammer may use your online conduct to black mail you.

4.      Don’t click strange links in your email, and don’t give your usernames or passwords via email.  No online company will ever ask for you username and password via email or through a link from a random email.

5.      Never cash checks from unknown sources and send money before you know the check was valid, or when more money is sent to you for an item you’re selling.

6.      Be skeptical of any deal too good to be true.  Don’t get greedy and miss warning signs.  Ask a friend or family member, slow down and evaluate.

Keep in mind that with technology today, a scammer can make it appear like a call is coming from a reputable number, a local number, or a reputable company.  So independently verify who you are dealing with, and don’t let assumptions about technology affect your decision, it’s always evolving.

The biggest, most important thing we can do as a police department, is encourage our community (you guys, our team) to share this information and get it out there!  You don’t need to remember every detail, but if you remember just enough to recognize the signs of a scam, you can take steps to avoid falling victim.  Some scams target vulnerable populations such as the elderly.  If you have a loved one that you fear could be targeted, bring up the potential scams in conversation so they know how to avoid them!

What are the scams?

Let’s start with threat based scams.  The victim receives a phone from someone claiming to be from the power company, IRS, relative, and they are quickly pressured into sending money, gift cards or some untraceable item of value in order to prevent arrest, jail, or loss of utility service.  These scammers thrive off of the threat and will tell you to stay on the phone and send the money while on the phone with them.

Next classified ad scams.  The victim will have an item for sale, usually of moderate value and they will be contacted by a buyer that wants to pay for it via check for an amount greater than the asking price, and they want you to ship the item with the extra money, and/or return some of the money to them.

Now phishing, with a PH.  This is the soliciting of information under the guise of a legitimate circumstance.  You may be asked for a login username and password via email, or be called by someone claiming to be from a business you deal with and wanting dates of birth, social security numbers or credit card numbers.

On to, the Romantic interest,  “long con” scam.  A friendship or relationship will begin after meeting someone through dating apps or other means online or by phone.  The scammer will invest significant time into the scam, possibly with phone calls, photos, and elaborate stories to develop the victim’s trust.  There could even be plans to meet in real life.  Then the bombshell is dropped that the scammer needs money for a terrible hardship, and they pressure the victim for money.

Sextortion is next.  The scammer will meet the victim online, the victim will compromise themselves, (it won’t be PG13 folks) and then blackmail the victim for money and/or goods by threatening the release of the compromising images/video.

Ok – Do these people ever get caught?

YES!  Do an internet search for “scammer arrests”.  People get caught and prosecuted for these scams!  It may take time, but federal agencies have the resources to investigate these since they often cross state lines and are even based in foreign countries.

What do I do if I get a scam call/text/email/letter?

There are 4 websites that together handle all reporting and information dissemination for all types of scams.  You can report to these sites if you are a victim, or even if you just received an attempt.

Ic3.gov – Internet Crime Complaint Center – All internet based scams, email, you name it

treasury.gov/tigta/ - Office of the Treasury Inspector General – all IRS tax based scams

ftc.gov – Federal trade commission – all sorts of business fraud

idtheft.utah.gov – Utah’s one stop website for Identity theft, help with what to do if your personal information has been compromised.

I’ve gone through these sites and filed complaints, and they are easy to follow.

If you’re unsure what to do, call your local police non emergency number, and we can direct you to the appropriate site, or take a report if necessary.

Now, gee whiz information.  I’ve had a few calls over the years where someone was a victim of a scam and shipped items to an address out of state, and wanted me to follow up on it.  Since there was a physical address surely the suspect will be there right?  Nope, just another victim.  The person could be shipping the items back out and be getting scammed themselves, or they may not even know there information is being used.

Finally, we’ve all had a good laugh at some of the creative things people have done to lead a scammer on.  I even responded to a scam attempt email with feigned interest from my department email!  However, I’ve learned that picking a fight with a potential scammer could mean more trouble.  I’ve heard of cases locally where someone who picked a fight with a scammer was then targeted, and had their information used in part of a scam, or in one severe case the scammer called police to try and create a hostage situation at the house, also known as “swatting”.

Thanks for reading, hopefully you find this helpful and worth sharing!