The Globe Police Department is warning residents about a
recent rise in the number of scam telephone calls.
In one scam, callers tell you that you have won some sort of
sweepstakes and they request a processing or insurance fee in order to send you
your money.
Another scam involves a caller telling you that there is a
problem with social security services and they ask you to confirm your social
security number or your name and address.
A caller may also pose as a law enforcement officer and tell
you that there is a warrant for your arrest. To avoid arrest, they ask for
money to be paid with a credit card or wire transfer.
Also watch out for emails with offers that are too good to
be true. You may receive an email that includes a link to a a web page that is
identical to one of a legitimate
business. They get your personal information when you make a purchase.
To reduce the chances of becoming a victim, confirm who you
are talking to before you give any information about yourself or your finances.
If you are in doubt, look up the number of the company or government agency
that claims to be calling you and call them back yourself to confirm their
identity. With technology, phone scammers can disguise their numbers to display
on your caller ID in whatever form they choose.
The recent scams appear to be targeting the elderly so they
are probably researching potential victims on the internet before calling them.
Most of these calls originate overseas which makes them difficult to investigate
and almost impossible to prosecute.
If you receive a call that you believe to be a scam or if
you become the victim of a telephone scam, you are encouraged to report this to
your local law enforcement agency so that they are aware and the incident can
be documented.
