The following crime alert comes courtesy of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff who have received several reports of scams against seniors. The Office of the Sheriff posted the following information today in hopes of preventing a scam that may come in similar forms to others. Here is the information below.
The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff has recently received reports of scams against seniors. The Office of the Sheriff would like to educate and warn the public about these popular scams. These scams come in various forms. Here are two that are commonly seen:
Phone Calls from Area Code 876
There have been a few instances where a suspect will call a victim stating to be from a reputable company and ask to be called back, usually for a lottery prize, unclaimed funds or a package. Suspects will try to get your personal information and try to get you to send “processing fees” through Western Union. The number the victim calls back is usually 876 – the area code for Jamaica; 809 – the area code for the Dominican Republic; and 284 – the area code for the British Virgin Island. Anyone calling these numbers, which are not toll-free, is charged international call rates. After the victim has used the phone number, it is usually disconnected and cannot be tracked.Anyone receiving a message from area codes 876, 809 or 284 should not call back. Only return calls to numbers that are familiar to you.
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Relative in Distress
This scam is seen more than any other at the Office of the Sheriff. The suspect will usually pretend to be a family member in distress, or an official representing the family member, in another country and say they need monetary assistance for medical or legal fees. If the victim sends the money, usually through Western Union, the suspect will call again and again saying they need further funds to assist the distressed family member until either the victim realizes what is happening or another person tells the victim that a scam is taking place. These suspects are usually based out of state or country and calling from phone numbers that are disconnected or lead back to fake names and addresses.Anyone receiving calls like this should verify the relative is indeed in distress or simply hang up. Do not be fooled because the suspect has personal information about the victim. Some of it may be available publicly.
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Although these two scams target seniors, anyone can be a victim. Everyone needs to be vigilant and family members need to look out for each other. Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Never give any personal information over the phone or online.
3 comments
The second one happened to my mother. A girl called pretending to be her grand daughter saying her friend won a trip to Italy. While there they got in a car accident and the police won’t let them leave the country until they reimburse for the rental car. She also states she is so ashamed because they were drunk and begged my mother not to tell anyone in the family. My mother went down to Western Union and sent $1850.
I think they got my nieces name and info from my moms facebook page.
People give out way too much information on Facebook. Including police officers.
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