We have received information from surrounding Law Enforcement Agencies regarding an alarming number of reports of scammers using fake emergencies to steal money. These swindles typically target the elderly. Someone will call or contact you saying they are a family member or close friend. They say they need money to get out of trouble. Someone may also call and claim to be an attorney or someone else representing a friend or loved one. If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a family member or a friend desperate for money, don’t trust the voice on the line — even if it sounds like your family member or friend. Here’s what to do to verify the person’s identity:
• Resist the pressure to react and send money immediately. Hang up — or tell the person you’ll call them right back.
• Use a phone number you know is right to call or message the family member or friend who (supposedly) contacted you. Ask them if they’re really in trouble.
• Call someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if the caller said to keep it a secret — or sounds like a loved one.
• Call the Police.
For more information regarding scams go to: https://consumer.ftc.gov/