Identity theft is a serious crime with serious costs for victims. ID theft occurs when someone obtains your personal information – such as your Social Security Number, credit card or account numbers, passwords, among others – to defraud or commit crimes. Victims of identity theft may lose significant money and time, and may find their reputation and credit rating has been damaged, affecting the ability to obtain loans for education or housing, approval for rental agreements, and approval for credit cards or large purchases requiring credit.
People of any age and at any stage of their life are at risk of falling prey to a scam. There are a few rules of thumb to remember and to protect yourself, but always remember one thing: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Victims of consumer scams lose money and time, and may find their reputation has been ruined or they are the target for legal action.
Scams
Common scams that residents have fallen victim to:
Western Union/MoneyGram – There are many variations with this scam. It may start with someone advising you that you have been awarded $XX amount and that you owe taxes on the award. They will advise you that they will be sending you a money order for the tax amount (to assist in paying it), however the tax amount will be over the actual amount owed and they will need you to send the actual amount back via Western Union/MoneyGram. They state that once your money order is received, that is when they will send the balance of your award to you.
Mystery Shopper – Actual Email from Suspect regarding First Assignment as a Mystery Shopper:
Hello, You will receive funding of $1880 to be delivered to you via USPS. You are to cash the payment at your bank then deduct $200 the Company offered you for the mystery shopper assignment. After the deduction of the $200, you would have $1680 left; you are to send the sum of $1580 to the next mystery shopper in another location via western union money transfer. The remaining $100 will be for western union transfer charges. Ensure that money is sent using the (Money Available in Minutes) procedure. Here is the name you will wire the funds to: XXX.
The victim, unfortunately deposited the money orders and was notified by their bank 3 weeks later that the checks were fraudulent.
Kidnapping Scam – A caller states that a family member of yours has been kidnapped and they ask for a ransom amount to be sent via wire transfer.
Recently a victim of this scam reported that she received a phone call and the person stated that they had kidnapped her son. She was unable to contact either of her son’s and sent the money via Western Union. The victim was threatened to not go to the police or her child would be killed. While the victim was reporting the scam to the police she was able to make contact with her son, however when attempting to stop the wire transfer, was unable to do because the money had already been picked up.
Vehicle/Insurance Scam – A potential purchaser of a vehicle for sale on eBay will send more money than the sale price of the vehicle (via counterfeit check) and will ask the seller to send back the overpayment. Your bank will notify you several weeks later that the check from the purchaser is counterfeit and you will be scammed out of the money you sent back to the purchaser for the “overpayment”.
Email Scam from London – An email states that the emailer’s bag and cell phone have been stolen and that they need money to pay for their hotel bill and travel expenses to get back home. The email states that the US Embassy and their bank are not helping them fast enough and they request a money transfer through MoneyGram and request the reference number once the money is sent to them.
If you HAVE NOT been a victim:
Report the Scam to the Attorney General’s Office by calling their Hotline at (617) 727-8400 or filing a complaint HERE.
If you HAVE been a victim:
- Notify the Police Department
- Bring in ALL documentation you received
- Bring in Bank Statements
- Bring in Cancelled Checks
- Bring in notes regarding phone calls (phone numbers, etc.)
- Make any stop payments if you feel you’ve been scammed
- Contact Credit Reporting companies (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian)
- Contact Credit Card Companies/Bank
Scam Prevention
How to avoid becoming a victim:
Do NOT take calls from unknown numbers. CallerID is not always accurate.
Never pay with a gift card, money order, pre-paid debit card, or by wiring money.
Do NOT share personal information.
Common scams include social security scams, IRS scams, utility scams, and sweepstakes scams.
Tips
- Don’t send money via Western Union/MoneyGram unless you truly know the person you are sending money to.
- Never give out personal information over the phone
- Never give out your Social Security Number
- Don’t send money overseas.