Working at the bank, we come across a lot of scams. I thought I should pass some of these scams along so either you don't fall for one or a loved one doesn't. . Here are a few examples:
1. You receive a letter saying you have won a prize/lottery!! Yea!! but first you need to send your social, birthdate, and some other personal info so they can send it to you! Obviously, don't do it!! Never send this info to anyone in these situations since they can steal your identity.
2. You are selling something on craig's list, ebay, or in the newspaper and someone wants to buy it but they send a money order/cashier's ck for more money. You contact them and they say "oops, just send the difference back". Then after you do, a few days later you find their ck was bogus and now you are out a hundred or more dollars.
3. This scam has happened to a customer or 2 of ours, they are usually elderly. The elderly person receives a phone call from Canada and it is their "grandson" calling from jail saying they got in trouble please don't call mom/dad but could you please bail me out. The grandparent feels really bad and doesn't want to get the kid in more trouble so they wire the money. Then they find out the grandkid has been home the entire time!
4. An elderly person get a letter saying that the social security fund is running low could you please donate some money to help others out. They are doing alright so they send a ck each month. This happened to one of my co-workers parents. They really thought they were helping out.
5. Getting emails from "your bank" saying they need you to reply by clicking on this link and verify your social, birthday, acct number. Never do this...your bank should have this and would not contact you this way to get this info if needed.
Anyway, this is just a reminder to watch what our elderly relatives or friends are sending their money to. It seems like the older generation is more trusting of people calling, sending letters, etc. so they are more likely to give money to these things. Once the money is gone it is pretty much impossible to get back.
Thanks Racquel & Justin, Good info.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in Florida we were talking to an older lady who was all shook up because she had gotten one of those calls to help her grandson.
It badly upset her. The crooks must be making a killing off the older people in Ariz & Fl.
Grammie
I (Grandma Seelye)had an add in the paper in Calf.trying to sell my mother's grave plot. I got a phone call from a (SO CALLED )Service man over seas that his dad had died and he needed to buy the plot and he would send me a check and I could cash it and it was for more money and he asked me to send that back to him im cash. I knew this was a scam and reportd him to the local police and they took all the information down and the man never sent the check or contacted me anymore.???Guess:-(
ReplyDeleteWatch out for people trying to get money to help a stranded person ( some one had our Church directory and called Church people to help this person (my friend) get home as she was stranded in Germany without money. Please send money for a flight home.. We all knew this person from our church,was NOT in Germany stranded. DS
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