CHATHAM – Recently, the Chatham Police Department has been receiving reports from residents about local and federal agencies calling and aggressively demanding payment for alleged delinquent funds owed. The Department advises citizens that there have been several documented cases of these types of phone solicitations to be scams.
Please see the attached links to the following websites. Each site specifically describes the scam methods and attempts used and the instructions and guidance on how to respond to these scam attempts:
IRS SCAM Demanding Payment or face arrest:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts
Eversource Electric Co Scam demanding payment or face shut-down:
https://www.eversource.com/…/protect-you-your-family-from-s…
Microsoft Scam asking to remote into your computer to fix malware:
http://answers.microsoft.com/…/a6395479-d4dd-4b9a-869e-88e8…
The Department offers citizens the following guidance:
Do not give out your date of birth, social security number or bank account number. If the company calling you is legitimate, they would have that information and would not need you to provide it.
Rule of Thumb: If an organization asks for your personal identification, they want it for illegitimate purposes. Do not provide it.
If someone asks to come to your residence to collect any monies or items, do not give out your address. If an organization is legitimate, they do not make collections in this manner.
Rule of Thumb: If someone asks to come to your residence for collection purposes, suspect a scam and do not give out your address.
If an organization contacts you by phone, ask for a return point of contact and a return phone number. Prior to calling back, perform some research on the organization to determine legitimacy. Most official organizations have alerts on their websites and have official numbers to call. Rule of Thumb: If the call sounds suspicious, ask for a return number and try to call them back.
Chances are you did not win an out of state or out of country lottery. If you are contacted advising you of winning a foreign lottery, do not provide bank account numbers or personal data. Ask for a return number and research the many variations of this scam online.
If an organization contacts you and reports that they are a foreign law enforcement agency (or related agency), reporting an incarceration or injury to one of your distant relatives in that foreign country, please verify the agency, country and call back number and contact local police or the Attorney General’s office.
If you feel you may have been contacted and/or involved in one of these types of scams please contact the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General at:
http://www.mass.gov/…/consumer-in…/scams-and-identity-theft/
Or contact Chatham Police.
Media release furnished by Chatham Police
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