Police alert LWers of money-wire scams and other forms of fraud

FROM THE SBPD

Seal Beach Police Public Information Officer Nick Nicholas reports that he was recently contacted by the branch manager at a local bank who has noticed an increase in residents coming in and asking to withdraw or transfer large amounts of money to unknown people. The manager and his employees quickly realized that these customers were actually victims of scams and reported it to the SBPD.

The Federal Trade Commission recommends the following things to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:

• Spot imposters. These criminals will often pretend to be someone you know or trust. They may say they are government officials, a family member, charity, utility company, or other organization. Do not give out your personal information or send money unless you can confirm through an outside source.

• Do online searches. Type in a company or product and include the words “review” or “complaint” or “scam.” You’ll likely find out that others have been victimized and may be able to avoid becoming a victim yourself.

• Don’t believe your caller ID. Scammers can spoof caller ID systems and make it so their numbers show up as one you know or recognize.

• Don’t pay upfront for a promise. If someone asks you to give them money for debt relief, credit or offers, payment for jobs, or fees for awards or prizes, don’t give them any money. They will likely take your money and disappear.

• Consider how you pay. Credit cards have built in fraud protection, but some other payment methods do not. Wiring money through Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it nearly impossible to get your money back. This is the same with gift cards.

• Talk to someone. Before you give up yourmoney,talktosomeoneyoutrustlike an adult child, friend, the bank or even call the Seal Beach Police Department. Officers may recognize scams faster than others because they have received training on this topic.

• Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch or other message, hang up. The vast majority of these calls are completely bogus.

• Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies will give you a “free trial” but bill you each month if you forget to cancel within a certain time period. Review your bank statements regularly to make sure you aren’t being charged for something you didn’t sign up for.

• Don’t deposit a check and wire money back—If you are given a check, asked to deposit it, then wire money back, simply do not do it. This is often a way that scammers will get money. They will give you a bad check, but by the time the bank notices it, you are already out of your own money.

• Read about and sign up for free alerts from the FTC at www. ftc.com/scams.

The next time you are contacted by phone or online by someone who is asking for your personal identifying information or money, try to keep these things in mind. When in doubt, just call the SBPD.

The non-emergency line is (562) 594-7232.

—Nick Nicholas, public information officer, SBPD