Courtesy of the Pima County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers. The Scam Squad volunteers with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are thwarting cons by sharing their information on the latest scams to hit the Southern Arizona streets.
The Scam Squad is alerting the public to several versions of some of the oldest telephone scams. They are urging consumers to be wary.
To consumers:
Delete any emails that you receive from your bank or Credit Union, that requests information that they should already have, such as your social security number, date of birth, or a request to confirm the account numbers. They usually say that their “system has “crashed or gone down.” These Financial Institutions have back-up systems and do not need you to confirm any personal information.
The letterheads in your e-mail may have the official-looking logo of your financial institution. Scammers use seals of the FBI or other government agencies to make their scams more believable. They will request money for some type of violation that you have allegedly committed, such as viewing a porn site that sent “pop-ups” to your computer.
No government agency will fine you or ask you to pay a fine for something you have not been found guilty of in a court of law.
Do not send money or credit card information. The threat is invalid. The government will not be asking for social security numbers to issue new Health-Insurance cards through the mail or on e-mail, nor will they solicit your social security information on the phone – the government has your social security number, they don’t need you to remind them of it.
Hang up the phone, shred the letter and delete the email. Also, remember that you cannot win a contest or lottery that you did not enter, and no legitimate lottery will require you to pay taxes prior receiving your winnings. And, lastly, before you send any money to that grandchild in trouble in Mexico—call him at home to confirm he is there, or call his parents. Set up a series of questions to verify the identity of the caller, using information that only a family member would know.