TELEPHONE SCAMS

Over the past several months, the Green Valley District has received numerous calls regarding suspected telephone scams.  The type of calls we are focusing on are the ones that inform the victim they have won or are due a large amount of money from a sweepstakes, newly-discovered inheritance, or some unclaimed fund.

The caller will ask for a small monetary payment to speed-up the process of bringing you closer to the jackpot.  This fee may be called a processing charge, bank fee, or a tax fee to another country – you get the idea!  The hope is that you will part with a few hundred dollars to potentially receive thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.

These telephone scams are an elaborate production.  You might be forwarded several times to a bank president or senior official in processing.  Through all these transfers the goal remains simple – TO PART YOU FROM YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!

You will be asked to send a cashier’s check or money order utilizing Western Union.  Western Union offices are located world-wide and money can be picked-up at any location.  The suspect probably has numerous fictitious identifications to use when picking-up the money.  You might also be asked to provide your bank account information.

Even if you agree to send money, the calls never stop and the high-pressure pitches become more intense.  Scam artists have been known to threaten people over the phone until they agree to send more money.  You may be told that the processing fees were underestimated or there are additional fees.  It may again be only a few hundred dollars, or it could jump to thousands!  Before you realize it, you will have sent several thousand dollars that will probably never be recovered!

The best way to handle this type of phone call – HANG UP!  Scammers rely on word-of-mouth, phone lists sold on the black market, or phone books.  They spend their entire day calling hundreds of phone numbers looking for that one person who will listen to them and send money.  Once they find that person, they will continue calling with a different story in hopes of taking more and more of your money; they will not stop calling as long as you keep sending money.

The old adage, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” should be taped to every phone in your home.  If you never entered a lottery or sweepstakes, why is someone calling to inform you that you have won?  Do not let greed get in the way of common sense!

Follow these simple rules to protect yourself from telephone scams:

• Hang up on callers requesting you send money to receive a large cash prize.
• Never provide personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure that the caller is legitimate.
• Never provide financial information or account numbers to someone over the phone unless you are absolutely sure that the person or company is legitimate.
• If the calls persist, invest in a whistle.  Blow it into the phone when you think you are being scammed.

Scammers do not want to spend too much time on an uncooperative “mark.”  Let them move onto a new phone number; you may save yourself from financial ruin.

Scam artists call hundreds, if not thousands, of phone numbers listening to the recipient in an attempt to gauge age, mental awareness level, and vulnerability. If they believe you fit the “vulnerability” level they are looking for, the scam begins. They will identify themselves as a relative, a lottery official, or some other business-type person. They will attempt to pressure, cajole, and threaten to separate you from your hard-earned money. The easiest thing to do is simply hang-up. If the caller persists, you can dial *69 or *57 immediately after receiving a call to have the caller’s phone number recorded on your phone or through your phone service provider. If you feel there is an immediate threat, call 9-1-1 immediately.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is dedicated to the prevention of crime whether in your neighborhood or over the internet. Report all suspicious activity and together we can make a difference in the quality of life in our community.