Authorities have recently received reports about citizens failing victim to scammers.
Thurmont, Md (KM). The Thurmont Police Department has been receiving a number of reports recently from citizens who’ve become victims of scammers. Chief Greg Eyler says these individuals usually call or send e-mails claiming to be from the IRS, saying the victim owes back taxes,and if they don’t pay up, they’ll be arrested and taken to jail. Other scams are calls from strangers saying a relative has been injured in an accident, and needs money for medical treatment; or their relative is in jail, and needs cash to make bail. Another caller says the victim has won a contest, but needs to pay a fee in order to collect their cash prize.
Chief Eyler says be wary of these types of calls, especially if they ask for money or your bank or credit card numbers. . “If you get a solicitor whose trying to get your account number, or saying that somebody was involved in an accident, like a family member, you have to check it out for yourself to make sure,” he says. “And if you don’t, you just don’t go out there and try to get the money for ’em and send it them and give them your account number.”
He says it’s best to hang up on these people or delete their e-mails from you computer, and call your local police agency and report it. But oftentimes, there’s very little they can do because many of these calls originate from out of Maryland. “We will take a report on it, but it’s very difficult to apprehend these individuals. That’s why these people know what to do. They know they’re not going to be apprehended,:” says Eyler.
In many instances, individuals who fall prey to these fraudsters will never see their money again, even if the scammers are apprehended and convicted. “There was only one incident that happened here in Thurmont many years ago. That someone sent $5,000 to an individual. And I think the FBI got involved in it, and somehow they tracked this person down and they get the money back. But it’s very difficult. That’s probably one in 100,000 to get it back,”he says.
In a news release, the Thurmont Police say don’t ever agree to send these scammers cash, or provide them with your bank account or credit card numbers,or any other personal information. And don’t go to the store to purchase money cards and promise to send them the cash.
By Kevin McManus