HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 09-06 Maplewood Police warn of Scams Leading to $181K in Losses ABC9/19/2016 Maplewood Police Warn of Scams Leading to $181K in Losses I KSTP.com
Maplewood Police Warn of Scams
Leading to $181 K in Losses
Photo: Maplewood Police Department/Facebook
September 06, 2016 11:19 AM
The Maplewood Police Department says five separate fraud cases have resulted in a total loss
of $181,774.
All five scams happened between July 14 and Aug. 24 and used a variety of tactics, all of which
hinged on gaining trust, police say.
The five victims lost $90,000, $48,000, $28,000, $6,250 and $7,000, respectively.
In the $90,000 case, the victim responded to an online ad that promised to fix her computer and
make her safer online. The victim paid a $249 service fee and was then told that her computer
was being hacked and that someone deposited money into her bank account.
The scammers told the victim that if she didn't return that money, the police would be called, so
she paid the scammer more than $90,000, according to police.
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9/19/2016 Maplewood Police Warn of Scams Leading to $181K in Losses I KSTP.com
The scam that resulted in the $28,000 loss was an International Lottery Scam, where the victim
was told she won a large amount of money in a Canadian Lottery but needed to pay processing
fees and taxes before the money could be sent to her.
The $7,000 loss was what's referred to as a "grandparent scam," where a scammer pretends to
be a grandchild or other family members who needs money right away and asks that the victim
keep it a secret.
Police say it can be difficult to track and recover the funds because the scams are often
interstate or international.
Here are tips from the Maplewood Police Department to help protect yourself and money:
• Never send money to individuals outside the United States if you haven't met in person
• Use social media privacy settings so scammers can't see all of your information
• Hang up on "robocalls"
• Don't trust your caller ID; scammers can make their phone numbers look official
• Before giving out your information or money, talk with someone you trust
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Updated: September 06, 2016 11:19 AM
Created: September 06, 2016 10:48 AM
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