To enhance the quality of life in our community, the City of Rosemead Public Safety Department would like to protect you from being a scam victim by arming yourself with information.
There are many scams in operation, and anyone can become a victim. Unsolicited mail, E-Mails, and phone calls are the primary methods used to initiate scams. Here are some signs of a scam:
1.The Offer Seems Too Good to be True
If it seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Examples include, money left to you from an unknown relative, being awarded a loan or grant you have not applied for, winning a lottery you have never entered, and being selected to receive a share in funds in return for using your bank account.
2. They Want Private Information
Many scams involve getting hold of your bank account or credit card details. Scams involving identity theft also seek personal information, like your social security number.
3. Request for Fees
Scammers will want advance payments or fees to clear the funds or complete their offer. Never pay fees or taxes in advance unless you are 100% certain it is not a scam.
4. Suspicious Email Domains
Look carefully at the domain name of every email you receive from a suspected scammer, Suspect any free email address such as hotmail, aim, yahoo, gmail. Other domain names not connected with the name of the company are also suspicious.
5. Suspicious or No Addresses
If there is no physical address and your contacts won’t give you one, it’s a sure bet you’re being scammed.
6. Request for Access to Your Computer
A common scam is a phone call from someone claiming to be a technician who has detected problems with your computer and would like to fix them for you for free. Never give anyone remote access to your computer unless you have contacted them and are 100% certain they are not a scammer.
7. Untraceable Payment Methods
Scammers prefer payment methods that are untraceable. Don’t pay anyone advance fees by any means if you’re the slightest suspicion it is a scam.
8. Pressure
Scammers will often put pressure on their victims and urge then to pay immediately or lose the opportunity. A genuine business making a legitimate offer will never pressure you to act immediately.
Never:
- Give any caller your social security number!
- Give your credit card number or bank account number!
- Pay processing or administrative fees, for customs, for taxes, or any other reason as a requirement before collecting a prize or award.
- Make a charitable donation without first checking with the Better Bureau Wise (BBB) Giving Alliance, which offers information about national charities.
- Send your payment by a private courier or wire money to someone you do not know.
- Never click on links or attachments in emails from people you do not know or you risk your computer becoming infected by viruses, trojans, or other malware.
Here is a sampling of current scams:
- Grandparents Scam. A grandparent receives a frantic call from someone they
believe to be their grandchild, who claims to be in some type of trouble while traveling, such as being arrested, or in a car accident, or needing emergency car repairs. The caller asks the grandparents to immediately wire money to help them and keep it a secret from their parents. Alternatively, the scammer may pretend to be a family member or neighbor. A common theme is the caller’s request that funds be wired through Western Union, MoneyGram, or that bank account routing numbers be provided. Wiring money is like sending cash, there are no protections for the sender.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Scam. There are several reports of telephone
calls from people posing as IRS callers and stating that there is an arrest warrant for owed taxes. The IRS does not call you on the telephone. If you don’t owe taxes, report the incident.
- Home Repair Scams. Be wary of door-to-door solicitations for home repairs.
Obtain 2-3 estimates. Ask to see the contractor’s license and check to be sure they are in fact licensed. Do not leave home repair workers alone in your home.
- Foreign Lottery Scams.
- Luxury Dream Vacation Offers/Winners
- Investment Scams promising amazing profits.
- Charity Scams.
Be aware of how to handle a scammer once you have spotted one.
- Say no thank you, ask to be taken off their call list and hang up. Do not wait for their reply.
- Sometimes a polite no thank you is taken as an invitation to keep trying to persuade you - with this type of caller the best response is rudeness - just hang up.
- If all else fails, indicate that you are going to call the police. This approach should end the call rather quickly.
If you believe you may have been a victim and/or like to report a scammer, please contact Temple Sheriff’s Station at (626) 285-7171.