Beware of Red Flags!
By Gail A. Tierney, Public Information Officer
All of us, regardless of age, financial standing or educational
background, are subject to potential scams and frauds almost every
day. Whether they come via the Internet, a telephone call, face
to face or in the mail, citizens must remain vigilant to avoid being
victimized.
One example is commonly known as the “Nigerian” scam, which combines
an impersonation fraud with a variation of an advance-fee
scheme. Since the early 1980s, scammers claiming to be wealthy
Nigerian officials, businesspeople or their surviving spouses have
sent their fraudulent messages via letter, fax and finally e-mail,
reaching epidemic proportions.
They politely promise huge profits in exchange for a small fee and help
in transferring millions of dollars out of their country. Victims
who take the bait may receive official-looking documents, and then be
asked to provide blank letterhead, their bank account numbers and more
money to cover the transaction and transfer fees.
In the end, there aren’t any profits to be shared, and the scammers have
vanished with your money.
Learn to watch for red flags when it comes to potential scams and
frauds. The following actions should serve to raise your suspicions:
-
A promise that you can win money, make money or borrow money easily;
-
A demand that you act immediately or else miss out on a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity;
-
A refusal to send you written information before you agree to buy
something or donate money; and
-
An attempt to scare or intimidate you into buying something or
providing personal information, such as bank account or Social
Security numbers.
This year, Washington’s economic stimulus package has scammers scrambling
to get a piece of your payment or, maybe worse yet, to steal your
identity. Remember this: The IRS will never call or e-mail you to
ask for your Social Security number or bank account
information. Furthermore, the federal agency will never come to
your home to get personal information or send a letter that tells you
to respond by phone or e-mail.
And finally, providing you’re eligible, you need never pay a fee to get
your stimulus payment or to get it faster. For more information,
visit the IRS Web site at
www.irs.gov.
If you have doubts, questions or concerns, please call the Citrus County
Sheriff’s Office BEFORE you part with any of your hard-earned
cash. Simply dial 352-726-4488 and ask for assistance. Or
e-mail Sgt. Chris Evan at
cevan@sheriffcitrus.org. He’ll send you the agency’s newest
brochure about fraud and computer crimes.
Should you still find yourself the victim of a scam or fraud, call 911
and report it to a deputy. Your actions may help save someone else
from a similar fate.
Gail Tierney is public information officer
for the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. She has been with the
agency for 18 years. Comments or suggestions may be directed to
Gail at 726-4488, Ext. 311, or
gtierney@sheriffcitrus.org.