NORTHFIELD VILLAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT NVPD 10455 Northfield Road Northfield, Ohio 44067 |
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| CITIZEN ALERTS: |
| Health
Insurance Scam: A health insurance saleman makes a pitch that his company's private Medicare plan can meet their needs as well as their current plan, only much more cheaply, Unfortunately, people are finding that this plan is not accepted by doctors. Not only that, but it can take months to switch back to their original health insurance plan. Residents who find themselves in this situation should contact their Regional Medicare office. Foreclosure-Rescue Scam: Many people on the verge of losing their home may receive letters from so-called foreclosure-rescue groups who promise assistance to the homeowners. To some, these groups seem like their only hope. However, these groups are offering a scheme to take control of the house and strip any equity left in it. Take caution if you receive a letter in the mail from any of these groups, as they are trying to take control of your property, leaving you without any equity. Water Meter Scam: There have been recent incidents of a scam that works like this: Someone will come to your door and tell you they are from the water department and there is a problem with your meter. They will ask to go to the basement to check your meter. While they are in your basement, an accomplice is ransacking your home. Before letting anyone in, call the water department to confirm whether they should be at your home. While verifying, keep your door shut and locked. Most companies will call before sending someone to your home. Keep a list of utility companies with phone numbers handy. Credit Card Scam: The Akron Police Department is reporting a credit card scam where con artists are pretending to be fraud investigators with either VISA or MASTERCARD. The SCAM: The victim receives a call from the supposed investigator stating that someone has gained access to their account and asks for the three-digit PIN number on the back of the person's credit card. They claim to need this information so they can start an investigation. The problem is VISA and MASTERCARD maintain a record of the PIN numbers of their credit card holders, therefore, there would be no reason for an investigator to ask fo a person's PIN number. The SOLUTION: If you receive any calls regarding your credit cards, hang up and call the number on the back of your credit card and ask them is they just called. If the credit card company did not call, please notify your local police agency. Work-at-Home Scams: The idea of being your own boss and making great money while never leaving the comfort of your own home can capture the imagination of a lot of people. In fact, an envelope-stuffing scheme did just that. Twenty thousand or so people received fliers in the mail stating that a company called Monitor Publishing would pay $10 for every envelope stuffed and returned if they paid the company anywhere between $79 and $169. This company claimed that a person could earn $2,000 to $5,000 and claimed they would send a check within 10 days. Unfortunately the 20,000 who fell victim to this scam never received a check in the mail. In most cases, the envelopes these people stuffed came back to them as undeliverable. The money was never returned to the ones who fell for the scam and phone calls to Monitor Publishing were never returned. These work-at-home scams succeed because they harness people's vision of America- the land of opportunity. They work because people find a flier in their mailbox at the same time they have been laid off from their job or when bills start to pile up. Think twice when receiving a letter in the mail that claims you can be your own boss and make thousands of dollars a month without leaving your kitchen table. Research the so-called companies before sending them money, and ask yourself if the promises made seem too good to be true. I've been robbed! Can I use your phone? SCAM: The Beacon Journal recemtly reported on a new technique criminals are using to gain access to your home. Once again criminals are using our natural instinct to help a person in need. While it is hard to resist the urge to help someone in need our best advice is to keep your doors closed & locked. If you open the door make sure the screen door is locked and inform the person that you will call 9-1-1 and then close your door. Please feel free to call the Police Department if you need any additional advice or help. Are you on the "Elderly Opportunity Seekers" list? When you enter sweepstakes either trough the mail or on the phone, your personal information could be entered into a database which is sold to criminals seeking to drain your bank accounts. These criminals can even obtain lists of "Suffering Seniors", senior citizens with debilitating problems. Here is how this scam works. A very friendly person will call to enter you into a sweepstakes or offer to help you in other ways. Some will even say they are government workers or from the Social Security Administration. The conversation starts out friendly enough but by the end of the conversation they have obtained your bank account number. Don't be fooled by these criminals. If you have caller I.D., don't answer your phone unless you know who is calling you. If you receive an email from someone you do not know, delete it without opening it. If you receive an unexpected visitor at your door, don't open the door. Preying On The Elderly: The Akron Police Department is investigating three separate incidents over the last couple of weeks involving a male posing as a FBI agent and scamming elderly victims out of thousands of dollars. In these cases, the victims are receiving telephone calls from a male posing as a FBI agent. He is telling the elderly victims that he is either investigating them personally or investigating a con artist involved in a sweepstakes or lottery. The caller then recruits the victims to catch the suspect. The victims are then ordered to withdraw money from their bank and wire it to the suspect. On a couple of occasions, the caller has even provided a cab ride to assist in transporting the elderly victim to the bank and then to a location to wire the money. The police department warns citizens "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!" Several tips to avoid being a victim of a scam: 1. Never give personal information over the phone. 2. Never send money to anyone you don't know. 3. Always double check with your bank or local law enforcement agency before acting on request to send money to anyone. If you have an elderly releative or friend, please alert them to this scam. If you have any information about these cases or similar cases, please contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490. |