Full Notification

MERCERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT - ALERT – TELEPHONE SCAM INVOLVING THE ELDERLY

THEFT BY DECEPTION & IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER Investigation being conducted by the Mercersburg Police Department.

Details are as follows:

The victim was visiting her elderly father in Mercersburg. On July 17, 2012, at 10:30 the victim’s father received a phone call from someone crying and upset claiming to be his grandson. The father handed the telephone to the victim and the individual said, “Mom, I am in jail here. Talk to these officers.” At that point a man claiming to be Officer WILLIAMS explained to the victim that her son had been in a car pulled over for speeding and there were drugs in the car so he and two others were arrested. The person on the phone explained that her son had voluntarily been drug tested and found to be clean. The individual on the phone continued to explain he could keep her son from having a record, but still had to process him. This included providing a $2,000.00 bail bond which the victim was informed could be wired through Western Union. The individual identified several Western Union locations in the area from which the victim could wire the $2,000.00.

The victim went to the Food Lion in Greencastle, PA where she used her debit card to wire $2,000.00 to Anna MILLER in Mexico City, Mexico. The person who had identified himself as Officer WILLIAMS told the victim that using an international bail bond office was quicker. He also told the victim not to mention anything about a police issue and if asked by Western Union to say she knew the person she was sending the money to.

Whenever, the victim asked to speak to her son, the person on the phone gave an explanation her son was down the hall or unavailable. After hanging up the phone, the victim tried to contact her son through his cell phone but her son didn’t answer.

The victim went to the Greencastle Food Lion and wired the $2,000.00 as directed at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 17, 2012.

After wiring the $2,000.00, “Officer WILLIAMS” contacted her again and told her all was well, but it looked like her son would have to go to court and it would require an additional $2,000.00 retainer, but his record would be clean and there would be no record of the incident.

The victim was able to contact her 17 year old son at 4:30 p.m. her son was working as a YMCA summer camp counselor and had no trouble with the police.

HERE IS HOW TO HELP DETECT A SCAM:

1. Don’t fill in the blanks for the scammer. For example:

Caller: "It's your granddaughter."
Grandparent: "Which one?"

Most likely, the con will then hang up.

2. Do whatever is necessary to confirm the real relative’s whereabouts. Call your grandchild’s home, school or work.

3. Don’t send money unless you have verified that your relative is really in trouble. If a caller asks for your bank account number or urges you to send money via Western Union or MoneyGram for any reason, that’s a good indication of a scam. Cons prefer wire transfers because they are fast, there are transfer agents in most communities and funds can be picked up in multiple locations.

Below are red flags and tips to help avoid it. Unfortunately, scammers are very tough to track down. So please help continue to get the word out to your family and relatives before they become victims.

RED FLAGS:

• You’re asked to send money quickly – and secretly.
• The call or message originates from overseas. However, you should be aware that technology allows scammers to bypass caller ID systems.
• The person can’t or won’t answer questions that the only the real person would know.
• Any time someone asks you to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, it’s invariably a scam. You might also be asked to send a check or money order by overnight delivery. Con artists recommend these services so they can steal your money before you realize you’ve been cheated. Money transfers can be picked up at any service location as long as the thief/recipient has the confirmation number.

TIPS:
• Avoid volunteering information over the phone. Always ask callers to identify themselves by name and ask individuals who contact you to provide information that only you and people close to you would know.
• Call the friend or relative claiming to need your help to confirm whether the story is true, using a phone number you know to be genuine. If you aren’t able to contact the person, call other friends or family members to confirm the situation.
• Refuse to send money via wire transfer.
• If you have wired money and it hasn't been picked up yet, call the wire transfer service to cancel the transaction. Once the money has been picked up, there is no way to get it back.
• Trust your gut.

iF YOU EVER HAVED ANY QUESTIONS OR SUSPICIONS ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS PLEASE CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COVERING YOUR AREA.

IF A RESIDENT OF MERCERSBURG, CONTACT THE MERCERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT AT (717) 328-2221