Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, are warning residents to avoid calls asking for money and to report scams immediately.
Scammers continue to scam people using fraudulent phone calls, gift cards, and Bitcoin ATMs. Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, are warning residents to avoid calls asking for money and to report scams immediately.
“They're taking advantage of people's fear,” said Sgt. Jacob Pierce.
Unsuspecting victims receive calls from unknown numbers pretending to be from the fraud department of banks or other companies.
“It conveys a sense of urgency that we need to act now to avoid arrest or further fraud,” Pearce said.
The caller then directs people to purchase gift cards and deposit them at ATMs, both payment methods that are extremely difficult to track.
Scammers may also pose as police officers to scam you out of money.
Police warned the community about the scheme in December, and since then the department has confirmed more than a dozen additional incidents.
Fairfax County Police say most of the cases involve transactions of about $10,000, but one victim in January was defrauded out of $31,100.
Pearce says if you get a call from Amazon or your bank claiming to be from their fraud department, “hang up, find the agency's legitimate number, or go through your bank app or legitimate website. Please contact our fraud department.” ”
This usually clears up the confusion.
“If fraud is occurring at a financial institution, legitimate companies may leave a voicemail or follow up with a text message or email,” Pearce said. “You should never feel pressured to share personal or banking information with the person on the phone.”
Police also recommend consulting family and friends before making similar financial decisions.
If you've been victimized by a scam, even if you've made a deposit or even submitted prepaid gift card information, you can contact the Fairfax County Financial Crimes Unit and report it online.
Sign up here to get the latest news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox.
© 2024 WTOP. All rights reserved. This website is not directed to users within the European Economic Area.
