An elderly Cook County gentleman recently received a phone call purportedly from his grandson. His “grandson” said he was in trouble, in jail in fact, said he had been set up and he needed money to get out.
He pleaded with his “grandfather” not to tell grandma. Just go to the bank and withdraw a couple of thousand dollars and then call back and get instructions on where to send the cash.
“Grandpa” did as he was instructed, but an alert teller asked Grand Marais State Bank president Mike LaVigne to check into the transaction. LaVigne made a phone call to the number and discovered it had come from someone running a telephone scam set up to steal money from vulnerable folks whose first inclination is to help a granddaughter, brother, etc. in any way he can.
Thankfully no cash was withdrawn, but the man who was almost scammed was really shaken up.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a banker (or tellers) who will look out for him or her.
Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen has some words of advice for people who are dealing with suspicious calls involving large transfers of money.
“If someone calls you and asks for you to send them money, you should first call the Sheriff ’s Office. There are a multitude of telephone scams that have proven effective for thieves over the years. They use the ‘shotgun effect’ by calling many people and if they only get a small percentage to give up money, they have usually made a pretty good profit for the day.
“If it’s an issue of bail money, call us and we’ll check it out,” said Sheriff Eliasen.
Another scam announces sweepstakes winnings for which you need to send money to before they release your funds.
Another complicated scam consists of an individual buying something from you and giving a check made out for more than the purchase price and then asking you to cash it to “return” the remainder (as an added kick, they take the object you were selling).
“These checks are never legitimate and you will more than likely end up on the hook to the financial institution for the money that was given to you,” said Eliasen.
“The bottom line is that the scammers target the elderly. That being said, if someone calls you with some type of story asking for money and you don’t know them, please call the Sheriff ’s Office (387-3030) and we’ll gladly speak with them.”
Eliasen also offered some tips about a current IRS scam making the rounds.
“If the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a problem with a taxpayer, they will not telephone them. They will contact the taxpayer by mailing a letter.
“The IRS says it will not call to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail. The IRS will not demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount owed. It will not require you to pay your taxes in a particular way, for example, by a prepaid debit card.
“The agency will not ask for your debit card or credit card numbers over the phone and it will not threaten to bring in the police or other agencies to arrest the taxpayer for not paying,” said Eliasen.
To report a possible scam to the IRS, call (800) 829-1040. If you think you have fallen prey to an IRS scam, seek help online at: www.treasury.gov/tiga/contact_report_scam.shtml.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also offers some advice.
“Scammers will say anything to cheat people out of money. Some seem very friendly—calling you by first name, making small talk, and asking about your family. They may claim to work for a company you trust, or they may send mail or place ads to convince you to call them. “If you get a call from someone you don’t know who is trying to sell you something you hadn’t planned to buy, say, ‘No thanks.’ And, if they pressure you about giving up personal information—it’s likely a scam. Hang up and report it to the Federal Trade Commission.” “Some things that can be done to protect yourself and your loved ones are to register your home and mobile phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry. This won’t stop all unsolicited calls, but it will stop most. “If your number is on the registry and you still get calls, they’re probably from scammers ignoring the law. Hang up, and report them at www.donotcall.gov.”
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