First comes the threat.
“Unless we receive payment from you... it could be costly...” So reads an e-mail received by a Cannon Falls woman who brought it to local police officer, Nick Sather. Although it looked intimidating, Sather explained that it was a scam.
For one thing, It didn’t have specifics about what the debt was for. It just informed you that you should send the payment via credit card or E-Check and gave you a link to follow.
Another e-mail scam might simply tell you to open an attachment or click on a link in the e-mail. But these might connect to a phony site that asks the victim for personal information.
Sather explained about other popular scams. The lottery one explains you have won but have to send money for taxes. (Of course your check is cashed and you never see the prize money.)
One that might come via regular mail tells you that you have been hired to be a “Secret Shopper”. Enclosed is a check for $6000. You are asked to spend it at retail stores like Walmart, Target, etc. Then you will fill out a questionaire.
But you would also be asked to "test" Western Union by sending $3000 or more of the funds to a special address. And this would be a way for the originators of the scam to get your money.
Besides, you may also have to pay the bank a fee when the scam's check bounces.
Sather and Roxanne Flaten, Vice President of Community Resource Bank, encourage people to check with local law enforcement or their bank if they question a check or proposal they get in the mail.
Flaten said her bank will be initiating monthly public service announcements updating local scams in the Beacon in January. Presently they have a fraud committee meeting bi-weekly to stay current on issues and keep their customers informed.
Flaten continued, people want to believe their gift check is real. So they might not believe it when told it isn’t.
In that case, Sather explained, if you cash a check, hold the cash in your account. Don’t spend it. This way you’ll have it ready to return to the bank if it was a scam.
Another point to minimize your losses, he added, is to check first if the bank has a fee if the check bounces.
With all these warnings in my brain, I was suspicious when an automated photo all came one Sunday morning and announced that there was suspicious activity on my credit card and gave a number I should call.
I was irritated because I didn’t want someone using my credit card but also because I had the popcorn buttered and was planning to watch the Vikings play on TV!
But I had to be on the phone for the next hour or so to get this cleared up.
What should I have been aware of?
1) I didn’t initiate the call. But this is something my credit card company is supposed to watch out for. So it could be legit.
2) But should I call the number they gave me? If it was a crooked deal, that number would just connect me to some more crooks!
I called it but got more concerned when an automated answering system asked for more information and the last four digits of my social security number.
Now I don’t know if those last digits could be used for anything, but I refused to give it. And when a live voice finally answered, I asked them why I should trust this phone number?
In response they suggested that I call the number on the back of my credit card and that would get me through to the fraud investigators.
It did.
And after many further phone calls checking out all possibilities, we got the situation cleared up.
And the Vikings won too.
