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June 2009
Crime Prevention Tip
"Grandson" Scam
Scam artists will take advantage of your concern for family members to steal your money.
During the last couple of weeks of May and first week of June, I had received numerous reports of Morro Bay senior citizens receiving a call from someone claiming to be their grandson, (or friend of their grandson), saying that the grandchild is in trouble and in urgent need of cash. Sometimes the grandparent was addressed by name.
The caller asks that the grandparent wire them money and to “not mention this” problem to other family members. The original call may be followed up by a second call claiming to be an attorney, police officer or other official.
In any case the grandparent is told to wire the money via money-gram, Western Union or other money transferring service.
THIS IS A SCAM!! The folks I’ve talked to have contacted their grandchildren directly or through the parents, only to find that their grandchildren are safe and not in any trouble at all.
Please do not fall for this SCAM. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be your grandchild, or a friend of your grandchild, asking for money . . . call your grandchild back on the number you know, or call the parents and ask for a contact number for the grandchild.
Don’t let these crooks steal your money!! Be shrewd and be wise.
For more information on this or other scams, please contact the Morro Bay Police Crime Prevention Office at 772-6228.
Hank Roth, Crime Prevention Coordinator
City of Morro Bay Police Department
May 2009
Crime Prevention Tip
“Swine Flu” E-mail Scams
Scam artists will take advantage of any situation to gain
access to your personal information.
US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) warns of the circulating of e-mail scams related to the Swine Flu. The attacks arrive via an unsolicited e-mail message, typically containing a subject line related to the Swine Flu. These email messages may contain a link or an attachment. If users click on this link or opens the attachment, they may be directed to a phishing website or exposed to malicious code.
Protect yourself (and your computer) from these phishing attacks. 1) Do not follow unsolicited web links or attachments in email messages, and 2) Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
If you have questions about the N1H1 virus (commonly called the swine flu), or other strains of influenza virus, please visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for trusted information.
For local information and alerts visit the SLO County Public Health Department's website.
Don’t let these scammers fool you! Be shrewd and be wise.
If you have questions about this or other scams, please call the Morro Bay Police Department's Crime Prevention Office at 772-6228.
There are actions that people can take to help prevent the spread of germs:
- Cough and sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- Avoid attendance at large gatherings.
April 2009
Crime Prevention Tip
IRS Refund and Government Stimulus Check scams
It’s that time of year again, and the scam artists are trying to steal your personal information by posing as the IRS or other Government Agency.
The scam works like this:
You receive an official looking e-mail saying that your tax refund has been recalculated and there is additional money due you, or that your government stimulus check is waiting for you and all you have to do is click on this link which will then ask you for your personal information, (social security number or credit card number) or financial information, (bank account number, etc.).
Please don't fall for this scam!
The government will NEVER send you an e-mail requesting your personal identifying or financial information. They already have it! Also, taxpayers don’t have to complete additional or special forms to obtain a refund.
There is a 2009 variation on this scam where the e-mail will refer you to call a phone number where a recorded voice or even a live person will ask you for your credit card number, or social security number, or other personal information. Again, don’t fall for it! The government does not send a stimulus check or a refund to your credit card account. The scammers are just trying to get your information so that they can steal your money.
If you receive an unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from the IRS, please take the following steps:
Don’t open any attachments to the e-mail. They may contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
Contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to determine whether the IRS is trying to contact you about a refund.
Don't be fooled by these scam artists!
If you have questions about this or other scams, please feel free to call the Morro Bay Police Department's Crime Prevention Office at 772-6228.