Monday, February 02, 2015

Police Warn Residents of Phone Scams

Edina, Minn., Jan. 29, 2015 - The Edina Police Department has seen an increase in telephone scams and warns residents not to fall pray.   

In these calls, the scammer claims to be from Publishers Clearing House or another organization and tells the resident that he or she won a large sum of money. However, in order to collect the money, the resident has to wire a lump sum of money, typically through Moneygram or Western Union, to collect the winnings.  

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” said Crime Prevention Specialist Molly Anderson. “If you receive a suspicious call like this, hang up. Never give money to anyone who says you’ve won a prize of any kind.”

Another common scam is the “Grandparent Scam.” A scammer calls a person and identifies himself or herself as the victim’s grandchild. The “grandchild” tells the victim that he’s had a major crisis and is in need of money quickly. The grandchild then asks that the money be wired to another country.

Use these tips to protect yourself from similar phone scams:

  • Be wary. Con artists are friendly, smooth talkers. Bank and law enforcement agencies do not conduct financial crime investigations by asking customers to withdraw cash from an account.
  • Verify Identity. Call the business or organization the caller is claiming to represent using a phone number you have found in the phone book or online.
  • Never give out personal information. Think twice about giving account numbers, Social Security numbers and/or any financial information. Those numbers are just like handing the scammer cash.
  • Trust your instinct. If something doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t. Hang up and call the Edina Police Department to report the scam.

If you are a victim of the scam, contact the Edina Police Department, 952-826-1600, to report the crime. For more information on how to protect yourself, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/Police or call 952-826-1610. 

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The City of Edina
4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424
mail@EdinaMN.gov 952-927-8861

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