Scams: Davenport urges common sense when faced with possibility of scams
A story about a very elderly Fannin County man being scammed out of $9,000 of his life savings was bound to get everyone’s attention.
It did when Fannin County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Sergeant J.K. Davenport told the story to a group of retired educators.
Davenport spoke at the Fannin County Retired Educators meeting last week, having been invited to talk about scams, how they work, and what the sheriff’s office does to track down these criminals.
Davenport said it was not that long ago that he was contacted by Homeland Security agents who had made an arrest and identified the Fannin County resident, described only as around 90 years old, as one of the victims.
Davenport took the agents to meet the man, who was still convinced he had won the lottery and was waiting on his winnings.
The scam artists had been successful playing on the man’s emotions, which is at the core of many of their tricks, Davenport said. In this case, it was the man’s excitement over a big money win.
Other tricks include pretending to be law enforcement officers and threatening your arrest if you don’t send money.
“We’ll never call you and tell you we have a warrant for your arrest. You’ll hear a knock on your door,” Davenport said. Also, “A law enforcement officer will never ask for money.”
Scam artists will also call saying they’re a grandchild or other family member, have been arrested and need money to get out of jail. Or they need money to pay a hospital bill because they’ve been hurt.
“We encourage the public to use common sense,” Davenport said. For example, if someone tells you that you have won a contest, remember, “You don’t win if you don’t enter,” he said.
He made the statement as he warned that scam artists are getting smarter. They are able to “spoof” phone numbers and even voices by using various apps and services.
Davenport encouraged the group to set their phones to only receive calls from people in their directory. He also encouraged them to get placed on the federal “do not call” list.
He warned of computer hackers trying to steal information. “Don’t just click on anything that pops up,” he said. “Make sure it’s folks you’ve been doing business with,” when clicking on a link, Davenport said.
Checks are another way thieves are being successful. One retired educator told of $4,000 being stolen from her account. She had written a check for services at her home. A “fake check” with her name and other information was later cashed.
“If you write a check, make sure it’s to somebody you know,” Davenport said. He said this kind of thief usually uses a Remote Mobile Deposit to get to the money before anyone catches the crime.
Credit card skimmers on gas pumps are still a concern. “If it looks like it’s been tampered with, don’t use it,” Davenport warned.
So what happens if you have been a victim of a scam?
“There’s no reason to be embarrassed about getting scammed,” Davenport said. There are several victims in Fannin County who have lost thousands and thousands of dollars.
When it does happen, Davenport said victims are urged to contact the sheriff’s office “Quickly. That’s what we’re there for.”
He said when a scam is successful, it should be reported to the financial institution and the sheriff’s office.
“Be careful,” Davenport warned. Scams can happen to anyone.