Cary Police Warns Residents Of Financial Scams

CARY, IL —The Cary Police Department is asking residents to be careful after receiving reports of scams in recent months. Authorities say one such scam involved a person offering another person compensation to act as a secret shopper, according to a news release.

The Cary resident received a check and was instructed to purchase gift cards with a portion of the money and then send the gift card access codes via e-mail. In return, the victim was allowed to keep the rest of the check.

The check was fraudulent and the victim lost the money used to purchase the gift cards, authorities said.

Another incident involved a victim receiving an e-mail, which appeared to be a legitimate correspondence from an organization they were conducting business with. The e-mail advised the victim there was a change in payment terms and instructed the victim to wire the funds instead of having a cashier’s check drafted, according to a news release.

The e-mail was fraudulent, and the funds were received by an unknown third party, police said.

Other scams have involved the victim’s credit card and/or checking account information being
compromised. To avoid becoming a victim, regularly monitor your credit card activity and bank
accounts, according to a news release.

Information regarding common scams can be found at the Illinois Attorney General’s website, and also on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.The Cary Police Department’s Investigations Sections is able to answer any questions you have and can be reached at (847) 639-2341.