Hinsdale Police Warn Residents of Common Scams

The Hinsdale Police Department has recently been informed by some residents that they’ve received phone calls from scammers who say they work for a government agency, most commonly the IRS, and ask for a money transfer to avoid being arrested.

On April 10, a 64-year-old woman was scammed of more than $20,000 when she received a call from a purported IRS agent threatening her with arrest if she did not pay a fee immediately, according to Hinsdale police.

The police department has provided the following tips to help avoid getting scammed.

To avoid most scam attempts, never deal with monetary exchanges to solicitations by phone or online.

Be aware of current and common methods scammers use to access your cash by researching them. A good resource which includes videos and current information is the AARP: http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/

• Scams can come from anywhere US mail, over the phone, E mail, E-bay, Craig’s list, and various other sources online or even door-to-door.
• Never send money overseas. Law enforcement can often do little to locate the scammers or recover the money once sent.
• If ever you are to receive an unsolicited check, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DEPOSIT THE CHECK TO THE BANK. The check is likely fictitious.
• Deals on the internet that sound “too good to be true” usually are.
• Never make a payment directly to a salesperson. Verify the salesperson’s business or organization, and make payment directly to the business or organization. Contact the Better Business Bureau to check on a firm, or check credentials with financial authorities.
• All investments come with a risk. If the promoter claims that it is a “sure thing” do not buy it
• Be wary of phone calls informing you that you have won a prize but need to pay to receive the prize. Scammers now are requesting you to purchase gift cards or pre-paid credit cards and solicit the numbers by phone from the cards.
• Be wary of phone calls from persons representing themselves as government officials (or law enforcement members) threatening arrest if you fail to pay them a fine, or to pay a fine to release a jailed family member.
• Scammers will stay current with the media and government. They will call posing as a government officials asking personal information with regards to healthcare. Do not provide personal information to callers unless you’ve verified their identity or organization and purpose.
• Never give out financial information or personal information
• Stay current with the latest scams by regularly checking on aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/ or illinoisattorneygeneral.com

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