Waltham Police: Watch Out For These Phone Scams

WALTHAM, MA – The Waltham Police Department last week issued a warning about various phone scams that have cropped up around the city. Four in particular have been frequently reported by Waltham residents, according to the department.

Phone scams are a nationwide problem and their frequency means law enforcement must take proactive steps to caution residents before someone falls victim.

Here are the top four phone scams reported in Waltham, and what they entail, via the Waltham Police Department.

IRS Tax Scam

The IRS Scam is a phone call telling you that you owe the IRS money. The caller will threaten arrest if you don’t resolve the matter immediately. The caller will generally want you to go purchase multiple gift cards in $500 amounts, then read the card number after the purchase. They will typically order you to stay on the phone with them until this transaction is complete. THIS IS A SCAM! Any type of gift card purchase for payment is most likely a SCAM.

Emergency Scam

This is the phone call received that your relative has been injured, robbed, or arrested and you are urged
to wire money immediately. The caller may impersonate your loved one convincingly. The caller will play on your emotions. The caller will swear you to secrecy about the request for money because the caller does not want you checking out the story. The caller WILL insist you send the money right away and remain on the phone. THIS IS A SCAM! Disconnect and call your loved one yourself to verify if any of these claims are true.

Check Scam

Someone gives or mails you a realistic looking check or money order and asks you to send the cash somewhere else. Sometimes the check is for more money than agreed and they’ll ask for the difference to be wired or put on gift cards. THIS IS A SCAM! By the time the fraud is discovered you are out the money and there’s no way of getting it back. This often happens for rentals, purchasing vehicles, when answering personal ads, job opportunities, etc.

Tech Support Scam

They call claiming to be computer techs with a company like Microsoft saying they’ve detected viruses or other malware and trick you into giving them remote access to your computer. THIS IS A SCAM! They bank on your concern, offering “free” scans but it’s really malware stealing all your information. They may direct you to websites that have you enter your credit card info, then steal your card numbers. Once they have access to your computer they lock you out and tell you to pay them to get access to your computer back.