2 Scams Threatening Westlake Residents

WESTLAKE, OH — There are at least two scams currently posing a threat to Westlake residents.

On May 6, a local dog walker came to Westlake Police Department and told officers he believed he was the target of a fraud. The man laid out a common scheme used to rip-off people selling services and goods.

The dog walker advertises his services online. A potential "client" sent the man a check for a dog walking job. However, the check was well over the asking price for the service.

The dog walker recognized this ploy as a possible scam and never deposited the check. Instead, he contacted police immediately and lost no money in the process.

"This is another reminder that no matter what you are selling, if the buyer sends or presents a check for over asking amount and instructs you to send any portion back or to keep the extra, IT IS A SCAM!" Westlake police said in a statement. "Cut off ties and find another client/buyer. Report any monetary losses to police."

The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs also warned this week that a tax lien scheme has been mailed out to some residents.

As part of this fraud, letters threatening to seize the property of residents are sent to homeowners. In some cases, the letters also threaten to freeze Social Security benefits or cancel tax refunds.

“This is just another effort by impostors to shake down people who have experienced financial difficulty,” said Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs Director Sheryl Harris.

Here's one easy way to spot the scam — the letters have a fake government symbol and claim to be from the “Benefits Suspension Unit, Cuyahoga County, Public Judgement Records.” No such office exists.

If residents do receive one of these letters, they shouldn't panic. Instead, Google the phone numbers for the Ohio Department of Taxation (1-800-282-1780) and the Cuyahoga County Treasury Tax Services Department (216-443-7420). Never trust phone numbers provided in a letter.

Contact those departments and verify the letter. Additionally, be weary of any requests for unusual payments — that is, no government agency will request payment in the form of Bitcoin or through a wire transfer.