Tuesday, November 27, 2012
In two scamming incidents, victims transferred $2,000 to a scammer, police said.
The scammers are back in Chevy Chase, and this time, they're pretending to be your grandchildren. Approximately five Friendship Heights residents have been contacted on the telephone since mid-October by someone pretending to be a grandchild and asking for money, according to Montgomery County police. The scammer claims to have been arrested or involved in an accident in Mexico or Canada, asks that money be deposited into a bank account and provides the bank account's number. The scammer also asks that his or her parents are not informed, police reported. In two of the incidents, victims transferred $2,000 to a scammer, police added. Police warned residents to be on their guard: "Obtain a telephone number from the caller, and tell the …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
In August, a man was allegedly soliciting donations for a youth sports team in the Washington, DC, area. Did he stop by your home?
Talk of the alleged sports team scammer seems to have died down recently, and it's possible that the area has seen the last of him. But, were you one of the people whose homes the alleged scammer visited? Earlier this month, Chevy Chase Village police reported on the village website that "[a] slender Caucasian male in his [mid-20s] has solicited homes in [Chevy Chase] Village and in [Washington,] DC for a soccer team by the name of the 'DC Strikers'. He has introduced himself as 'Chris Scholz'. The Chevy Chase Village Police Department believes this is a scam." Chevy Chase Village Police Chief John Fitzgerald told Patch last week that no further reports had been heard in Chevy Chase Village about the man. A contributor to the Chevy Chase, …
Friday, August 31, 2012
No word available on scammer who solicited money for a sports team earlier this month.
No further reports have been heard in Chevy Chase Village about an alleged scammer soliciting money for a sports team, Chevy Chase Village Police Chief John Fitzgerald told Patch on Thursday. Earlier this month, Chevy Chase Village police reported on the village website that "[a] slender Caucasian male in his [mid-20s] has solicited homes in [Chevy Chase] Village and in [Washington,] DC for a soccer team by the name of the 'DC Strikers'. He has introduced himself as 'Chris Scholz'. The Chevy Chase Village Police Department believes this is a scam." The Northwest Current reported on the story this past week: "[In] recent incidents in Chevy Chase, Georgetown and the Palisades, residents who acquiesced to a young man purportedly requesting …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
A door-to-door scammer may be soliciting money for a sports team, the Town of Somerset reports.
Word of a possible door-to-door scammer has surfaced on area listservs, according to an email alert from the Town of Somerset. "We have been receiving notices recently from neighboring list servs about possible door-to-door 'scammers' soliciting in the area. Neighboring communities have stated that he has been a white male in his 20's who has been soliciting money for his sports team and promises to come back and do yard work," the email alert reported. Report any possible scams to the Montgomery County Police Department at 301-279-8000 (the department's non-emergency number). In case of emergency, of course, dial 911. Scams are not unheard of in the Montgomery County area. Earlier this summer, two suspects scammed an 87-year-old woman out…
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Emerging scam uses fradulent email address displaying .mil domain, according to Maryland Comptroller and the IRS.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot and the IRS warned residents this week about an emerging scam using fraudulent email accounts targeting military personnel, military retirees and civilian employees. The emails appear to offer up additional funds from the IRS for those receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. They are sent from the "Defense Finance and Accounting Services," and even display a .mil email domain. But Franchot and the IRS warned that the emails are a fraud and do not come from a legitimate government email address. “We want to inform every Marylander of this scam,” said Franchot in a statement. “In these tough economic times, unscrupulous people prey on the vulnerabilities of others. While …
Sunday, February 12, 2012
With Valentine's Day comes the possibility of online Valentine scams. Don't trust every e-card you get!
Don't be scammed on Valentine's Day—those e-cards in your inbox might not be what you think they are. To stay scam-free on Valentine's Day, the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection has gathered some useful tips: Email cards When it comes to opening Valentine’s Day e-cards, be careful. "It could actually be a phishing scheme to obtain your personal information or to infect your computer with spyware," the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection advises. Stay away from non-personal emails—i.e., those from a 'secret admirer.' Only open emails sent to you by people whom you trust. Don't click email links "Be cautious about following links that look as if they were sent by a friend. Following links from phony [email] is one …
Monday, January 16, 2012
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services lists the top 10 financial scams targeting seniors.
Don't lose your savings to a scam. "Because seniors are thought to have a significant amount of money sitting in their [bank] accounts ... financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they're now considered the crime of the 21st century," the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services reported. And, as financial scams are difficult to prosecute and are often not reported, they're considered a low-risk crime, the department added. Here are the top 10 financial scams targeting seniors, according to the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services: 1. Medicare, health care and health insurance fraud Because every U.S. citizen or permanent resident over age 65 qualifies for Medicare, "there is …
Laura L Thornton
4:50 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Thanks for commenting, though! Always great to get this info out there. more ›