By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Police Division is advising local residents to always have their radar up for red flags when they come across offers that are too good to be true.
BGPD gets multiple reports each week from local residents who have fallen victim to scams. And police know there are far more people scammed who are too embarrassed to report it.
“I’m sure most don’t get reported,” Bowling Green Police Lt. Adam Skaff said.
So police are suggesting that people use common sense and not ignore red flags, like …
- Don’t deposit checks from unknown people, then withdraw money and send it to them.
- If you have to try four online payment systems to 10 different addresses before it goes through, it’s probably not legit.
- And just another reminder … don’t send nude pictures to someone you’ve met online. But if you really feel compelled to do so – make sure your face isn’t in the photo.
Bowling Green residents fell for these scams in July. It used to be that most of the scams reported to police involved unsuspecting older people who weren’t especially tech savvy.
But increasingly, online scams seems to be targeting younger people.
A study cited in Time stated members of Generation Z – born between 1995 and 2012 – are three times more likely to fall for online scams than senior baby boomers. While the younger generation is more digital savvy, scams are often tailored to those who spend at least four hours each day on social media. And younger adults are generally more trusting of what they see online, according to a Pew Research Center report.
“I get people are going to make mistakes,” Skaff said.
But if red flags keep popping up, people should take notice, he said.
“This is mind-boggling,” Skaff said. “People need to verify.”
Be suspicious. Ask questions. Seek verification, he advised.
“Before buying things sight unseen, take a pause,” Skaff said.
Buy items the old-fashioned way. Make sure you see the car before you pay for it. Make sure you meet the puppy before you pay its veterinarian bills. And don’t allow anyone on the phone or online to pressure you into acting immediately.
Though recovering money stolen through scams is often a lost cause, it’s good to report it to police on the chance that it may prevent someone else from being targeted.
Following are a few of the scams reported to BGPD in the past month:
A 23-year-old woman lost $3,734 after she applied for a remote billing job from a firm based in Florida. After submitting an application, going through an interview, and receiving a “conditional offer” of employment, the woman was told she would be receiving checks in the mail to purchase the equipment needed for the job.
The Bowling Green woman deposited the two checks, for $2,850 and $2,735, in her local bank account. She was then told to send Apple Cash payments of $100 and $500 by phone, and send $1,585, $1,000 and $447 via Paypal.
The woman said that after she sent the payments, she noticed both checks she had put in her bank were found to be counterfeit.
A 25-year-old man reported to police that he received a strange email, and when he opened the message, his computer screen was taken over. The virus directed the man to go through a series of steps to unlock his account at a local bank.
The virus stated that it had accidentally deposited $11,000 into his checking account. The man was asked to withdraw the amount and send it back. He did as asked, created a label and shipped the money through UPS to an address in Flushing, New York.
An 18-year-old man stated he received a message via Snapchat from an unknown female. He told police that the two of them exchanged messages, with the female requesting a picture of his penis. The local man took a picture and sent it.
After receiving the photo, the unknown female stated if the man didn’t send her money, she would send the picture to all his friends, family members, and to his workplace.
The BG man said he was scared, so he sent a total of $600 to the fake online account. When the female requested more money, the man advised that he was calling the police. He received no more messages from the fake account.
A 26-year-old man reported that he tried to purchase an Enhanced Battle Rifle chassis system online, using Venmo to pay $699. The shipping company then requested $349 for a refundable insurance on the package when delivered. The man paid that using his Apple Pay account.
The shipping company then notified the BG man that the package was being held by U.S. Customs at Charleston International Airport. The shipper asked him to send another $454 for a certificate and customs stamp. At that point, the man realized it was a scam, and he did not send the additional money.
A 55-year-old female contacted police about a possible fraud via Facebook. She had sent a total of $1,500 to an unknown person, who posed on Facebook as her nephew’s step-mother, and said she was selling a bunch of family belongings.
The local woman asked to purchase a carport and a 2017 Honda Accord. She was first asked to send money via Zelle, but that didn’t work so she was asked to pay via Venmo. This also failed to work, so she was asked to send money via Cash App. When that failed, she was told to use Paypal.
Because it was the first time for the woman to use Paypal, she was only allowed to send $500. So the person on Facebook asked the local woman to purchase $1,500 in Apple Cash cards and then send photos of them with the code scratched off. The woman bought the cards and sent pictures of two of them. When the person on Facebook sent multiple messages telling her to hurry and send the last card, the local woman became suspicious that she had been tricked.
