Dear Community Members,

A representative from a local homeowners association recently informed officers of a scam involving Facebook Messenger. In this instance, the scammer appeared as one of their known Facebook contacts and reached out claiming to know them as a community leader. The scammer’s rouse included mention of a legitimate grant and claimed if the intended target paid an upfront “clearance and delivery fee” their organization would receive a substantial amount of money in return. In similar cases, the scammer keeps the “clearance and delivery fee” and never sends the promised “substantial amount of money.”  Please see the below ten tips from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to assist in spotting potential scams.

1. Spot imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity, or a company with which you do business. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request whether it comes as a text, a phone call, or an email.  

2. Do online searches. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.

3. Don’t believe your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name or number you see isn't always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.

4. Don’t pay upfront for a promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job. They might even say you’ve won a prize, but first you have to pay taxes or fees. If you do, they will probably take the money and disappear. 

5. Consider how you pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods do not. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it’s nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true for reloadable cards (like MoneyPak or Reloadit) and gift cards (like iTunes or Google Play). Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.

6. Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert, or just tell a friend.

7. Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Don’t press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls.

8. Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.

9. Don’t deposit a check and wire money back. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you’re responsible for repaying the bank.

10. Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC at ftc.gov/scams. Get the latest tips and advice about scams sent right to your inbox.

Please contact the Pikesville Community Outreach Team at 410-887-6775 with any further questions.

REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE COMMUNITY.

At approximately 9:00 p.m., an unknown suspect entered the Family Dollar located on the 7000 block of Reisterstown Road. The unknown suspect went behind the register, pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded cash. The suspect fled on foot out the backdoor of the location. 

At 11:58 p.m., an unknown suspect assaulted the victim by attempting to stab the victim with a knife. The suspect left the area shortly after.

At approximately 2:45 p.m., an unknown suspect approached the victim from behind and placed them in a choke hold. The suspect was able to take the victim's cell phone and fled the area.

Between May 28 at 10:00 p.m. and May 29 at 9:27 a.m., an unknown suspect entered the detached closed garage located at the residence and stole a vehicle and two mini bikes from the location.

At approximately 2:35 p.m., the victim was walking home from school when two suspects approached from and behind and pushed them to the ground. One of the suspects told the victim they wanted their phone, and the other suspect removed the phone from the victim. Both the suspects then fled.