Brandon Twp.- It seemed to good to be true? the man with the foreign accent had phoned Marjorie Keller to tell her she had won a million dollars.
‘He said I won it, and I thought maybe I did,? recalls Keller, an 81-year-old township resident.
All she had to do was send $110 to the man for delivery of her million-dollar check. She sent the money. The check never arrived. Instead, she got another phone call telling her she’d sent the money to the wrong person and still owed $110.
‘I told him it was a scam and they keep calling,? said Keller. ‘It’s the same man with a foreign accent.?
The senior has been called numerous times this year and last with similar schemes and received a dozen letters last year attempting to bilk Keller of thousands of dollars. The mail fraud typically involves a check that she is sent for $4,000 or $5,000, instructing her to cash the check and send back a check for a certain handling fee.
This scam is one of many that criminals are using against township residents and senior citizens in particular, said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Pete Burkett.
‘In the last year, we’ve had at least a dozen complaints on fraudulent checks,? he said. ‘Studies show that seniors are targeted more than other age groups, just because they appear more vulnerable.?
Burkett said the counterfeit checks are often very good likenesses of legitimate checks and banks may cash them. However, most banks will advise customers not to take the money for five days, allowing the check to clear first. Banks can’t be held responsible for bounced checks.
The scam that Keller initially fell for, being called and asked to wire money via Western Union to take receipt of a prize, is also common. Besides telephone and postal fraud, thieves are also using computers to commit crimes against residents. One of the biggest scams Burkett said police are seeing lately is people pretending to want to purchase items being sold on the internet. Criminals will send a check for an amount over the price and ask the seller to send back the overage, stating they have a problem with the bank account or some other reason. The checks they send are counterfeit.
‘If you receive the unbelievable deal or amazing prize, ask to see everything in writing so you can read it carefully,? Burkett said. ‘Never give out personal information over the phone unless you have contacted that person first. If a caller asks you to pay anything in advance or by credit card, do not do it. Remember, legitimate telemarketers will not be turned off, they will appreciate dealing with an educated consumer. It’s not rude, it’s shrewd.?
Locally, police can do very little to track down criminals perpetuating what is often international fraud. Unless the crime originates in the township or in Oakland County, deputies can’t initiate an investigation. It will be turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for fraud more than $25,000 and the FBI will make a determination. Or, if there are 1,000 similar complaints, lesser amounts but with the same motive, they may investigate.
Consumers must be their own best advocates.
Burkett offers a list of effective senior citizen fraud protection tips from gilbertguide.com that include:
nAvoid sending money or providing personal financial information.
n Do not speak at length with people who are unfamiliar to you.
n Do not sign any documents without reviewing them carefully.
n Make sure to verify all claims.
nReach out for help before investing or spending considerable amounts of money.
n Shred all bills, notices, and personal mail before throwing them away.
n Just hang up.
Keller feels like a target, because the scam artists always seem to find her, but she says she has learned her lesson.
‘I’m not going to fall for this any more,? she said. ‘If you get something in the mail, tear it up. If you get a call, tell them ‘don’t call again.? These scams just go on and on and on. You just have to know, if you didn’t enter something, you know you didn’t win. And you really didn’t win anything if you have to pay something. You’ve just got to be smarter than they are. You don’t send those people anything and when they call, you just hang up. One time they called and I told him I went to the police and it was a scam and I hung up on him. He didn’t call back.?