Brandon Twp.- Two reports of fraud this past week are just the latest in a string of identity thefts perpetrated against township residents.
‘We are being inundated with reports of fraud, they are non-stop,? said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Greg Glover, Brandon substation commander. ‘If you do not know who you are talking to, do not allow them personal information or allow them passwords or access to your computers.?
According to the most recent police reports, a township woman said she was contacted on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 by an unknown subject who said he was a senior account manager for the U.S. government and that she had won $10,346 in federal grant money to be used constructively at her residence. The woman said she was at first skeptical of the offer, but the subject ‘was very convincing? and the phone number registered to a Washington, D.C. exchange. She was suspicious when the subject requested her bank account and routing numbers, but the man stated they would Western Union wire transfer the money to her if she paid $260 in fees. The subject requested she obtain Green Dot Money Packs from CVS (pharmacy). She obtained two of the Green Dot Money Pak cards, one for $260 and another for $497 (after he told her she had to pay that in state taxes before the transaction could be completed). She gave the subject the pin numbers for the cards. He then called back and requested money in the amount of $800 for insurance on the Fed Ex package he had told her would be coming with her money cards. The complainant, suspicion growing, then hung up and called police.
In the second fraud incident this week, a complainant reported on Oct. 6 that she had received a phone call from a male with a heavy Indian accent who told her he knew she had a Windows 8 operating system and that she may have some problems with her computer. The woman agree to log in and allowed the caller to take control of her computer via the internet. She said the caller had control of the computer for at least 30 minutes before she became suspicious. She said the man transferred her to his supervisor who identified himself as ‘James.? The complainant said that ‘James? told her she may need to pay his company $100 to $600 to ‘fix? her computer. The woman did not pay the company any money, but fears they may have stolen her identity while she was online with them. The deputy advised the woman to never relinquish control of her computer to anyone she does not trust. She has contacted her banks to flag any suspicious activity and the deputy advised her to scan her computer with a good anti-virus program or take it to a trusted computer store.
‘If they don’t give you an address for where to go to handle the issue, don’t do it,? said Glover. ‘We are really getting hit out here.?