HOLBROOK — Chief William J. Smith would like to warn Holbrook residents after a person in town was recently scammed out of $9,000 after being led to believe that the money was being used to bail a relative out of jail.
On May 18, Holbrook Police received a call from a resident claiming that they had been the victim of a scam.
Through the subsequent investigation, police learned that a man called the resident on May 12 and posed as the attorney of her nephew. The man said he needed $9,000 to bail her nephew out of jail and was was going to send a livery service to pick up the cash.
The same day, a woman arrived in a black sedan at the victim’s house and she gave the woman the money.
The resident later discovered that her nephew had not been arrested and realized she was the victim of a scam and notified police.
The incident remains under active investigation by the Holbrook Police Department. Anyone with information about this incident or anyone who feels they have been the victim of a similar scam is asked to call Holbrook Police at 781-767-1212.
Chief Smith would like to make residents aware that bail is never picked up at someone’s house through a livery service. There have been reports of similar incidents in other communities recently. Arrests of relatives can be confirmed with the arresting police department or through the local district court clerk’s office.
Chief Smith would like to share the following tips from the Federal Trade Commission about family emergency scams:
Verify an Emergency
If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a family member or a friend desperate for money:
- Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
- Verify the person’s identity by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.
- Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.
- Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
- Don’t wire money — or send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier.
- Report possible fraud at ftc.gov/complaint or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.
Scammers Use Tricks
They impersonate your loved one convincingly.
It’s surprisingly easy for a scam artist to impersonate someone. Social networking sites make it easier than ever to sleuth out personal and family information. Scammers also could hack into the e-mail account of someone you know. To make their story seem legitimate, they may involve another crook who claims to be an authority figure, like a lawyer or police officer.
They play on your emotions.
Scammers are banking on your love and concern to outweigh your skepticism. In one version of this scam, con artists impersonate grandchildren in distress to trick concerned grandparents into sending money. Sometimes, this is called a “Grandparent Scam.”
They swear you to secrecy.
Con artists may insist that you keep their request for money confidential – to keep you from checking out their story and identifying them as imposters. Victims of this scam often don’t realize they’ve been tricked until days later, when they speak to their actual family member or friend who knows nothing about the “emergency.” By then, the money they sent can’t be recovered.
They insist that you wire money right away.
Scammers pressure people into wiring money because it’s like sending cash – once it’s gone, you can’t trace it or get it back. Imposters encourage using money transfer services so they can get your money before you realize you’ve been scammed.
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