melrose police department

Melrose Police Warn Residents of Scammers Posing as Amazon Fraud Prevention Employees

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Melrose Police Department
Michael L. Lyle, Chief
56 W. Foster St.
Melrose, MA 02176

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Melrose Police Warn Residents of Scammers Posing as Amazon Fraud Prevention Employees

MELROSE — Chief Michael Lyle and the Melrose Police Department wish to warn residents of a scam reported today involving people claiming to work for Amazon.

A Melrose resident reported receiving a call on Monday, Dec. 9, from a woman who claimed to work for Amazon. The caller asked the resident if she had ordered a $700 computer to be sent to Texas. When the resident said she had not, she was told she was being transferred to the Amazon Fraud Department.

The resident then spoke to a male individual, who directed her to download an app called CashApp so that her refund could be processed.

After following the directions and making an account, the resident shared her CashApp account and password, which was tied to her bank account, and almost immediately she started to receive notifications that CashApp was taking money out of her account and sending money to people she did not know.

The resident was also instructed to send a picture of her driver’s license through another app, which she deleted before reporting the incident to Melrose Police.

Amazon will not reach out by phone if there is a purchase that seems questionable, so any such call should be treated as a scam.

“These scam calls often come from career criminals who can sound very convincing, so it is important to never give out any personal or financial information to callers you do not know,” Chief Lyle said. “Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a scam should freeze your accounts immediately and contact law enforcement.”

To help people protect themselves from similar scams, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers several tips on its website, including:

  • Do not take calls from unknown numbers.
  • Do not share personal, identifying information like Social Security numbers, account numbers, or mother’s maiden names.
  • If a caller claims to represent an organization and you are doubtful, hang up and contact that agency to verify whether the call was truly from a representative.
  • Caller ID is not always accurate. A call from a “local” number might not be coming from a local person or organization.
  • Never pay a caller using a gift card or prepaid credit card.
  • Be wary of callers who talk quickly and pressure you to make a decision quickly.
  • Do not send cash by messenger, overnight mail, or money transfer. If you pay for a product or service with cash or a money transfer, you run a risk of losing the right to dispute fraudulent charges.
  • Report rude or abusive callers, even if you already sent them money, by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP or by visiting ftc.gov/complaint.

For questions about scam prevention, please call the Melrose Police Department directly at 781-665-1212.

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Melrose Police Department Offers Halloween Safety Tips

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Melrose Police Department
Michael L. Lyle, Chief
56 W. Foster St.
Melrose, MA 02176

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, Oct. 18, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Melrose Police Department Offers Halloween Safety Tips

MELROSE — With Halloween right around the corner, Chief Michael L. Lyle and the Melrose Police Department wish to remind families of several important safety tips as they prepare to take their children trick-or-treating.

Recommended trick-or-treating hours in Melrose are 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31.

“Halloween is a day children look forward to all year,” Chief Lyle said. “We want everyone in the community to have an enjoyable experience, but it’s important for children and families to remember to stay safe at all times when out trick-or-treating, and for motorists to be especially cautious when driving through busy neighborhoods.”

The Melrose Police Department wishes to offer the following tips to the community to help ensure everyone has a fun and safe Halloween.

Children should:

  • Only approach well-lit houses and always travel in small groups
  • Wear clothing that is bright, reflective and flame retardant
  • Use flashlights for guidance on sidewalks, walkways and when crossing the street
  • Make sure masks have eye-holes large enough to see any tripping hazards or oncoming traffic, and mouth openings large enough to breathe easily
  • Practice safe street-crossing by using crosswalks and walk signals
  • Wear sturdy shoes and temperature appropriate clothing under costumes

Parents and guardians should:

  • Supervise children under 12 years old
  • Establish a designated curfew for older children
  • Make sure children are wearing safe costumes that fit well and don’t drag on the ground
  • Apply reflective tape to your child’s arms, legs and treat bags
  • Assure costume accessories such as swords and other pointed objects are made with soft and safe materials

Homeowners should:

  • Keep inside and outside lights on during trick-or-treat hours
  • Avoid placing lit candles and jack-o-lanterns on doorsteps and walkways where costumes could brush against them and cause burns or fire
  • Only hand out candy that is packaged and wrapped
  • Avoid handing out small toys that could cause choking or lead poisoning for small children

Additionally, any suspicious person or vehicle should immediately be reported to the Melrose Police Department at 781-665-1212

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Melrose Police to Hold Bicycle Safety Rodeo

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Melrose Police Department
Michael L. Lyle, Chief
56 W. Foster St.
Melrose, MA 02176

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 12, 2019

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Melrose Police to Hold Bicycle Safety Rodeo

MELROSE — Chief Michael Lyle is pleased to announce that the Melrose Police Department will host a Bicycle Safety Rodeo this summer.

WHEN:

Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 1-3 p.m.

WHERE:

Dills Court Municipal Parking Lot

WHAT:

The Melrose Police Department invites local children and their families to attend a free Bicycle Safety Rodeo this August.

The event will promote bicycle safety, and will feature stations where children will have the opportunity to learn bicycle safety, including changing direction, turning in circles, steering through tight spaces, weaving, stopping quickly, riding the bicycle very slowly while maintaining balance and learning to maneuver tight turns.

There will also be an obstacle course at the event designed to reinforce bicycle safety rules, laws and safe practices among children in common roadways in neighborhood scenarios.

The Bicycle Safety Rodeo will also include free giveaways.

“It’s great to see children enjoying the summer and riding their bicycles, and we want to make sure our youngest residents are being safe and understand the rules of the road,” Chief Lyle said. “We encourage parents and guardians to bring their children to this event to reinforce safe bicycle practices, while also having fun.”

The Melrose Police Department would like to remind the community of the following bicycle safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

Bicyclist Safety Tips:

  • Wear a helmet that properly fits and adjust your bicycle properly to your height.
  • Inflate tires and check your brakes.
  • Make yourself visible to drivers regardless of the time of day by wearing neon, fluorescent or bright colors. Wear reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights.
  • Keep both hands on the handlebars, unless signaling a turn.
  • Use a bike carrier or backpack if you’re transporting books, snacks, etc.
  • Watch out for potholes, broken glass, gravel, dogs, puddles and other potential road hazards.
  • Ride in the same direction as motor traffic.
  • Use proper turn signals.
  • State “passing on your left” or “on your left” when passing a pedestrian or other bicyclist.
  • Obey traffic laws, including all signs, signals, and lane markings.
  • Yield to traffic.
  • Yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
  • Ride in a straight line.
  • Look before turning.
  • Be cautious of parked cars that may have passengers opening doors, or that may attempt to pull into the road.
  • Ride in bike lanes or on bike paths when possible.

The Melrose Police Department would also like to remind residents to avoid riding at night when possible and to point out potential hazards to others when bicycling with a group.

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Registration Open for Melrose Junior Police Academy

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Melrose Police Department
Michael L. Lyle, Chief
56 W. Foster St.
Melrose, MA 02176

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Registration Open for Melrose Junior Police Academy

MELROSE — Chief Michael L. Lyle is pleased to announce that the Melrose Police Department will host its fifth annual Junior Police Academy this summer.

The program consists of three separate one-week sessions in June and July, which will be held at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School with outdoor activities on Fred Green Field.

Classes run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

  • June 25-29 (Session One)
  • July 9-13 (Session Two)
  • July 16-20 (Session Three)

The one-week classes are free and are open to children ages 10-13.

“The Junior Police Academy is a great summer program that allows students to explore the law enforcement field in a fun and interactive environment,” Chief Lyle said.  “It is a memorable experience for both the police officers and children, and both groups get a lot out of it each year.”

At the junior academy, participants will engage in a range of physical activities designed to promote teamwork and test for speed, focus and physical abilities.

Classroom activities will include learning about investigations, patrol procedures, traffic, bullying, drugs and cyber safety to educate children on the dangers they can encounter when using technology.

Space is limited to 40 cadets each week, so those interested should sign up early. Participants must be able to attend all days that the program runs during the week they sign up for.

To register, visit the forms section on the police department’s website, melrosepolice.net, or pick up an application at the police station. The deadline for applications is due two weeks prior to the start of each session. Anyone with questions should contact Sgt. Chuck Byrne at 781-665-1212 or [email protected]

 

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