Recent Scams Reported in the Area

There are always people looking to try and take advantage of others. 

As we do the police logs we see a lot of scams in the area. To help alert readers to scams recently attempted or accomplished we are posting this helpful post by the Burlington Police Department and based on information from the FBI: 

"We regularly receive questions from people asking if a phone call, an e-mail or a door-to-door visit from a salesperson is a scam," the post states. "How can you tell if something is a scam?"

We have two "clues" to look out for that are dead giveaways:

- An offer sounds too good to be true.

- A strong push to get you to send money or provide personal information right away.

Some of the more common scams we have heard about in the area recently are unsolicited phone calls where a caller posing as someone working for a bank, a government agency, a telecommunications provider or a law enforcement official tries to get a social security number, a credit card number or a password. We can tell you right now that you should NEVER give personal information to an unsolicited caller.

Fraudsters will sometimes tell you something to shock you right away. Common tricks are to tell you that your credit card number has been compromised, your computer or telecommunications service has been hacked or even that a relative has been arrested!

While your head is spinning they offer a quick way to help you. They might say they need an account number, social security number or a password to fix your problem. In the case of the relative who is supposedly in jail they offer you a way to get them out on bail.

Just remember to pause and think for a few seconds anytime a stranger is trying to solicit information or money from you. Ask questions to try and confirm that they are who they say they are. Often, the scammers will be able to answer a few simple questions but their stories quickly fall apart when you dig deeper.

If you feel that the person calling you on the phone is a scammer hang up. Don't even answer e-mails that look suspicious and if someone is at your door and they don't seem legit call the Lexington Police Department at (781) 862-1212.

If you figure out that you have been scammed report it to us right away. You can also report any online fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3 - https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

For information on common scams visit the FBI website page on Common Fraud Schemes: http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud