- November 18, 2024
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The following is an adapted news release from the Flagler Beach Police Department:
The Flagler Beach Police Departments is providing this awareness announcement in an effort to warn and alert people in our community that there is a telephone scam taking place in the area.
The scams involve a phone call from someone you don’t know, usually from a private number, blocked phone number or a phone number from outside the country.
In a recent case, the scammer stated that she was a police officer from Jacksonville, and that the victim’s granddaughter was under arrest and in need of bail money.
The call was actually placed from Canada.
The victim was directed by the scammer to withdraw two large amounts of money and purchase preloaded debit cards.
The victim in this case complied with the scammer’s instructions, and gave the scammer the card numbers and access codes of the purchased cards.
The scammer then called the victim again and told the victim the judge increased the bail, and more money was required for the granddaughter’s release.
The victim became skeptical, and was able to make contact with his granddaughter, who had not been arrested.
Take precautions
Please remember that the people behind these scams can be very charming and convincing, and their goal is simple: to take your hard-earned money.
We live in an age where vast amounts of personal information is readily available online.
Scammers can access genealogy and family history research to target select individuals, and they can obtain names, addresses, and telephone numbers of relatives, such as grandparents.
This kind of information can also be easily garnered on social networking websites like Facebook, if proper security settings are not used.
Never provide or verify any personal information like names, addresses, phone numbers, bank account information, credit card numbers, social security numbers, or dates of birth by phone or email to unconfirmed persons or contacts.
If you receive a suspicious call like the one mentioned above, follow these tips before sending, wiring, or transferring any funds or providing any personal information:
• Ask to speak personally and directly to your relative or friend said to be “in jail and in need of help or bail money.” If you are not absolutely certain you are speaking directly to your relative or friend, do not acknowledge them as such or provide any information.
• Attempt to contact the relative or friend in question, or contact other family members or friends who might be able to confirm or deny the situation.
• Ascertain the jurisdiction and facility that your relative is said to be detained or in custody at. Obtain the exact name of the agency or facility, the address, the identity of the administrator, and the telephone number. Verify this information online or through other means. End the call, and make a call back to the facility yourself to verify the information.
• If you have caller ID, and the call comes up as private, unknown, or an area code outside the United States, be particularly suspicious of the call. If the call is from a legitimate agency or facility, the proper number should be shown.
• If you believe the call is legitimate and decide to send or transfer funds, any transfer of funds or money orders or checks you send should be made payable only to the appropriate law enforcement agency or the specific court that has jurisdiction over the charges. Never send funds that are made payable to an individual person or a private company, partnership or corporation or that require you to buy any kind of prepaid credit or debit cards.
• Keep and maintain all receipts, documentation, and paperwork associated with the money transfer. If you transfer funds through systems such as money gram or Western Union, specify that the funds may only be picked up and released upon presentation of a valid, government-issued photo identification.
• Remember that if funds are transferred outside of the United States, you will probably have little or no recourse in the event of a scam or fraud, and you might have no chance of recovering any lost funds.
• Citizens in our community should stay vigilant and maintain a healthy skepticism should they receive any telephone calls of this nature. Most people want to quickly help a relative or family member in need, which is understandable. But always be prepared for a fraudulent scheme. If you receive a call of this nature and are unsure if it’s legitimate, be cautious and contact local law enforcement for assistance.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Captain Matthew Doughney or any member of the Flagler Beach Police Department at 517-2023.
