Protect yourself from giving to scammers

BROKEN BOW - It may be the season for giving and receiving for the rest of us, but for scammers, it’s always a season of taking.

The Custer County Sheriff ’s Office has received 119 calls reporting scams from Jan 1 - Dec. 4, 2020. In that same time frame in 2019, there were 77 scam calls reported.

The Broken Bow Police are on track to match or exceed last years scam calls as well with 78 reported in 2019 and 73 reported as of Dec. 7 for 2020. At the Nov. 24 Broken Bow City Council meeting, Capt. Dan Hansen reported 11 scam calls between Nov. 9 to Nov. 23.

It’s unknown exactly how much has been lost in scams locally. Broken Bow Police Sgt. Shane Fiorelli said he recently worked a Broken Bow case where the loss was near $1,000. County wide, losses are much greater. “Losses of $100,000,” Custer County Sheriff Dan Osmond said.

What is known, however, is that of all the ones we hear about, there are more that we never hear about. “(Scam attempts) are very under-reported,” Broken Bow Police Chief Steve Scott said.

If you happen to fall for a scam, know that scammers are experts at making others do things they might, in retrospect, question.

“You shouldn’t have to feel embarrassed. It’s human nature,” Osmond said. He likened it to an experience he once had while bidding on an online auction site. “Emotion takes over. You can end up paying more than you know it’s worth.”

Scammers are not only experts, they are also bullies.

“They will say they will send you to court and use all sorts of tactics,” Chief Scott said. “They will say if you don’t give them the information, they will have you arrested. My wife got that call.” When she said her husband is the local police chief, the caller immediately hung up.

Sgt. Fiorelli said his wife, who has her own photography business, was also targeted. Everything seemed legitimate until the scammer sent a check for more than the agreed upon amount and asked for cash back. “That’s a scam,” Fiorelli said he told his wife. “When you are sent a check over the amount, it’s a really good chance it’s a scam.” In this case, the would-be scammer was persistent and even sent a second check before giving up.

Some scammers ask that you send cash in a magazine to avoid detection. Others ask you to purchase gift cards or just give the numbers off the back of gift cards. “Once you send it, your money is pretty much gone,” Fiorelli said. “It cannot be recovered.”

If you receive a call that you think is a scam, it’s OK to let local law enforcement know. Scams are constantly changing and reports from the public help law enforcement keep up with the latest ones. Know that if you didn’t have a loss, there are limits on what can be done.

If there is a loss of money or information, call law enforcement immediately.

“If there has been a loss, we want to know,” Fiorelli said. “We’ve had a little luck, if reported immediately. If it’s sent in cash or cards, it’s probably gone. If it’s a check, we can work with it, but we have to know immediately.”

What can you do to protect yourself ?

“Quite honestly, hang up,” Osmond said. “If there’s a legitimate reason why you own money, you’re going to know about it. It won’t be out of the blue.”

It’s also a good idea to be skeptical and question what you see Chief Scott said. For example, just because a phone number on caller ID looks local, doesn’t mean it is.

“A phone number could be disguised,” Scott said. “A call can come from Jamaica but the phone number can be enhanced to seem like its from a local number in Broken Bow.”

One of the advantages of living in a smaller community is that people usually know their banker personally and may be familiar with local law enforcement. Hang up and make a call of your own to verify if someone is trying to reach you for valid reasons. If you’re told there’s a family emergency, contact your family yourself. “The best you can do is get off the phone and call your family,” Fiorelli said.

The elderly may be targeted for scams because many older people are perceived as being not technologically savvy. However, anyone can be a target. Sgt. Fiorelli said many new scams are targeting businesses now. Scammers order a service or product and send a fake check. The business sends the product and then the check bounces.“It looks like a legitimate check,” Fiorelli said. “The best thing to do is talk with your bank.”

Sheriff Osmond said it’s also important to step back, think about it and get a second opinion. “Get someone else to look at it,” Osmond said. “Call us.”

Whether it be a phone call, an email or a check in the mail, remember the old adage: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” In this time of giving and receiving, do what you can to avoid extending generosity to scammers. As Sgt. Fiorelli said, “Be suspicious of everything.”