By Jason M. White
An Anderson senior citizen says she was overjoyed when a caller told her the government owed her about $500.
But then the caller asked for her bank account number to deposit the money.
“I knew there was something not right,” Annette Freeman said. “That sounded too fishy.”
Freeman was the target of one of many scams designed to get people’s personal information, such as Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers. Criminals use this information to withdraw money from their victims’ bank accounts or to establish fraudulent credit.
Two new telephone scams are targeting consumers this year.
For one scam, people who claim to be with the Social Security administration tell senior citizens they need new Social Security cards, or that they are entitled to free medical cards. Scammers will ask for victims’ personal information.
The other scam takes advantage of tax rebates promised by the federal government. Scammers claim they are with the Internal Revenue Service and ask for victims’ Social Security and bank account numbers so their rebate checks can get deposited.
People should handle these calls the same way: hang up.
“Any legitimate company you deal with will not ask for your personal information over the phone,” said Capt. Randy Simmons with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.
Scammers try to seem as legitimate as possible to trick their victims, said Detective Joel Sandefur of the Anderson Police Department.
For example, the woman who called Freeman claimed she was with a nonprofit group helping people retrieve money that the government owed them.
“She sounded like such a nice young lady and was very professional,” Freeman said. “I kept asking why they couldn’t just mail me the check, but I guess she got sick of hearing it because she hung up.”
Scammers are often heartless because they take advantage of people’s hopes and fears, said Anderson resident Betty Matthews.
Her son was targeted shortly after he lost his job. The caller told him he was eligible for a grant to help him pay for his rent and bills.
The catch was he had to provide his bank account number and pay a certain amount of money up front.
“He was so upset after that call, it was terrible,” Matthews said. “He really had his hopes up until they started asking for things they shouldn’t be asking for.”
Most people ignore failed scam attempts and do not report those instances to the police, Sandefur said.
Investigators have a difficult time catching telephone and Internet scammers, because they do not stay in the same place for long, Sandefur said.
“They’ll operate for a day or two; then they’ll pack up and leave and move on,” Sandefur said. “It’s very difficult to track them.”
Sometimes the criminals do not even call from the United States, he said.
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New scams to watch out for:
• Social Security scam: People claim they are with the Social Security Administration, telling senior citizens they need new Social Security cards or are entitled to free medical cards. Scammers will ask for personal information.
• Tax rebate scam: Scammers claim they are with the Internal Revenue Service. They say they want to deposit victims’ tax rebate checks but first need Social Security and bank account numbers first.
Tips to avoid identity theft scams:
• Do not give out bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers over the phone.
• Do not respond to e-mails asking for personal information, even if the e-mails seem legitimate.
• If a caller asks for your personal information, hang up.
