Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about someone falling prey to some sort of fraud or scam. Aided by advances in technology and sophistication, scammers and confidence tricksters appear to be in a golden era of crime.
The website for the Office of the Maine Attorney General lists no fewer than 27 separate scams and consumer issues for the public to be aware. Just this month, the FBI issued a warning to property owners and real estate agents in Maine about an increase in reports of quit claim deed fraud, also known as home title theft. This scam involves a fraudulent transfer of property ownership. It’s a problem and it’s everywhere.
For these reasons and others, we are cheered to see the county government taking the issue seriously, with the commissioners committing Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office detectives to two out-of-state training sessions for digital currency and electronic crime. In this battle, every weapon helps.
Make no mistake, the crimes may not be violent, but there are real victims here.
Reading through Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office reports, the pain leaps off the page, disguised as it is in the dry legalese of a police report.
There is a gentlemen who, informed the love interest he is sending money to in a foreign country is not real, continues to send money anyway.
There is the cashier who was convinced over the telephone all the money in the till was counterfeit and needed to be turned over the police.
There is the victim who was convinced to part with $12,000 in cash when she was told a close friend was in a traffic crash and charged with a crime. Thirty minutes after she got home with the money, a man showed up at her door to collect.
The scams are endless but they are all inventive and they all work by exploiting the victim’s human nature. Who doesn’t want to win something? Who doesn’t want to help a friend, or maybe a cut a corner, just a little?
It’s embarrassing to be scammed. It’s embarrassing to lose money and nobody wants to be made a fool. In fact, embarrassment is one reason why law enforcement sources assert whatever the dollar amount is reported lost to scams or frauds, that figure is almost assuredly much, much higher.
Unfortunately, for the moment, it appears the criminal element has the initiative. Until law enforcement catches up, the simplest and best way you can protect yourself is to apply the common sense your mother gave you.
Don’t share personal information over the phone. Your banks and creditors already have all the information they need.
Law enforcement is never to going to call and demand payment for anything and certainly not by gift cards.
If a loved one is supposed to be in custody anywhere in the United States, a phone call to your local police department can verify that within minutes. Make that call.
If it involves sending money to someone, there is rarely a reason for secrecy and even less for urgency. A legitimate business wants people to know it’s doing business, and any pressure to spend money is a sure fire tell of a scam.
Of course, there is always one of the golden rules of life: “If something is good to true, it probably is.”
Protect yourself. Be careful out there.
