July 26th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
The Cumberland Police Department would like to remind the public to be on their guard against financial scams.
Recently, our agency has received several reports of attempted and successful scams in our area. These incidents usually start by a citizen being contacted by a person representing a government official who state that there is a problem and demands that the person send them money to correct the problem.
Some common scams taking place are fake tax officials demanding money for a tax law violation, fake lottery officials stating you have won an award; however, you must pay taxes prior to receiving it, and fake police officers or bail bondsman stating a family member has been arrested and they need bail money to be released. Please be wary of any suspicious communications. If you are contacted by someone requesting money take time to think through the situation to see if it makes sense. Discuss the situation with trusted friends and family before you conduct any transactions.
One thing most scams have in common is that the payments are requested to me made in unorthodox manners, often to prevent them from being traced such as sending them via Fed Ex or Western Union. If the callers are requesting payments be made to an address that does not sound official and want cash, money orders, or bank account information, this should trigger a red flag that the transaction may be a fraud.
The Cumberland Police asks that if you are unexpectedly contacted by someone demanding money to take time and consider the situation. If it is suspicious, take time to discuss it with trusted friends and family. Conduct research into the validity of the request before you make any decisions to send money. You may always contact the Cumberland Police Department at 301-777-1600 to discuss a suspicious matter before making any decisions.
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