Scams hit County hard; residents should be aware

By Becky Uehling

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

Scams are a big business now days for criminals looking to swindle unsuspecting, good natured people of all ages and in all locations. Perkins County is not immune. And, in fact, according to Perkins County Sheriff Jim Brueggeman, scams have hit the county hard.  

“We get two or three people up at the Sheriff’s Office a week who have, or almost have, fallen victim to a scam,” Brueggeman said. 

One recent report was from a woman who had boxed up $15,000 and was ready to send it.

“She became involved in what is called a grandparent scam,” he said. “It is just one of the types of scams out there.”

There are several types and variations of online and phone scams. The grandparent, or grandkid, scam sees the scammer call an elderly person claiming to be the victim’s grandchild or someone who knows the victim’s grandchild, and claiming that the grandchild is in trouble in some way and needs financial assistance. 

The caller usually makes the victim swear to keep the request secret from family members to protect the “grandchild”. The scammer then asks for the victim to send money, or sometimes gift cards, to help the grandchild in whatever situation the scammer has made up. 

According to information from the Federal Trade Commission, scammers are experts at what they do, and are good at pretending to be someone they’re not. 

According to a the FTC, scammers use information from social media sites, or hack into email accounts to gather information about a person to make their scam more convincing. 

“They will pressure you to send  money before you have time to think,” according to the FTC. 

Besides the grandkid scam, there are several other variations to phone or online scams including: dating scams, gift card scams; imposter scams; debt relief and credit repair scams; business and investment scams; charity scams; extended car warranties; “free” trials; loan scams; prize and lottery scams; travel scams; and timeshare scams.

According to the FTC, in 2022:

• Impersonator scams were the most-reported scam, with reported losses of $2.6 billion. Investment scams were also huge, with reported losses of $3.8 billion. 

• If people paid a scammer, the biggest reported losses were through bank transfers ($1.5 billion reported lost to scams) and cryptocurrency ($1.4 billion reported lost).

• When the scam started on social media, people reported losing the most money overall to scammers ($1.2 billion). But when the scammer called, the per-person loss was the highest ($1,400 median loss).

• Younger adults (ages 20-29) reported losing money more often than older adults (ages 70-79). But when older adults did lose money, they lost more than anyone else.

Brueggeman said the loss of money to scammers over the years in Perkins County has been substantial. He said the biggest individual loss in the county to a scammer was more than  $250,000, with many averaging between $1,000 to $20,000. 

How to Avoid a Scam

Brueggman said the best way to avoid a scam is to tell someone about the situation before following through with it. 

“Call us, or call your bank to get a second opinion,” he said. 

The FTC also gave the folowing tips to avoid a scam:

Four Signs That It’s a Scam

1. Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know.

Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government or a family member. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations.

They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.

2. Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize.

They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer.

Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.

Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.

3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately.

Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.

They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.

4. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.

They often insist that you pay by using cryptocurrency, by wiring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back.

Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), then tell you to deposit it and send them money.

How To Avoid a Scam

Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.

Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.

If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.

Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.

Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists you pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.

Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.

Report Scams to the Sheriff’s Office and to the FTC

If you were scammed or think you saw a scam, call the Perkisn County Sheriff’s Office at 308-352-7501 and tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

For more information, or to order free information on how to recognize and avoid scams, go to ftc.gov/PassItOn