Crime prevention officer receives 14 reports of phone scams in 1 day
Seniors and caregivers can learn how to avoid scammers and other crooks at the “Don’t Get Hooked” free event hosted by County Supervisor Dianne Jacob and several county departments on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in El Cajon.
Announcement of the meeting came several days before Barbara Wallace, crime prevention specialist at the sheriff’s Ramona substation, reported receiving 14 phone calls on Monday from residents saying they had received several phone calls telling them they were in “serious trouble” with the U.S. Treasury and then giving a phone number for them to call.
“That means that, if 14 people called us, there have to be at least another 14 who might be sitting at home wondering what they did and what they should do to avoid a penalty,” said Wallace in an email.
She encourages people knowing these are scams to think of others living alone at home who may take the calls seriously.
“Those are the people that might call the number left by the caller and feel compelled to send them money in the form of pre-paid cards — and then never tell anyone else what they did for fear of being embarrassed about falling for a scam,” said Wallace.
Among other phone scams noted by the county are calls saying: Your grandson is in jail in Mexico and wants you to discreetly send bail money, or you owe money for unpaid traffic tickets from long ago, or a Medicare representative needs your personal information, or you’ve won the lottery but must pay a fee to collect your prize.
“A lot of crooks see seniors as easy prey and try to rip them off over the phone or through email and snail mail,” said Jacob. “This event will arm our elderly and vulnerable adults with important tips on how to avoid these swindlers.”
Speaking at the event will be victims of scams; Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, an expert on elder abuse and financial crimes; and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Detective Maureen Perkins.
Experts from the county’s Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging & Independence Services, and from the offices of the assessor/recorder/county clerk and treasurer-tax collector will also be available to offer advice and answer questions.
“Don’t Get Hooked” will be held at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 E. Douglas Ave., El Cajon. To attend, call 844-899-1597 or register online by Sept. 17.
For more information, see www.sdcda.org.