SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — Editor's Note: The video above is from May 2021 on a related topic.
Police in Southington is warning residents of scammers who are claiming to be from businesses or organizations known to victims.
The warning comes days after police received multiple fraud complaints from residents, who said they received calls from alleged representatives from Amazon and other businesses. They were allegedly seeking personal information, bank account information, and remote computer access.
“To help prevent these types of crimes, Southington police want to remind citizens to be vigilant and protect yourself from scams,” the department said in a statement Thursday.
Police offered some tips to avoid becoming a victim.
Know the signs of a scam
- Scammers pretend to be from an organization you may know
- Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately
- Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way
Classic warning signs for fraud or scams
- Calling or emailing you, claiming to be from the government or business, and asking you to pay money
- Asking you to wire money, send money by courier or to put money on a prepaid card and send it to them
- Asking for access to your ATM cards, bank accounts, credit cards, or investment accounts
- Asking you to pay upfront to receive a prize or gift
Protect yourself from fraud and scams
- Do not share account numbers or passwords to bank accounts, credit cards, or social security
- Watch out for deals that are only good today, and that pressure you to act quickly
- If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Never pay for a promised gift.
Additional tips to avoid a scam
- Block unwanted calls or text messages
- Never pay someone who insists you pay with a gift card or money transfer service
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