By Nancy Bowman
Scams are nothing new, but they have increased considerably the last few years. Everyone is a target, but the elderly are among the favorites of scammers.
Two local organizations – the Tipp City Foundation and Minster Bank - have joined efforts to present an educational program on scams.
The free seminar, Become a Pro at Not Getting Conned, by scammers is open to the community. It will be held 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 15 at the Tipp Center.
RSVPs should be made by June 8, at Minster Bank at 1-866-646-7837 or minsterbank.com/RSVP.
The presenter will be Sylvia Pla-Raith, director of the elder justice unit for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
“The volume of scams has increased heavily over the past few years. With technological advances, we always see increased nefarious uses for that,” said Detective Sgt. Tony Smith of the Tipp City Police Department. He and Detective Michael Morgan listed the following most common scams:
- Calling an elderly person and telling them that their grandchild is in jail. The scammers start by telling the grandparent the child does not want their parents to know to hopefully prevent them to reaching out to someone who might recognize the scam. The caller says money is needed for the grandchild to bond out of jail and often asks for upwards of $20,000 to post bond.
- A caller will state that the victim’s computer or phone has been contaminated by a virus or has been identified as containing child pornography. In order to avoid prosecution or to release control of the device, they need to send money.
- A victim will receive a call from someone identifying as an officer within the IRS or the Tipp City Police Department. The caller will tell them that they have a warrant for their arrest, and they need to send money immediately in order to cancel the warrant. To be clear, neither the IRS or the Tipp City Police Department will ever call and ask for money over the phone, the detectives said.
- Another increasingly popular scam is targeting teenagers, Smith and Morgan said. The scammer will meet the teen on a social media platform and develop a relationship. Over time, they will send nude photos and ask the teen to send some back
Once they receive nude photos of the victim, they then demand money, or they will send the photos to their family and friends. The scammer will then, much like the others, demand money be sent through electronic means or gift cards.
“Getting snapped in the trap of scammers is an increasing problem for people. It's not a big city problem, it's an everywhere problem. The confidence of criminals grows with every technological advancement,” said Heather Bailey of the Tipp City Foundation.
"These scammers are smart, so people need better tools to stay ahead of the bad guys. This seminar is a way to help our citizens hang onto their savings,” she said.
Although the foundation typically funds the work of nonprofits delivering projects to the community, the seminar presented a different type of opportunity,” Bailey said.
The invitation by Minster Bank to jointly present the consumer affairs seminar was attractive, she said. “Our co-sponsorship is also personal for several on our board. Many of us know someone who has fallen into the trap of a scammer, and we stood by helplessly as it happened,” Bailey said.