Webster Parish residents are reporting scams to the Sheriff’s Office three to four times a week, Sheriff Jason Parker told attendees at an elder fraud prevention seminar Wednesday, September 23, at The Columns of Germantown.
Parker joined Tracy Campbell of Meriwether Financial for the presentation, which focused on recognizing scams, protecting personal and financial information, and knowing when to seek help. The seminar was held at The Columns on Germantown, an assisted living community in Minden.
Parker said scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, sometimes impersonating members of the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and even making their calls appear to originate from the agency’s telephone number.
In one recent scheme, scammers have been monitoring the Sheriff’s Office online booking information, researching relatives of people who have been arrested, and then contacting those relatives. The scammers tell family members that their loved one can be released with an ankle monitor if a payment is made over the phone.
Parker said the callers can spoof the Sheriff’s Office telephone number, making the call appear legitimate on the recipient’s caller ID.
An audience member who works in banking said the problem is also regularly seen at local banks, with as many as two or three customers a day sometimes coming in while in the process of being scammed.
Campbell and Parker also discussed the recent case of a Webster Parish businessman who lost nearly $500,000 through what appeared to be a legitimate Bitcoin investment opportunity. The operation was professionally presented, and the scammers even returned some money to the victim early in the process to demonstrate that he could supposedly withdraw his funds at any time.
“He’s a smart guy, a business owner, salt of the earth hard working dude, but he got caught up in something,” Campbell said. “These guys, they’ve done this enough that they know what you’re going to say, and they know how to respond to it in a way that’ll keep you hooked.”
“They’re very good at what they do,” Parker added.
Parker said the overseas nature of many scams is one factor that makes identifying and prosecuting those responsible difficult. “The majority of them are not even in our country,”
Campbell and Parker said there are too many types of scams to list, and the methods change continually. Romance scams, however, remain particularly prevalent among older adults.
Unlike schemes that immediately demand money, romance scammers may spend months or even a year developing a relationship with a victim before asking for financial assistance. By that point, they have invested considerable time in building trust.
Victims may also be reluctant to report what happened because of embarrassment or because they do not want to believe that someone they trusted was deceiving them.
Campbell and Parker said two of the most important defenses are skepticism and verification. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and consumers should independently contact the organization or person supposedly reaching out to them.
For example, someone receiving a text message or email claiming a bank account has been frozen should not click a link contained in the message. Instead, the person should contact the bank directly using a known telephone number or visit the bank’s official website.
Anyone who is uncertain about a request for money or information should also talk with a trusted family member, friend, or banking employee before taking action.
Warning signs can include demands for payment through gift cards or prepaid cards, instructions to remain on the telephone while visiting a bank, pressure to act immediately, or requests to keep a transaction secret. Legitimate callers should not object to a customer consulting with a bank manager or another trusted person.
Attendees were also cautioned against providing personal information to callers. If a legitimate organization calls to verify information it already has, the recipient can confirm whether the information is correct rather than providing Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, or other identifying information.
Similar caution should be used when receiving calls seeking donations on behalf of police, fire departments, or other organizations. Those wishing to make a donation should contact the organization directly rather than provide financial information to an unsolicited caller.
For online purchases and gas station transactions, Campbell recommended using a credit card rather than a debit card when possible. Fraudulent credit card charges can generally be disputed without immediately removing money from a checking account, while debit card fraud can leave a victim without access to those funds while the matter is resolved.
Setting up transaction alerts on credit and debit cards can also help consumers quickly recognize unauthorized purchases.
Other precautions discussed included shredding documents containing personal information, taking outgoing mail directly to a post office or secure postal collection box rather than leaving it in a residential mailbox, and regularly reviewing credit reports for signs of identity theft.
Consumers should look for unfamiliar accounts, addresses where they have never lived, and other information they do not recognize. Campbell recommended using AnnualCreditReport.com to obtain reports rather than searching online for a free credit report service, since fraudulent websites can themselves be designed to collect personal information.
Campbell and Parker also cautioned that financial exploitation can sometimes involve relatives or other people close to an older adult. If someone asks a person to sign financial or legal documents while insisting that the paperwork be kept secret from other family members or trusted advisers, they recommend seeking a second opinion before signing anything.
Both Parker and Campbell emphasized that residents who are uncertain about a financial request should seek help rather than trying to determine on their own whether it is legitimate.
Their message throughout the seminar was simple: slow down, verify the information independently, and involve someone trustworthy before sending money or providing personal information.