Savvy criminals are getting smarter, as text scams have evolved from easily identifiable to official-looking notices from groups posing as the DMV, IRS, or local government. According to local law enforcement officials, these scams have cost area residents hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Duncan MacDonald, acting lieutenant for the Hartford Patrol Division, told the Standard, “There are an abundance of scams out there today. The main one we are seeing is the ‘official text messages’ from the Vermont DMV alerting people to outstanding unpaid traffic tickets. These scams use official language and supply a link to click on that looks legitimate. My advice to anyone who receives these kinds of messages would be to simply delete them. No government entity will ever request money to be transferred electronically via text.”
Understanding that sometimes people fall for the persuasive language scammer’s text, MacDonald continued, “If you happen to click on these links and wind up losing money, or know someone who has, I highly encourage you to file a police report. It is not embarrassing. Scammers today have gotten incredibly good at conning people out of significant amounts of money, but if you don’t report it, there’s nothing we can do to help prevent this from happening again.”
Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer sat down with the Standard to shine light on some of the different kinds of scams at play in our community. “It’s bigger than just text messages,” Palmer said.
Palmer continued, “There are different degrees of scams that should be broken down for the public. You have the DMV and toll road scams that come in mostly via text message; those should be ignored and deleted. At the next level, we are seeing people in our community getting phone calls where scammers pose as loved ones. For example, a local couple received a call recently from their ‘grandson,’ who lived in a different state. He called late at night, saying that he was arrested and in jail in Canada and needed them to send bail money. These scammers know exactly who to target, and with the internet and social media, they have more than enough information to put on a convincing con. The farthest I’ve seen a scam go is when someone posed as a lawyer, called an elderly person for bail money, and then sent someone to their home to collect. This person ended up giving away $30,000.”
“I need the public to know that law enforcement will never request bail over the phone,” Palmer explained. “It will always be in person and will always require the person paying bail to physically go to a jail or courthouse to make the transaction. If anyone receives a call from an unknown number asking for money, personal information, or gift cards, hang up. Do not dial that number back; scammers can now hijack a person’s real phone number. Instead, call the local police and report the call or ask for further information from a law enforcement officer they trust.”
Another type of scam Palmer spoke of was “the love scam.” This is when a scammer uses a fake online identity to build a romantic relationship with a victim — often utilizing dating sites or social media — and then manipulates the victim into sending money or sharing personal information. “I had a case, at a previous station, where a woman gave away $10,000 to a scammer posing as an injured veteran trying to get back to the States. These people know the right language to use and the right people to target, which is why I urge everyone to be vigilant. You never know who could be on the other end of a phone call, Facebook message, or dating profile.”
Palmer also warned that sometimes scammers could escalate and threaten potential victims if they do not receive payment. “I’ve seen cases where, when a person has refused, scammers will throw out a statement such as, ‘I know where you live,’ which can really scare the victim,” he said. “Honestly, these people probably do know where victims live, given how accessible personal information has become online. But I recommend our residents remain calm, hang up, and call 911. The likelihood of in-person retaliation is extremely low. The sooner you report, the sooner we can begin tracking these scammers down and stopping them.”
Palmer urges local residents to call the Windsor County Sheriff Station at 802-457-5211 if they find themselves in the midst of being scammed. He also recommends people visit the State of Vermont scam webpage in order to stay informed.
