The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Division, is investigating two separate cases involving fraud.
The victims in these frauds suffered a loss of a large sum of money, according to a news release from the KCSO.
One of the scams is classified as:
Grandparent Scam
In this scam, a call or email is made to the grandparent posing as law enforcement or medical professionals claiming to represent a family member in distress (overdue rent, payment for car repairs, etc.). They might also pose as the grandchild directly asking the grandparent to guess who is calling. Scammers ask for money to be wired to pay for medical bills or legal fees.
A new twist to this scam is for the scammers to appear in person to collect the money requested. Scammers are also using artificial intelligent to disguise their voices to sound like the victim’s love one.
A law enforcement recommendation is to contact your loved one before giving any sum of money to an unknown person, company, agency or organization.
eCommerce Scam
The second scam was an eCommerce scam impersonating Amazon by phone. The scammer indicated an issue with the victim’s account and stated personnel from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would be in contact. Pictures were sent to the victim of an individual’s ID and badge, indicating they worked for the DEA and FTC. One individual met the victim locally and took possession of the money.
eCommerce scams encompass any type of fraud that takes place on, targets or impersonates an eCommerce site or platform. Brand impersonation is the name given to situations where someone pretends to be a trusted brand or company to trick consumers into disclosing personal information, including their bank account details. Brand impersonation can happen online, over the phone, by email or even by postal mail. Therefore, it’s important to remember that just because you’re an eCommerce brand, it doesn’t mean all fraud attacks happen virtually, the release states.
KCSO warns its citizen to be aware of these scams and educate yourself to avoid becoming a victim. Always check with your bank first or contact your local law enforcement if something seems suspicious. The more we know, the harder it is for these scammers to take advantage of you.
If you’ve had anything suspicious like this happen to you, contact the KCSO at 574-267-5667.
