Scam artists have been targeting a small community in Lancaster and police are warning residents to be aware.
The phone scams are concerning, especially for older people, and also nearly impossible to prosecute. Most of the time the person on the other line, is not in this country.
In the past week, two people have gone to the Manor Township Police saying that someone tried to scam them over the phone. One person was told their son was in an accident and they needed to send money to help him.
The other person, an 80-year-old woman, was told she won $900,000 in a lottery and only had to send $300 to collect the prize money. She told the person on the other line to get a job and quit bothering her. A quick check revealed the call came from Jamaica.
“If it sounds too good to be true, a lot of times it is,” explained Sergeant Carolyn Gundel of Manor Township Police. “There’s no way for us to catch who’s doing it.”
To avoid being a victim, Sgt. Gundel recommends several precautions. Never give any personal information over the phone like your social security or credit card numbers; never wire money, because once it’s gone it’s gone; and ask questions, if it is a scam you will know quickly.
“They are frightening, these older people in their own homes and they’re not even possibly in this country,” Gundel said. “But these people are now fearful that somebody knows where they live and if they don’t pay the money they are going to come after them.”
Sgt. Gundel went on to say a while back one person in Manor Township fell for one of these scams to the tune of $5000.
The phone scams are concerning, especially for older people, and also nearly impossible to prosecute. Most of the time the person on the other line, is not in this country.
In the past week, two people have gone to the Manor Township Police saying that someone tried to scam them over the phone. One person was told their son was in an accident and they needed to send money to help him.
The other person, an 80-year-old woman, was told she won $900,000 in a lottery and only had to send $300 to collect the prize money. She told the person on the other line to get a job and quit bothering her. A quick check revealed the call came from Jamaica.
“If it sounds too good to be true, a lot of times it is,” explained Sergeant Carolyn Gundel of Manor Township Police. “There’s no way for us to catch who’s doing it.”
To avoid being a victim, Sgt. Gundel recommends several precautions. Never give any personal information over the phone like your social security or credit card numbers; never wire money, because once it’s gone it’s gone; and ask questions, if it is a scam you will know quickly.
“They are frightening, these older people in their own homes and they’re not even possibly in this country,” Gundel said. “But these people are now fearful that somebody knows where they live and if they don’t pay the money they are going to come after them.”
Sgt. Gundel went on to say a while back one person in Manor Township fell for one of these scams to the tune of $5000.