Police Warn of Scam Targeting Seniors

One thing about scam artists is that they are always coming up with new ways to deceive people and steal money.

The Naperville Police Department is warning residents about a fraud scheme that has been used to scam some local residents.

In the last month, police said that two Naperville residents were led to believe that a family member was in legal trouble and needed money wired to them, according to a news release from Naperville Police Sgt. Gregg Bell. The people who sent the money in response to the request were both elderly.

The people who commit the fraud are able to glean information during the phone calls and use the information, which is provided to them by the victims, to gain the victim's trust and lead them to believe it is someone they know who needs help, Bell said in the release. 

Both of the people involved in the most recent scam said they thought that they were talking with relatives or only someone who would know specific information related to the relative, Bell said. 

The  offers a number of tips to avoid fraudulent schemes:

• Never wire or otherwise send money anywhere unless you are absolutely sure who you are sending it to.
•  Be leery of people who make statements where it requires the caller provide information, such as, “grandma it’s me” and the person called responds with a name.
•  Use contact numbers you have to call back the person claiming to be a relative or friend.
•  Check with other relatives first before committing to any sort of assistance.
•  If you don’t have relatives or friends to contact, call the police.

For additional information on scams contact the Naperville Police Department or visit http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/moneytransfer/ or http://www.illinois.gov.