Fraud Alerts

Larceny Suspects Posing as City Employees Two recent larceny reports have been taken in Raleigh involving suspects posing as employees of the city's Public Utilities Department.  The victims reported that a suspect came to their front doors and said he was doing work related to water lines.  The suspect asked victims to accompany him  to the back yard of the residence to review property line issues, and the victims did so.  In one instance the suspect later went into the victim's home after asking the victim to check his water for a brownish tint.  Both victims later discovered items were missing from the homes. The Public Utilities Department advises that employees who might make contact with the public under similar circumstances wear City uniforms and carry photo ID.  In addition, when planned work is being conducted, letters are sent in advance to property owners.

Overpriced Property Deeds Scam Do not fall for a scheme that charges inflated prices for certified copies of property deeds that are available from local county governments at the Register of Deeds Office.  The cost for a copy of  these deed is usually less than $10.  In many cases, consumers may not need a certified copy of their deed and can instead print a scanned copy from their county's web site for free. The National Deed Service, Inc. of Washington, D.C. sent thousands of letters to North Carolina homeowners offering to provide them a certified copy of their property deed for $59 to $89.  Consumers who have complaints about the National Deed Service, Inc. or similar businesses can file a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or going to www.ncdoj.gov to download a complaint form. 4/08

Advance Fee Loan Scam The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is reminding consumers and financial institutions to be aware of advance fee loan scams.  Advance fee loan scams prey on consumers who may be under financial duress and may be seeking quick and easy loan approval and funding.  The scam typically involves the lender making false promises to arrange for a loan in return for fees paid upfront by the loan applicant.  Scam artists may even design Web sites and online loan applications giving the appearance that the company is legitimate. The loan applicant may be told that the fees will be used to pay a third party for loan insurance or application processing, or to make the first month's loan payment.  The loan applicant is told that the loan is "guaranteed" once he/she sends the payment. Loan fees are normally paid directly to a business after the loan has been approved. 4/08

Con Artists Isolate Older Victims There have been 2 cases in the state where overseas con artists isolated their older victims by switching the victims' phone numbers to unlisted numbers which only the scammers know.  It is common for scammers to isolate elderly victims from their families, friends, religious communities and other support networks using psychological ploys.  Often this is done by warning the victims to keep information about the transactions secret for security purposes or to keep family members from meddling in the transactions and causing them to fail.  In these new instances, the scammers make it so that only they can communicate with the victim by phone. At this point, it is not entirely clear how the scammers managed to get the phone numbers switched.  The Task Force member states that during the course of the scams, which were phony foreign sweepstakes, the con artists obtained Social Security numbers and other personal identification numbers from their victims.  Then they contacted the local phone company impersonating the victims and requested that the number be changed.  Once the scammers were the sole possessors of the victims phone numbers, they attempted to obtain even larger sums from them. 4/2/08

Robo Call Scam Attorney General Roy Cooper warned of a rash of pre-recorded phone calls into the state by suspected identity thieves.  Overseas telemarketers use better rate credit card offers to steal your personal information. More than 300 North Carolinians have reported these calls to Attorney General Cooper's office in the past year.  The calls are prerecorded telemarketing calls from outfits with generic sounding names like "account services," "customer accounts" or "card services." These robo calls tell consumers that they qualify for better rates on their credit cards and ask them to dial a one-digit number to be connected with a representative.  People who respond get a sales pitch and are asked to share their credit card number and other personal financial information.  The telemarketers have no intention of giving consumers better interest rates on their cards and instead use the information to commit identity theft and run up unwanted charges. People can go to www.noscamnc.gov for an ID theft victim tool kit and other helpful resources.  To report getting one of these calls, call 1-877-N0-SCAM toll-free within North Carolina.  3/08

Investment Alert Alert - Story aired on The Today Show about investment frauds aimed at senior citizens, "Beware of "free" seminars and other retirement scams" The show warns of over-hyped investment opportunities and offers tips on identifying the warning signs of possible fraud, including: Ignore the hype - Be suspicious of any sales pitch that promises unrealistic returns - a common pitch salespeople use when they hear that a company is making early-retirement offers. Be skeptical of "free lunch" seminars - Salespeople often make their initial contact with seniors in "free lunch" seminars.  But in a sweep of these types of seminars, the Securities and Exchange Commission found unethical business practices in nearly half.  Don't trust a salesperson just because he or she has a professional designation that focuses on seniors.  Such credentials sometimes require little more than paying a fee and passing an easy take-home test. Ask about surrender charges and guarantees - Before buying an annuity, ask specifically about surrender charges and how much money you can withdraw each year.  Many deferred annuities levy a surrender charge if you try to withdraw your money within the first seven to ten years.  Also ask about interest guarantees.  Some annuities offer a bonus in the first year, after which the minimum guarantee drops to 2% or 3%.  Ask for a written summary of everything you discuss with the salesperson. The North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State Securities Division urges every investor to call their office at 1-800-688-4507 to check the registration status of his or her broker or investment advisor, as well as the registration status of the securities that are being offered, before writing a check or transferring assets to anyone.  For more information on how to protect yourself see their website at http://www.sosnc.com  3/08

Benefits Check Up An advertising flyer circulating falsely implies an affiliation between the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and an organization called "The Benefits Checkup Group".  The flyer advertises new changes in Medicare benefits and provides a phone number to call. The Benefits Checkup Group is not related in any way to either NCOA or to BenefitsCheckUp a trademarked web-based service maintained by NCOA.  The NCOA and the BenefitsCheckUp name is unauthorized. The phone number on the flyer appears to have been disconnected.  The fear is that whoever developed this flyer will try again to use this implied endorsement to reach vulnerable elders.  This matter is being investigated by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance and Attorney General's office. If you have any information on who may be behind this, please e-mail Stuart Spector, Senior Vice President, National Council on Aging at Stuart.Spector@ncoa.org

IRS Scams The Internal Revenue Service warns of a series of scams targeting taxpayers.  One involves the proposed tax rebate that is being debated in Congress as part of an economic stimulus package.  Be ware of several current e-mail and telephone scams that use the IRS name as a lure.  The IRS expects such scams to continue through the end of tax return filing season and beyond. The IRS cautions taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams involving proposed advance payment checks.  A scam which uses the proposed rebates as bait has already cropped up. The goal of the scams is to trick people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, which the scammers can use to commit identity theft. Most recent scams: Rebate Phone Call - At least one scheme using the word "rebate" as part of the lure has been identified.  The consumers receive a phone call from someone identifying himself as an IRS employee.  The caller tells the targeted victim that he is eligible for a sizable rebate for filing his taxes early.  The caller then states that he needs the target's bank account information for the direct deposit of the rebate.  If the target refuses, he is told that he cannot receive the rebate.  The IRS does not force taxpayers to use direct deposit and does not gather the information by telephone. Refund e-mail - The IRS has seen several variations of a refund-related bogus e-mail which falsely claims to come form the IRS, tells the recipient that he or she is eligible for a tax refund for a specific amount, and instructs the recipient to click on a link in the email to access a refund claim form.  The form asks the recipient to enter personal information that the scamers can then use to access the e-mail recipient's bank or credit card account.  All IRS.gov web page addresses begin with http://www.irs.gov/ Paper Check Phone Call - In a current telephone scam, a caller claims to be an IRS employee who is calling because the IRS sent a check to the individual being called.  The caller states that because the check has not been cashed, the IRS wants to verify the individual's bank account number.  The caller may have a foreign accent. The IRS leaves it entirely up to the individual to choose to cash or not cash a paper check.  The IRS has does not need to know and does not ask for bank account or similar information, except when taxpayers indicate on their tax return that they are opting for the direct electronic deposit of their refund.  The IRS does not contact taxpayers to verify the information. What to Do - Anyone wishing to access the IRS Web site should initiate contact by typing the IRS.gov address into their Internet address window, rather than clicking on a link in an e-mail or opening an attachment. Those who have received a questionable e-mail or telephone call that claims to come from the IRS may forward or put the details in an email to a mailbox the IRS has established to receive such e-mails, phishing@irs.gov, using the instructions contained in an article titled "How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious e-mails or phishing schemes."  Following the instructions will help the IRS track the suspicious e-mail to its origins and shut down the scam. For additional information, please contact Maryanne Dailey, co-chair of the North Carolina Senior Consumer Fraud Task Force at 704-927-8625. 2/2008

Computer Based Scam The purpose of the scam is to obtain cardholder information including card number, expiration date, and PINs on debit and credit cards obviously to gain access to accounts in order to steal people's money. These scams are computer-based, and numbers are electronically dialed at random.  Calls were received by both customers and non-customers, but in all cases, an automated recording advised whoever took the call to contact (North Carolina bank's) Security Department at a telephone number also provided, as their card had been "suspended".  When customers call back, they were walked through an automated system that first said the caller had reached the Security Department and proceeded to prompt the customer to enter card number, expiration date and PIN in order to "activate fraud protection on their account. 1/2008

Need for Money Scam In January a man knocked on an elderly man's door and gave him a sad story about having a desperate need for money.  He asked for a loan.  Apparently the man must have been very convincing and tugged at the older man's heartstrings because he gave him $50.  At some later point the man returned with a $100 bill "to repay the loan."  The elderly man did not have change, only 3 $20 bills.  The "borrower" told him he had a friend down the street who could change the $20, and he would go get the change and come right back.  He managed to take the 3 $20's without giving up his $100 bill.  He never came back.  1/2008

Recycle Your Medical Equipment

Want to do a good deed?   Pass along your unneeded medical equipment to Charlotte's Recycled Equipment Assistance Program.  The Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation program, known as REAP, takes in items such as walkers, wheelchairs and canes and donates them to seniors in need. This year, the local Sunrise Assisted Living Communities are coordinating the drive.  You can drop off any medical equipment that is in working condition to one of their three locations:    Sunrise at Eastover, 3610 Randolph Road; Sunrise on Providence, 5114 Providence Road; or Sunrise of South Charlotte, 5515 Rea Road. REAP cannot, however, recycle any equipment that has been custom-fitted, electrical equipment, or any item that cannot be sanitized. For more information call 704-366-2550.  [Back to Top]

Go Direct

Go Direct is a national campaign sponsored by the United States Treasury to have senior citizens and others who receive Social Security to have their checks direct deposited.  Direct deposit is safer and easier and can help protect from identity theft and fraud.  The U.S. Treasury issues more than 12 million paper federal benefit checks each month, including Social Security.  If all these were converted to direct deposit about $120 million would be saved. Sign up today at 1-800-333-1795 or online at www.godirect.org [Back to Top]

Love Inc Adopt An Elder Program

Love Inc. has been working for two years to make the Adopt An Elder Program a reality.   Thanks to a United Way Older Adult Wellness Focus Grant, the program is now a reality. Love Inc. will help your church recruit team members and will provide training and guidance for 6-12 individuals (per team) to assist an individual who needs help to remain independent.  The things they need help with are not difficult, but there may be several different types of needs and that might be more help than one or two individuals can handle alone. You can also serve even if your church does not have a team.  There will be teams staffed by members of several different churches. For more information or to start a team contact Debbie Garrison, Adopt An Elder Coordinator at 704-536-5588. [Back to Top]

Identity Theft

If you become a victim of identity theft, there are ways to recover your good credit rating.  First, report the identity theft to Social Security's Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.   Then, report it to the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Hotline, 1-877-IDTHEFT.  You also should contact the three major credit bureaus, tell them you're an identity theft victim and ask them to place a fraud alert on your records.  The Credit bureaus are: Equifax:  1-800-525-6285 or http://www.equifax.com Trans Union:  1-800-680-7289 or http://www.tuc.com Experian:  1-888-397-3742 or http://www.experian.com Also, write your creditors and ask them to contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or changing existing accounts or credit limits.  For more information on identity theft, visit our identity theft page.  http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm    Protect Your Number and Records Keep your Social Security number and card in a safe place. If a business or other enterprise asks you for your Social Security number, you can refuse to give it to them.  However, that may mean doing without the purchase or service for which your number was requested.  For example, utility companies and other services ask for your Social Security number, but do not need it; they can do a credit check or identify their customers by alternative means. Giving your number is voluntary even when you are asked for the number directly.  If requested, you should ask: why your number is needed; how your number will be used; what happens if you refuse; and what law requires you to give your number. The answers to these questions can help you decide if you want to give your Social Security number.  The decision is yours. [Back to Top]

2007 Flu Shot Clinics

Mecklenburg County Health Department Flu Clinic Hot Line is 704-336-4667. Medicaid and Medicare Part B - Free, bring your insurance card. Flu $25  Pneumonia $35 To schedule an appointment for a shot call 704-336-6500 at 2845 Beatties Ford Road or 249 Billingsley Road. [Back to Top]

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

A nationwide volunteer program that invites adults 55 and over to use their life experience and skills to answer the call of their neighbors in need.  Volunteers give anywhere from 4 to 40 hours per week and enjoy working with others to solve serious problems in their community. Some of the volunteer opportunities available: -  Providing nutritious meals to seniors The Senior Nutrition Program serves and delivers nutritious meals to seniors at and around Mecklenburg County.  While working at a site, volunteers assist in serving meals, overseeing sign-in and keeping records.  Volunteers having their own transportation deliver meals to home-bound seniors, who also welcome the personal visits. - Telephone reassurance Provides a sense of caring, reassurance and support to seniors, giving them a sense of security knowing that someone will check on their safety and well-being each day.  Volunteers are trained to call on a regular basis those people who live alone and feel isolated from the community due to age, health problems and other challenges. - Hospital Volunteers Area hospitals offer many opportunities to help provide services to patients and their families.  Hospital volunteers can work in reception, admitting, gift shop, patient services and many other locations. - Welcome visitors to the Charlotte region The Charlotte Douglas International Airport Volunteer program offers citizens an exciting opportunity to help airport visitors during their time at the airport.  The volunteers, known as the Charlotte Pit Crew, in reference to the region's affiliation with racing, are mobilized throughout the terminal.  They welcome customers to the Charlotte Region and are the first resource for information and directions. - Law enforcement and public safety At the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department volunteers are assigned to various departments to provide clerical and or administrative assistance. - Education, history and involvement in the visual arts The Levine Museum of the New South, The Charlotte Museum of History and Discovery Place use RSVP volunteers, who lead tours for adults or children as docents or guides; act as greeters, giving out audio tours; work in the gift shop; assist with clerical work including data entry. - Thompson Child and Family Focus Volunteer opportunities include facilities projects, special donations, support projects, classroom volunteers, front desk volunteers, social event assistants, tutors/mentors, cosmetology services, office assistance and special events. - Legal Assistance The Mecklenburg County Courthouse and The Self Serve Center uses volunteers in a variety of ways.  Volunteers learn the inner workings of the courts and how to assist others.  Volunteers assist and direct patrons in person and by phone to provide necessary forms and instructions to clients, help in preparation of clinics or other special projects and support the Trial Court Administrator's Office.  Volunteers also work as greeters in the information desks, giving out directions and court information to visitors to the courthouse.  Free parking is provided. RSVP provides volunteers for over 50 non-profit organizations.  RSVP volunteers use their experience to tutor and mentor children, counsel small businesses, assist at health clinics and hospitals, and distribute food to homeless or volunteer at a variety of one-time community events. If you have any questions or would like more information about volunteering with RSVP, call Courtney White at 704-522-6222. [Back to Top]