>>> FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, THE NORTHWESTERN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE HAS MAINTAINED A CONSUMER PROTECTION UNIT, GUARDING THE
PEOPLE OF OUR REGION AGAINST FRAUD AND UNSCRUPULOUS
PRACTICES.
RECENTLY, CAROLEE MCGRATH MET WITH JANICE GARRETT, DIRECTOR OF
THE CONSUMER PROTECTION UNIT.
THEY DISCUSSED AN ON-GOING PHONE SCAM BEING USED AGAINST
LOCAL RESIDENTS AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT
YOURSELF IF YOU GET THESE CALLS.
>> THE IRS SCAM IS WHERE YOU GET A CALL AND THEY PRETEND THAT
THEY'RE CALLING FROM THE IRS, THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AND
THEY SAY THAT YOU OWE MONEY FOR TAXES.
AND THAT IF YOU DON'T WIRE MONEY TO THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN,
THEY'RE GOING TO ARREST YOU.
>> I'M GOING TO STOP FOR A SECOND AND WE'RE GOING TO ROLL
THE TAPE OF THAT PHONE CALL THAT YOU MIGHT GET AT HOME.
>> THIS CALL IS OFFICIALLY A FINAL NOTICE FROM THE IRS.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES.
THE REASON FOR THIS CALL IS TO INFORM YOU THAT THE IRS IS
FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU.
TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CASE FILE, PLEASE CALL
IMMEDIATELY TO OUR DEPARTMENT NUMBER.
THANK YOU.
>> SO I ACTUALLY HAVE GOTTEN THIS PHONE CALL BEFORE.
A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY HAS GOTTEN THIS PHONE CALL BEFORE AND SHE
CALLED IN A COMPLETE PANIC THINKING THAT THEY MESSED UP ON
THEIR TAXES AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ARRESTED.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
IT DOES SOUND LEGIT.
>> THEY TRY TO SCARE YOU AND THAT'S HOW THEY'RE EFFECTIVE IS
THEY SCARE YOU, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING THAT YOUR
RELATIVE DID IS THEY CALLED YOU AND THEY WERE TRYING TO VERIFY
THE INFORMATION.
YOU CAN CALL THE IRS DIRECTLY, NOT THE NUMBER THEY GIVE YOU
BUT, YOU KNOW, GO ON THEIR WEBSITE, GO ON YOUR OLD TAXES
AND YOU FIND THE NUMBER AND YOU CAN CALL THEM AND I MEAN, I HAVE
A FRIEND, TOO, WHO DID HER TAXES AND SHE RECEIVED THE CALL AND
SHE WAS ARGUING WITH THEM SAYING I PAID MY TAXES AND THEY SAID,
NO, YOU DIDN'T AND WE ARE GOING TO SEND OVER THE SHERIFF SHORTLY
AND WE'RE GOING TO ARREST YOU IF YOU DON'T GET THIS MONEY WIRED
TO US IMMEDIATELY AND FORTUNATELY FOR HER, HER HUSBAND
WALKED IN AND SAID DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT IN THE NEWS THIS
MORNING?
THIS IS A SCAM.
>> IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING.
>> THEY WANT IT TO BE.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND THIS IS NOT -- THE WIRING SCAM -- THE IRS ONE I SHOULD SAY
IS NOT THE ONLY WIRING SCAM.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER ONES.
>> THERE ARE A MILLION OF THEM AND THERE'S THE GRANDPARENT ONE
WHERE THEY'LL CALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THEY'LL PRETEND
THEY'RE A GRANDCHILD AND THEY NEED MONEY AND DON'T TELL MY
PARENTS AND YOU NEED TO WIRE ME MONEY TO GET ME OUT OF JAIL OR
TROUBLE IMMEDIATELY.
THERE ARE INTERNET ONES WHERE YOU ARE RENTING AN APARTMENT AND
YOU NEED TO WIRE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO SECURE THE APARTMENT.
THERE ARE DATING ONES WHICH CAN BE -- WHERE YOU HAVE A
RELATIONSHIP, THEY'LL TAKE THE TIME TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOU.
>> SOMEBODY IS ALREADY VULNERABLE IN THAT SITUATION AND
THEY WANT TO BELIEVE WHATEVER THIS PERSON IS TELLING THEM.
>> SWEEPSTAKES, YOU KNOW.
WHAT WE WOULD ALL DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS IF WE WON.
AND THEY TELL YOU YOU WON BUT THEY'RE GOING TO -- SOMETIMES,
WHAT THEY'LL DO IS SEND YOU A CASHIER'S CHECK, FAKE ONE THAT
LOOKS REAL, YOU DEPOSIT THAT IN YOUR ACCOUNT, AND THEN THEY TELL
YOU THAT THERE ARE TAXES OR FEES AND YOU TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF
THAT AND YOU HAVE TO WIRE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THOSE FEES.
AND THEN THE CHECK BOUNCES, AND THEN THE MONEY YOU WIRED IS
GONE.
AND YOU HAVE TO PAY THE BANK BACK.
SO THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS.
THE IRS IS THE NEWEST AND VERY EFFECTIVE ONE.
SO I WOULD JUST CAUTION PEOPLE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL AND IF YOU
GET THAT CALL AND YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, YOU CAN CALL OUR
OFFICE AND WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH IT OR YOU CAN CALL THE
IRS.
>> AND YOU BROUGHT UP A FEW CASES.
IF YOU'RE DOING A VACATION RENTAL, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
FOR?
IF YOU'RE PAYING THROUGH PAYPAL OR SOME OTHER SECURE SITE, YOU
SHOULD BE OKAY?
YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE COMPLETELY AFRAID TO USE THEIR
CREDIT CARD ONLINE, ALTHOUGH...
THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO BE.
>> IF YOU USE YOUR CREDIT CARD ACTUALLY THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO
PROTECT YOURSELF BECAUSE THEY HAVE -- YOU CAN DISPUTE A CHARGE
IF IT ENDS UP BEING A FRAUDULENT CHARGE.
THAT DOES PROTECT YOU.
WHEN YOU WIRE MONEY, I ALWAYS USE THE EXAMPLE THAT IT'S LIKE
WALKING UP TO A STRANGER ON THE STREET AND HANDING THEM CASH,
AND THEN WALKING AWAY AND THEN TRYING TO FIND THAT PERSON.
THE MONEY IS GONE.
AND THAT'S WHY MONEY WIRING IS SO EFFECTIVE.
IT'S A GREAT PRODUCT.
I MEAN, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD A DAUGHTER LIVING IN CALIFORNIA,
SHE WIRED MONEY TO HER, SHE WENT TO THE MONEY WIRING COMPANY,
PICKED IT UP, IT WAS FINE.
DON'T WIRE MONEY TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S THE KEY.
YOU DON'T WANT TO MONEY WIRE TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW.
>> IT COULD BE ANYBODY WHO COULD FALL FOR THIS.
>> OF COURSE.
EVERYONE IS A POTENTIAL VICTIM.
>> I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WE SAY THEY'RE GOING TO TARGET THE
ELDERLY SPECIFICALLY BUT IT COULD BE ANYBODY IN ANY
SITUATION.
SO BEST ADVICE THEN, DON'T WIRE MONEY, UNLESS YOU KNOW WHO
YOU'RE WIRING TO.
>> DON'T WIRE MONEY TO SOMEBODY YOU DON'T KNOW.
>> AND VERIFY THAT AND GIVE US YOUR PHONE NUMBER AGAIN JUST IN
CASE ANOTHER SCAM COMES THROUGH?
>> I'M IN THE GREENFIELD OFFICE, 413-512-5902.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU