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COMMUNITY ALERT
CITY of SAN MATEO POLICE DEPARTMENT
200 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org




Community Awareness Information – Scam Alert

From SMPD Fraud Detective Glen Teixeira – the following information is being forwarded to help the community be more aware about current scams.

Within the past week, SMPD received three reports where an elderly citizen was a victim to a telephone solicitation scam.

In two cases this week, an elderly victim received a call from an unknown male suspect who identified himself as their grandson. These cases involve the suspects taking advantage of the elderly victim by claiming that their grandchildren are in danger. Research through the past year shows a total of about seven cases very similar to this reported to San Mateo PD. A similar incident resulting in a loss of over $10,000 to a defrauded Palo Alto grandparent was recently highlighted in the Palo Alto Daily Post.

In one San Mateo case the suspect disguised his voice by claiming he was sick and said he was arrested for DUI in New York. The suspect explained that he needed money to help pay for his public defender and provided a name and telephone number. The victim called the number provided and spoke to another male suspect who identified himself as the public defender. This suspect requests that the victim send money via Western Union or her grandson will go to jail. The victim sent the money as instructed and it was ultimately picked up in Madrid, Spain.

The telephone number in this case came back to Montreal, Canada and a Google search of the phone number revealed several scam alerts posted on the Internet.

In the second San Mateo case the suspect calls the elderly victim and disguised his voice by crying uncontrollably. The suspect claimed he was her grandson, was arrested in Montreal, and needed money to post bail. The victim was instructed to send the money via Western Union to a person in England and provided a telephone number. This number also came back to Montreal, Canada. The victim followed the instructions and the money was eventually picked up in England.

In the third case, the elderly victim received a call from a female suspect who said she won $500,000.00 in the Government’s random lottery drawing. The suspect explained that in order to collect the money, the victim would have to pay the applicable taxes. The victim was instructed to make payments via Western Union to a person in the Philippines. The victim followed the directions and made a total of eight separate wire transfers to the suspect. The money was picked up in the Philippines and the victim obviously did not collect any winnings. Lottery scams like this are very common and are accomplished both in person and on the phone.

There are a few things to look for when receiving these types of messages:
• If you get a callback number, check the internet to see if there are any scam alerts associated with it.
• If you are requested to send the money to another country consider it fraud every time! As a rule, you should never respond to a telephone call, email, or mail request to send money through a wire service.
• You cannot win a lottery unless you enter it yourself! No one is going to give money away like this…
• Be wary of any solicitors and remember they use these types of tactics to scare you so you won’t think clearly.
Anyone who receives a call like this should assume this is a scam and hang up the telephone. If you do receive a call or emails like this attempt to contact your friend or relative directly first before wiring any money.

If you are the victim of a similar scam, or have received a call that you believe might be one of these scams, please report these crimes to San Mateo PD at 650-522-7700

As always, if you need emergency assistance, please dial 911.


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Please help us make your neighborhood safer and take a stand against crime. Please report all criminal behavior, join a neighborhood watch program, and help anyone that might fall victim to a crime. If a Neighborhood Watch doesn’t exist on your block, you can start one with help from SMPD. For additional information about the City of San Mateo Neighborhood Watch Program, call Sergeant Dave Norris at (650)522-7626 or visit our web www.cityofsanmateo.org