Full Notification

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

Recently your San Mateo Police Department has seen reports of people being victimized by a new trend in phone scams. Typically the callers identify themselves as being “Computer Technicians” or “Remote Computer Specialists” and claim the victim’s home computer is infected with a virus that needs to be repaired immediately to prevent permanent damage to the computer. The callers then ask for payment via credit card to make the necessary repair and in some cases, were then given remote access to the victim’s computer. Some of the victims have paid as much as $1200 via phone only to realize later that they were victims of fraud.

Please don’t let yourself fall victim to these types of criminals! Frauds like this are harmful in two ways: first, to your pocketbook because monies paid via credit card that are later determined to be fraudulent can be difficult to recover, especially when you consider that recovery of the loss may require the credit card company to pay you back and thus, THEY now become the victim and suffer a financial loss. Secondly, allowing anyone not known to you to have real time, remote access to your computer potentially exposes ALL your personal information to that person. REMEMBER, this is not computer assistance initiated by you such as for example, calling the help desk at Microsoft or Apple. This is a scam artist calling you and claiming your computer has a virus. Trust your instincts when you receive any unsolicited, suspicious calls such as this. Ask yourself: does this sound suspicious? If it does, it probably is and you should NEVER give credit card information by phone unless you are absolutely sure of the validity and credibility of the person on the other end of the line. Giving your credit card information by phone to reserve a hotel room is a good example. Being asked to give it to someone by phone to complete a purchase or perform a service THAT YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR will often prove to be fraudulent.


Here is a few great tips from SMPD and the Federal Trade Commission to protect yourself and your money. You can find more at: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams#Signs

It Might Be a Phone Scam When An Unsolicited Caller Tells You:
• “You've been specially selected (for this offer).”
• “You'll get a free bonus if you buy our product.”
• “Your computer (or cell phone) has a virus”
• “You've won one of five valuable prizes.”
• “You've won big money in a foreign lottery.”
• “This investment is low risk and provides a higher return than you can get anywhere else.”
• “You have to make up your mind right away.”
• “You trust me, right?”
• “You don't need to check our company with anyone.”
• “We'll just put the shipping and handling charges on your credit card.”


Questions to Ask Yourself AND The Caller:
• Who’s calling… and why? The law says telemarketers must tell you it’s a sales call, the name of the seller and what they’re selling before they make their pitch. If you don’t hear this information, say “no thanks,” and get off the phone.
• What’s the hurry? Fast talkers who use high pressure tactics could be hiding something. Take your time. Most legitimate businesses will give you time and written information about an offer before asking you to commit to a purchase.
• If it’s free, why are they asking me to pay? Question fees you need to pay to redeem a prize or gift. Free is free. If you have to pay, it's a purchase — not a prize or a gift.
• Why am I “confirming” my account information — or giving it out? Some callers have your billing information before they call you. They’re trying to get you to say “okay” so they can claim you approved a charge.
• What time is it? The law allows telemarketers to call only between 8 am and 9 pm. A seller calling earlier or later is ignoring the law.
• Do I want more calls like this one? If you don’t want a business to call you again, say so and register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. If they call back, they’re breaking the law.

Please stay safe and protect yourself. Continue to report any suspicious activity such as this to SMPD so we can send a message to scammers like this that calling members of our San Mateo community is a waste of their time!!


Our “Eyes And Ears”

SMPD urges anyone in our community to report all suspicious activity to SMPD at (650) 522-7700 or 911 for emergencies. You may also contact the SMPD Secret Witness Line, (650) 522-7676 or report a tip online at http://tinyurl.com/SMPDTips