SCAM ALERT
A concerned resident called Oasis after he was contacted by an individual claiming to work with the City of Newport Beach on the Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program. The individual offered to visit the resident’s home to see if the property qualified for the program. This is the second time that the Police Department has been made aware of an imposter, posing as a representative of this program in an effort to meet with a resident. These individuals are fraudsters and are not employed or affiliated with the City or our partner in SHARP, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. The City does not “cold call” residents and offer home inspections.
If you have any questions about contractor claims or SHARP, please call the OASIS Senior Center at 949-644-3244.
Here are general tips to help you avoid the various scams:
- For calls from alleged utility companies or government agencies: Do not give out any personal information until you have verified the identity of the caller. Ask the caller for their name, department, and business phone number. Confirm that information by calling the organization at a phone number found on the internet or through official correspondence/billing statements. If the caller refuses to provide this information, terminate the call and report the incident to the police immediately.
- For calls from an alleged grandchild, or other family member: Do not fill in the blanks for the caller. Often, they do not know the name of your loved one, but are relying on you to provide that information. Ask callers to identify themselves. (If you do not provide them any information, they will likely hang up.) Also, verify the whereabouts of the alleged caller by contacting other family members - or use a number you already have on file to reach the person they claim to be. Do not use telephone numbers provided by the caller.
- Never give out personal identifying information, such as bank account or credit card account numbers, to anyone you do not know.
- Be wary of anyone attempting to collect a debt by telephone or email.
- Seniors are more susceptible to be victimized in these types of scams, so keep your elderly relatives informed about these incidents.
Don’t forget to share this important information with family members!
