The Grand Junction Police Department is alerting the community to a growing number of fraudulent activities targeting innocent individuals. The GJPD wants to raise awareness and provide guidance on how to identify and protect oneself from financial scams that can have devastating consequences.
The Grand Junction Police Department continues to receive reports of victims falling prey to financial scams. These scams take various forms, including phishing emails, fraudulent software updates, identity theft and more. Each year, millions of Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud, losing significant amounts of money. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, working in teams, and creating a sense of urgency, making it crucial for everyone to remain vigilant and informed.
Common Types of Financial Scams
- Tech Support Scams: Scammers pose as technical support representatives from legitimate companies, tricking victims into believing they have a computer issues. These scammers gain remote access to victims’ devices and sensitive information, extorting thousands of dollars.
- Phishing Scams: Scammers often use deceptive emails, messages, or phone calls to trick victims into disclosing personal and financial information.
- Warrant Scams: Scammers claim to be a member of law enforcement or government organization, threatening to arrest or prosecute victims unless they provide money.
- Grandparent Scams: Scammers pose as a relative or someone who is helping the relative, claiming to be in immediate financial need.
To protect yourself from financial scams, consider the following precautions:
- Educate yourself about common scams and end all communication with the perpetrators. Talk to your friends and family and warn them about the various scams.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly.
- Verify the identity of the person or organization contacting you. If it seems fishy, it probably is.
- Be cautious with personal and financial information. Use strong and unique passwords.
- NEVER give or send personally identifiable information, money, gift cards, checks or wire money to unverified people or businesses, even in person. Gift cards should only be purchased as gifts or utilized for their intended purpose when shopping.
- Be careful what you download or open. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know and be wary of email attachments or computer “pop-ups”.
- Be cautious of people at your door claiming to technical support. It’s okay to send them away and verify the person is who they say they are. Call or visit the company yourself before taking a phone number from a person you haven’t verified.
If you believe you’ve fallen victim to a financial scam, it is essential to report it immediately to your banking institution. Citizens who fall victim to any financial scams may report them to https://www.ic3.gov or https://www.ftc.gov.
The Grand Junction Police Department is committed to spreading awareness and offering support to those affected by financial scams. The GJPD will be planning to host a number of public safety presentations, specifically for our area seniors. Those dates and times will be announced at a later date.