BOULDER CITY – The Boulder City Police Department (BCPD) warns residents that there are several elaborate cons that continue to impact people in our community. Often, police don’t find out until it’s too late. The latest: someone claiming to be with the bank's fraud department called a resident and obtained login information, then transferred more than $6,000 from the victim’s account to a different account.
“The victim said the phone number matched the bank's customer service phone number, so it seemed valid,” said Boulder City Police Chief Tim Shea. “These con artists use spoofing technology to make a call appear to be from a legitimate source. The victim said the bank couldn't stop the fraudulent wire transfer, leaving the victim with little recourse.”
Other scams commonly reported include calls from a “utility company” claiming it will shut off power without immediate payment, as well as claiming to be police threatening an arrest if they don’t buy gift cards to pay bail. Neither Boulder City Utilities Department nor the Police Department call residents and request bank account information or gift cards for payment. These are not new scams, but they are making rounds in Boulder City again.
These scammers often prey on the elderly. Be sure you share this information with family, friends and neighbors who could be victims of such scams. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has up-to-date information on the latest rip-offs at www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/about-fraud-watch-network/.
If you receive a call asking for money, do not provide any personal information. “Hang up on the caller immediately, as these thieves will try to keep you on the phone in an effort to convince you to get gift cards,” said Chief Shea. “You can report it using the Boulder City Police Department online reporting form. Unfortunately, finding these thieves can be difficult, especially as many are committing the crime from outside the U.S.”
To file a report with Boulder City Police Department:
http://bcnv.org/FormCenter/Contact-Forms-3/Police-Department-65.
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