MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Troop N wishes to remind the Monroe County area of a current scam impacting the community.
Usually, the scammers will contact you by phone and explain that your loved one, they may even know their name, typically a grandchild, is in trouble or currently in jail.
The scammers will often tell victims not to talk to anyone about the phone call as it will be an embarrassment to the family. They will then tell you that your loved one will be released from jail in exchange for cash.
The scammers will then ask for an address where they can pick up the money and send someone to pick up the cash.
Warrant issued for suspect in Stroudsburg shootingTroopers offer the following tips to help protect you from being a victim of a scam.
- Don’t feel pressured to provide payment for something or to someone, do research into it first, run it by a friend or family member.
- Do not give out sensitive information over the phone such as a social security number or bank account number.
- Never place money in the mailbox for someone to come and pick up.
- Do not give remote access to anyone for any of your devices.
- Never make a payment to someone with gift cards as it’s usually a scam.
- Just because someone says they are from a certain company, doesn’t mean they are.
- If you feel a phone call might be a scam or you are being asked for sensitive information, hang up immediately.
- Scams can happen through e-mails as well so look for misspelled words, and always look at the e-mail address it was sent from, if you don’t recognize it, don’t ’t respond or open any attachments.
PSP says to trust your instincts, if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Be sure to call family members to ensure everyone is fine.
If you or someone you know believes you're a victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement agency to have it investigated.