Aberdeen police warn residents about scams

ABERDEEN — The Aberdeen Township Police Department is advising area residents to be aware of certain types of scams currently being perpetrated in the Monmouth County area and issued a press release that offers tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.

According to Detective Manny Carabel, the most common types of scams being seen are lottery, check, inheritance and overpayment schemes, and to a lesser extent, mortgage scams.

Lottery scams: In this type of fraud, the victim receives notification that they have won a lottery and can claim a substantial amount of money. However, before they can claim the prize, they have to send a "processing fee" in the amount requested by the scammer. Usually, the amount of the lottery winnings is in the millions, and the scammerwants a few thousand dollars to process the claim.

Check scams: In this type of scheme, the victim receives a bogus check in the mail that looks legitimate. An accompanying letter instructs the victim to deposit the check and then wire transfer an amount of money to cover a sweepstake fee, insurance, or some other related expense. Typically, the victim will deposit the check and send the scammer the requested amount back before the bank realizes that the check is bogus and has no funds to clear.

Inheritance scams: In this type of con, the victim receives a letter or an e-mail from someone telling them that they inherited money from an associate of a distant relative. The perpetrators request bank account information so they can "wire" the money to the victim's bank account. Once they have the bank information, the perpetrators drain the accounts.

Overpayment scams: In this type of swindle, the victim posts an ad online or in a newspaper listing an item for sale. The perpetrators offer to buy the item but then send a check for more than the advertised price. The perpetrators claim it was a mistakewhen confronted by the seller and then ask them to deposit the check and send back the difference. Typically, the check is bogus and the victim has now lost the money he or she sent back to the perpetrators.

Mortgage Scams: Usually this involves ads in newspapers, other media or fliers. The scammers use high-pressure sales tactics to convince the victim they want to help obtain a favorable mortgage. They present documents that look legal, and typically follow that with misinformation and lies. In the end, the terms and conditions of the mortgage are very different from those described by the lender during the initial negotiation period.

"Anyone can be the target of a scam," Carabel said in a press release from the police department. "It used to be the elderly or people with shaky credit who were preyed upon the most, but those days are gone. Everyone should be aware and use common sense when handling these types of solicitations." He offers the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of scams and identity theft:

If you didn't buy a lottery ticket or sign up for a lottery, it's more than likely that you didn't win anything. Don't send money to anyone, the police advise.

Also, protect your Social Security number and do not give it out unless requested by a legitimate company or financial institution.

If you receive a phone call from a bank that you do not have accounts with, do not reveal personal information over the phone, the press release states.

Similarly, if you receive an e-mail from a bank or lending company that states your account has been compromised, but you do not have a relationship with them, do not click on the link that says "click here" to verify your information. Even if you have a relationship with the sending financial institution, you may want to contact them first to see if the request is legitimate.

Police also advise people to check their credit reports at least twice a year and verify what should be the correct information. Also, shred important personal and financial documents.

If someone asks for personal information, ask why and what it will be used for. Don't be afraid to hang up the phone and call back to verify the caller.

The Aberdeen Police provides all victims of ID theft with an Identity Theft Victims Reference guide to help them restore credit and take proper action to provide security in the future. To receive a copy, call 732-583- 4200, ext. 206.