There are a number of scams that are happening RIGHT NOW in Denver and the surrounding areas. Please make “how to avoid being scammed or spoofed” part of your Thanksgiving meal. We know, the topic isn’t exciting, but your friends and family will be so THANKFUL that you shared these warnings.
Here are the top scams of the month (November 2019):
XCEL ENERGY SCAM
Xcel Energy customers have recently been victimized by phone scams. Callers claiming to be from Xcel Energy are threatening to turn off electricity or natural gas service if you do not pay immediately. If you pay, the money won’t be going to XCEL. Scammers may even manipulate Caller ID to look like they are calling from Xcel Energy. Click here to read more about the scam.
CHILD IDENTITY THEFT
Child identity theft, when the victim is a minor, occurs when a childs’ identity is used by another person for an impostor’s personal gain. Until the child needs to apply for government benefits, open a bank account or apply for a loan or college financial aid, the crime will likely go undetected.
GIFT CARD SCAMS
Gift cards are a terrific gift, no returns and no wrong sizes. But if you don’t check the packaging when you purchase the card, you may be giving a card to your grandson with exactly ZERO dollars to spend. Why? Scammers are altering gift cards before they are purchased. They cut and paste their gift card number on to the new, un-purchased cards. When a clerk scans the gift card number with the amount you want to load on to that card, the money is actually loaded on to the scammers card.
Then, when your gift recipient tries to use the card, it will show a zero balance and the scammer gets to buy a new pair of shoes on your dime.
The best defense is, before you purchase a gift card, make sure the packaging does not appear to have been tampered with. Take a look at the photos of tampered cards that the Colorado Springs police captured.
Make sure to check the seals and the plastic encasing the card especially around the bar code of the card. If the packaging seems too bulky or ‘feels’ different then other cards on the rack, choose an alternate card.
Courtesy of the Denver District Attorney’s Office