Z107.7 has received a number of telephone calls over the last week from local people who have been scammed out of money via calls or email, and we’ve seen an increase in police reports about scams as well. Though our information comes from residents of the Morongo Basin, scammers are targeting people all over the country, with a focus on senior citizens.
One popular scam involves a stranger on the phone seeming to be in distress, vaguely claiming to be a grandchild or relative, and asking the victim for money to pay for bail, a hospital bill, or a kidnapper’s ransom. The scammers may say they have been injured, perhaps suffering from a broken nose or concussion, to account for the unfamiliarity of their voice and to confuse the victim. Other types of calls may ask for a transfer of U.S. currency in exchange for bitcoin, or vise versa.
Another type of call we’ve seen reported describe a type of blackmail, in which a scammer says they will release compromising photographs or conversation records of the victim unless a certain amount of money is paid. Z107.7 reminds you to never transfer money to a strange financial account, whether it be a physical bank, Paypal, Venmo, or something else. If somebody is asking you for money, consult a family member or friend before making any transaction – many transactions are irreversible, and scammers will put pressure on you to act urgently. It is always better to wait and investigate the request than to immediately send money without doing due diligence.
