GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The Gaston County Police Department is warning its residents of a scam that's circulating the area.
According to police, one of its residents was recently scammed out of $5,000 after falling victim to this scam.
Police said the scammer called the resident and told the victim that a relative had been involved in a car wreck, was in jail and needed $5,000 for bail money. Police then said the scammer provided the victim with a PIN and instructed the victim to go to a PNC Bank and deposit the money into the ATM. The victim did as she was instructed and sent the money, police said.
After sending the money, the scammer called the victim again. This time, the scammer told the victim that the same relative had committed another offense and needed more money.
After this second call, the victim became concerned that this may be a scam and contacted the relative directly. She learned that everything was fine with the relative, that no arrest occurred with the relative, and that she had been scammed.
Below are some variations of this scam:
- A relative has been kidnapped
- A relative has been in a serious accident and needs money for medical bills
- A relative has a mechanical problem with a car and needs money
- Any situation where an unknown third party is calling on behalf of a family member and asking for money should immediately set off red flags that this could be a scam.
DO NOT SEND MONEY
- Resist the pressure to send money right away
- Call the relative directly or contact other family members to help research if the claim is valid
Tip to avoid becoming a victim of a scam
- Emotional appeal - Any pitch that ratchets up your emotion will inhibit your rational judgment.
- Sense of urgency - You MUST act now, or else.
- Request for unorthodox payment - Gift cards, prepaid credit cards, wire transfers, etc.
- Explanations that don't ring true - If your new “landlord” can’t show you the inside of the house, that could be because they don’t own it.
- You won, now pay up - It’s not a prize if you have to pay for it. Taxes, fees, shipping, whatever.
- Too good to be true - That’s because it’s not true. Sorry, your long-lost relative didn’t die, leaving you millions. That car you bought online for a third of its Kelly Blue Book value doesn’t really exist. The son of a billionaire diamond broker didn’t “swipe right” on you and fall instantly in love. That work-at-home job paying you hundreds of dollars an hour for stuffing envelopes isn’t real.
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