Plymouth Police Warn Residents Of Ongoing Scams

Press release from the City of Plymouth:

October 22, 2020

Like other area cities, the Plymouth Police Department is warning residents of ongoing scams involving virtual payments, such as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as demands for payment in the form of gift cards.

While these scams are not unique to Plymouth, residents may occasionally fall victim – and extra vigilance could save money and prevent headaches.

Scams Involving Bitcoin/Cryptocurrency and Gift Cards

Bitcoin scams typically begin like any other financial scam – victims receive an unsolicited call or email from someone claiming to be from a government agency or financial institution. The scammer uses fear or makes a threat, such as warning the victims that their identities have been stolen or their accounts are being used illegally. Victims are encouraged to withdraw all of their money from their financial institutions and purchase cryptocurrency to keep it safe. Scammers provide victims with a barcode and direct them to deposit the cryptocurrency into a Bitcoin account at a Bitcoin-specific ATM.

Other scammers con victims into purchasing gift cards to avoid consequences such as deportation, taxes or fines, jail time or financial ruin. Some scammers tell victims that they’ve won a monetary prize, but need to pay the associated fees up front with gift cards.

Tricks Scammers Use to Seem Legitimate

Callers may use federal agency titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use a victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official, or they may claim to be a victim’s grandchild or family member.

Sometimes scammers “spoof” the caller ID to falsely show the origin of the call as that of the Plymouth Police, Hennepin County Sheriff, Internal Revenue Service or other government agencies.

Reminders and Tips to Avoid Scams

Government or law enforcement agencies will never ask anyone to purchase Bitcoin, gift cards, other forms of currency, transfer money, or submit personal or financial information via phone or email.

Residents are reminded to do some research – those who receive a call from someone claiming to be from a government or law enforcement agency should ask for a case number, then hang up and call the agency directly to confirm. Residents who receive calls from a relative requesting money to avoid jail are reminded to call other relatives to verify the story.

Residents should follow these tips:

• Be suspicious of requests or demands for pre-paid gift cards – legitimate businesses and government organizations do not ask for them.
• Never reply to an unsolicited request for personal or financial information, or give out information over the phone without verifying the facts.
• If a call sounds questionable, hang up and call the agency or a relative to verify.
• If the caller claims to be from a government or law enforcement agency, ask for a case number.
• Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages. To report a scam email claiming to be from the IRS or an affiliate, email phishing@irs.gov.
• Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.

For more information about preventing common scams, visit fbi.gov/scams-and-safety.

This press release was produced by the City of Plymouth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.