Scam Calls Fox 13 Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes happiness and excitement, but it’s also the time of year people get scammed the most.
The BBB of the MidSouth said they’ve already had hundreds of people calling them trying to verify unsolicited phone calls.
These scammers are posing to work for local charities, taking donations for organizations like the fire and police departments.
It’s early November, and already this month, the BBB of the Mid-South said they’ve received 12 reports of phony charities trying to get your money.
“Calling up someone and asking for money is a sure sign something isn’t right,” Jeffery Douglas said.
Douglas has received his fair share of scam calls.
Most recently, he said he was targeted by someone who said they were raising money for injured police officers.
“If someone isn’t really aware of what is going on, that could seem legitimate because he quickly said he was someone with the national police and troopers’ association,” Douglas said.
Douglas reported the scam to the BBB.
Daniel Irwin with the BBB of the Mid-South said fake charity and online scams are on the rise.
Already this month, Irwin said they’ve seen a 30 percent increase in reports of online shopping scams. He said the national supply chain shortage and labor shortages are making matters worse.
“There’s just not a lot of inventory, so people are having to online shop more than ever, and scammers know that. So, they are prepared to take your money,” he said.
Irwin reminds you to make sure a website is legitimate before putting in your info to buy something.
He also said scammers will try to take advantage of people’s generosity during the holiday season. If you get a call asking you to donate to a charity, do your research before handing over cash.
“If someone claims they are with a specific charity, take time to learn their number, research it and give us a call,” Irwin said. “You can also look up the charity and call them directly.”
As for Douglas, he has a message for whoever is scamming people out of their hard-earned money.
“Eventually, you’re going to get busted,” he said. “You could spend some federal time.”
If you want to donate to local law enforcement, you can call the Memphis Police Association for a list of every legitimate law enforcement charity available.
You can also always call the BBB of the Mid-South to help you determine if something is a scam.
Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for you Comment. Please visit my website JGDouglas.net