A WARNING - A SCAM

 PHONE SCAM IN THE HILLSBORO AREA

 The Hillsboro Police Department has taken multiple reports of phone scams with various techniques and back stories. These people can be very convincing in their stories and their reason for calling you. The number one thing that should raise a red flag is when someone is asking you for your full social security number, physical address, mailing address, Credit or Debit card numbers, bank account information, or other personal identifying information. The people you may speak with on the phone may be very demanding, threaten to have you arrested, or multiple other negative outcomes if you do not comply with their requests. These requests may include having you send them money or payments through Western Union, Shaw's Money Grams, or the like.

Recent examples of scams to hit the Hillsboro area include:

-Being befriended through social media and having you send them money from a "family member" who will wire it to you, and then you send it to the person you are communicating with. Back stories usually are of such that they lost their credentials and are stuck in a country that will not let them get back to the United States without paying them US currency. While you are not the victim yourself, the "family member" is another victim, who thought they were sending money for the security deposit on an apartment in their area or stories of that nature.

-IRS calling stating that if you do not pay a certain amount of money by the end of the day or a certain time frame, the local Police Department will come and arrest you. The IRS will not call you, they will send you letters. The local PD will not be arresting you.

-Responses to Craigslist ads stating that they would like to send you money for your services or product, however, send you more than the specific amount for your service or product, but then ask you to send a personal check or give them your bank account information to get the overpaid amount back to them, in turn stealing your bank account information.

-Calling you and posing as a family member stating that they have been arrested and need to be bailed out of jail, or they need to pay fines to get their car out of impound. Jails or tow companies do not typically operate through Money Grams or Western Union. The way that they gain the family knowledge is through what is posted on social media and through the internet by you or other family.

Hillsboro Police have taken multiple recent reports of these attempted, and unfortunately completed, scams, costing people in your neighborhoods thousands of dollars! Please help us by spreading the word to the people! If you have family who is not on social media, such as elderly relatives or friends, please tell them about these scams. 

If you feel as though you were a victim or an attempted victim of these scams, please call the police department in your local area and report it.