Beware of scams targeting senior citizens.
Northeast Victim Service is warning of the following scams against senior citizens.
In the fake lottery scam, seniors are contacted by phone or email and told they’ve won the lottery and need only to pay an “advance fee” or pre-pay the taxes before receiving their winnings.
In the child/grandchild scam, a parent or grandparent is contacted by people identifying themselves as law enforcement. The individual says a son/daughter or grandson/granddaughter was involved in an out-of-state accident and was at fault. To post bail or resolve the legal issues, the parent or grandparent is told to buy gift cards at the store and provide the scratched-off numbers to the scammer over the phone.
In the IRS phone scam, people call identifying themselves as an IRS representative. Seniors are told they owe the IRS money from previous tax returns and advised to provide credit or debit card information over the phone to pay off the debt.
To file a report on a scam, call the following local police districts: 2nd (215–686–8020), 7th (215–686–3070), 8th (215–686–3080) or 15th (215–686–3150).
For safety tips, questions or help with filing a victims compensation claim, visit Northeast Victim Service at 8014 Castor Ave., call 215–332–3888 or go to nevs.org ••
