GROVELAND — Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen and the Groveland Police Department wish to warn residents of recent scams.
The Groveland Police Department has recently received reports of scams that contact residents claiming to represent National Grid and threatening to turn off their power, as well as recent reports of scams targeting those who are unemployed as a result of the impacts of COVID-19.
“Above all else, never give your personal information to someone you don’t know, whether that’s in person, over the phone or online,” Chief Gillen said. “If something seems suspicious, research the organization the person you’re communicating with claims to represent, and if you have any further issues or concerns, don’t hesitate to give us a call.”
The Groveland Police Department also wishes to share the following scam avoidance tips from the Federal Trade Commission:
- Block calls and texts from unwanted numbers. To learn more about this from the FTC, click here and here.
- Never give out your personal information, especially your social security, bank account or credit card numbers.
- Remember: a legitimate organization won’t unexpectedly ask for your private information.
- Scammers may pressure you to make an immediate decision. Do not allow yourself to be pressured into giving your personal information or paying a fee. A legitimate organization will give you time to make a decision.
- Scammers commonly ask for payment with a gift card or a money transfer service. Take this as a significant red flag- legitimate organizations do not ask for payment in this way. Residents should also never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
- If you’re concerned you’re being targeted by a scam, talk to a family member, friend or neighbor you can trust. Groveland Police also encourage residents to contact the organization the scam claims to represent to verify whether that is accurate. Contact the organization from a phone number you can verify is legitimate.
- If you need further assistance or may have fallen victim to a scam, contact the Groveland Police Department at 978-521-1212.
The Groveland Police Department also wishes to share the following tips from the FTC for recognizing and avoiding job scams:
- Legitimate organizations won’t ask you to pay a fee in order to guarantee a job offer, whether that be for certification, training materials or other related expenses.
- Never give out personal information, like your credit card or bank account information, over the phone to a company if you do not know the company and haven’t agreed to purchase something.
- Remember: information about available federal jobs is free and all federal positions are announced publicly at https://www.usajobs.gov/.
- Know that while some job placement services are legitimate, others may take your money and stop returning your calls, lie about the services they’ll provide and so on. Make sure any job placement service you seek out is legitimate by:
- Contacting the company or organization the job placement service is mentioning in an ad or interview to verify the legitimacy of the posting.
- Be sure to get a copy of any contract with the agency you’re working with and read it thoroughly.
- A legitimate job placement agency will ensure you have time to read the contract through and will not rush you.
- Know whether you’re contracting services for job placement or job counseling, as career counseling services can help you with career directions and decisions and help you prepare, but won’t guarantee job placement.
- Confirm with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau to confirm if there have been any complaints filed about the company you’re looking to work with.
- If you’ve been targeted by a job scam, report it with the FTC here
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