GROVELAND — Chief Jeffrey Gillen and the Groveland Police Department would like to share information on a property watch service and safety tips regarding recent frauds and scams.
With increased fraud, including property scams, Groveland Police would like to remind residents and community members to stay vigilant and research companies before hiring and paying someone for repairs.
According to the FBI, one of the quickest-growing scams is property and mortgage fraud. Often scammers knowingly record fraudulent documents, making it appear as if they own another person’s property or that the real property owner owes them money.
Groveland Police would like to inform residents that Salem Deeds, a free property watch website offered to residents in southern Essex County, is an available resource to help protect against property scams. This service will notify those who sign up of any changes or additional recordings related to property deeds. This will also warn property owners of any fraudulent document recordings summited to the Southern Essex District Registry of Deeds.
Groveland Police would also like to share the following safety tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help residents avoid scams:
- Consult a professional. Check licenses of hired workers through state websites.
- If you do hire a utility worker, ask to see their proof of company affiliation.
- Do not give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you did not expect.
- Scammers often impersonate well-known companies, or familiar phone numbers to build trust and deceive individuals.They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, etc.
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
- Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way. They often insist that you pay by sending money through a money transfer company or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back. Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), tell you to deposit it, and then send them money.
- Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
- If you were scammed or think you saw a scam, tell the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
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