As scammers grow bolder in their techniques, the local Better Business Bureau wants to keep BCS residents informed.
CEO Bill McGuire says the common grandparent scam, where someone calls claiming to be a grandchild in need of help, has been enhanced to higher, scarier stakes.
McGuire says a local woman was recently called by someone who said they had a pistol pointed at her relative’s head.
The scammer told her to stay on the cell phone at all times, and made her wire $800 dollars to them for the relative’s release.
McGuire says of course, no relative was actually at gun point.
He says the first thing you should do in a situation like that is to hang up and see if you can reach your relative yourself to verify their whereabouts.
Meanwhile, although working at home sounds like a dream come true to some, McGuire says not to let your guard down when looking for an employer.
He says last week, a local woman brought in a counterfeit paycheck for $2,950 after signing up for part-time work in which the scammer promised her $300 per store visit as a mystery shopper.
McGuire says the woman not only received the check before doing any work, but also was given directions to deposit it at her bank and wire money back to them, which should always be a red flag.
He says unfortunately, most of the work-at-home opportunities that people ask them about turn out to be scams, but there are a few legitimate ones, so be sure to check with the BBB.
Bill McGuire visits with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia
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