Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Information will help seniors avoid losing big.
Free seminars on how you can protect yourself from scams will be held Thursday. The effort is part of Palos Park's Project Scams Target Older People & through awareness we can Intercept Thieves program. Palos Park police will hold two seminars at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Kaptur Administrative Center, 8999 W. 123rd. Discussion will focus on home repair, Internet and mail scams, in addition to identity theft, credit card and other financial fraud. Senior citizens, specifically, will be given information about how to ward off would-be scammer. “We see reports of seniors being scammed on the increase, and the sophistication of the scams is also increasing and we need to increase awareness," said Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Scams are popping up all the time. Police want you to be safe and not fall prey.
A Palos Heights woman was one of two scammed out of a combined $172,000 in a lottery scam, according to police officials. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is cautioning residents about a scam where criminals contact people, saying they won a jackpot without even buying a ticket. Many of the victims are senior citizens. Palos Park police sent out the warning late last month. Read: Palos Park Hit With Ruse Scams An 80-year-old woman from Palos Heights lost $90,000, according to Cook County Sheriff's police. The second victim was a 74-year-old Lansing, who was taken for $82,000. The scam claims that prize money can be collected if the victim first sends money throug Western Union or a cashier's check to a foreign address to cover added taxes or …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Don't let the grinches out there ruin Christmas.
From charity scams to bogus holiday sweepstakes, police want residents to watch out for grinches who aren't just out to steal Christmas. Palos Park police say scammers are taking advantage of the hustle and bustle that comes with the holiday season. Millions of Target shoppers were targeted by text scam artists last week with messages claiming they won a $1,000 gift card, police said. Others have been hit with emails from retailers and delivery services. Victims clicked on links that introduced malware onto their phones or computers. Join the conversation. Friend Palos Patch on Facebook and sign up for the daily email newsletter! The Better Business Bureau offered some common complaints: As the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be …
Friday, October 5, 2012
Scams are targeting area residents.
Don't trust a man in a green safety vest and white hard hat if he comes to your door. That's the word from Palos Park police, who are warning residents about scams being reported to local departments. A victim of the scam told police that a man dressed in a fluorescent green safety vest and a white hard hat came to his home. The man in the hat said the homeowner needed get into his basement because of a "sewer explosion" behind his house. Read: More information about scams from the FBI Twenty minutes later, the man emerged from the basement and found the alleged workman had left. Nothing was reported missing from the house. Residents need to be aware and watchful for any potential scams, both for themselves and their neighbors, said Palos …
Jon K. Stark
9:13 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
ATTENTION SENIORS: DO NOT SEND MONEY ORDERS TO PEOPLE CLAIMING TO BE Nigerian Princes or other members of a royal family seeking to transfer large sums of money out of the country! more ›