Chandler police are warning residents not to get stung by well-orchestrated scams, according to a news release.
After all, if something sounds "too good to be true," it usually is.
A current and prevalent scam involves a suspect convincing victim they won a random sweepstakes or are receiving an inheritance from a relative they never knew existed. In order to receive the money, the victim is asked to send a "fee" or "taxes" before the money can be claimed.
On many occasions, the suspects call the victim on the phone and impersonate public officials or a financial institution representative to instill confidence so the victim will provide personal information or send money, according to the release.
Some tips to avoid scams:
• Shred old documents that contain personal information and secure current documents.
• Deposit outgoing mail in secure mailboxes.
• Do not give out your social security number unless absolutely necessary.
• Make sure your computer's firewall and anti-virus are current.
• Do not open emails from an unknown source.
• Remember: You will not win a sweepstakes you did not enter.
• Never respond to e-mails that appear to be from the Internal Revenue Service requesting your personal information. The IRS does not send out e-mails to individuals for tax purposes.
If you believe you are being scammed, or receive a phone call from someone you think is initiating a scam, call Chandler police at (480) 782-4000.
