COMMON SCAMS

DNA/Genetic Testing Scams:

What is the scam? Older adults at senior centers, housing complexes, and other community locations are targeted by companies promoting "free" genetic testing, cancer screening, or DNA testing. These screenings are frequently done under the guise of an ice cream social event. During the event, older adults are asked to swab their cheek(s) to collect a DNA sample which will be sent to the lab for analysis. They are then told that the test will be covered completely by Medicare, and all that is needed to process it is their Medicare number. There are other variations of this scam. Sometimes Medicare beneficiaries are being contacted at home by phone and told that they will be sent a DNA testing kit in the mail. In this case, the person is asked to perform the cheek swab at home and then return the kit in the mail for DNA analysis. The caller then asks for the person's Medicare number and reiterates that there will be no charge to the beneficiary.

BE AWARE:

Medicare only pays for the DNA or genetic testing in rare circumstances where it is medically necessary for treatment or diagnosis of a medical condition.

These tests must be ordered by the patient's own physician.

There must be documentation in medical records to substantiate the need for the testing.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you are contacted by phone, hang up! Do not answer any questions or give out any personal information or your Medicare number.
Contact the Lower Swatara Township Police Department at (717-939-0463) to report any related activities or suspicious requests for your Medicare number.
Remember that Medicare will not call you to confirm your personal information, your Medicare number, or ask questions about your health. '
Report Medicare marketing violations - Medicare does not allow door-to-door sales or unsolicited contact with Medicare beneficiaries.

SCAMMERS IMPERSONATE THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Your Social Security number is an important key for an identity thief. Scammers want it, and they think of all sorts of ways to trick you into giving it away.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SCAM PHONE CALLS

Recently scam phone calls were made by scammers impersonating Law Enforcement Agencies and/or Law Enforcement Personnel. They would order you to pay a certain monetary amount of money to them to lift an arrest warrant or be arrested. Usually, the people that have warrants for their arrest, know why they are being arrested and for what. Law Enforcement Agencies and their entities will not tell you that you need to pay for a warrant to be lifted. If someone calls you telling you this, this is a scam. Be wary of unsolicited calls requesting sensitive personal or financial information. If you get a phone call from

someone you do not recognize or if you are not sure if you should provide information to a caller remember the following:

Be wary of unsolicited calls requesting sensitive personal or financial information. If you get a phone call from someone you do not recognize or if you are not sure if you should provide information to a caller:

Do not provide or confirm any information on the call and hang up.

Write down who the caller was, what the caller wanted, and the caller's phone number (if possible). Never return a call on the number provided to you in the unsolicited call, and do not trust that the information on your caller ID is accurate. Scammers can spoof their numbers, so it looks like they are calling from a particular organization even when they are not.

Contact your local police jurisdiction to verify that you have a warrant for your arrest.

BBB WARNS OF SCAMS THAT TARGET SENIORS

The Better Business Bureau serving Pennsylvania is warning seniors and adult children of senior parents to be on the lookout for, and report scams that may target them. The prevalence of scams targeting elders makes extra vigilance crucial. The following are some of the common scams designed to trick consumers, especially the elderly, into giving up their money, property or personal information.

Contractor Scam

Beware of scammers going door-to-door and offering seasonal services, such as leaf raking, chimney sweeping or window installation. These con artists may just take your money without ever delivering the service.

How the Scam Works: You answer the door, and it's a "handyman." He says that he's been hired by the neighbors to clean the chimney, install storm windows, rake the leaves or perform another seasonal service. He claims that he can give you a discount price because he is already working in the neighborhood.

You need the work done, so you take him up on the offer. He asks for a partial payment upfront, and he will return the next day after he finishes the neighbor's job. However, he takes the money and is never seen again.

In another version of the scam, the contractor will arrive and perform the service. But in doing so, he finds a "major problem" that needs to be fixed immediately. And of course, he's perfectly suited to perform the expensive repair.

How to Protect Yourself from Contractor Scams:

Contractor scams appear when homeowners have the most work to do: after major storms and during the change of seasons. Follow these tips when hiring someone to work in/on your home.

Work with local businesses:

Make sure the contractor has appropriate identification that tells you it's a legitimate company versus a fly-by night operator. Things like permanent lettering on trucks, uniforms, printed invoice and estimate sheets, business cards, physical addresses, land line phones, etc. are all signs of an established business.

Check references:

Get references from several past customers. Get both older references (at least a year old) so you can check on the quality of the work and newer references so you can make sure current employees are up to the task.
Look up their company on the internet.
Check the BBB Business Reviews are more than just a grade. You can also read past complaints from customers, find out about licensing and government actions, and more.

Make sure it's legal: Confirm that any business being considered for hire is licensed and registered to do work in your area. Also, if in doubt, request proof of a current insurance certificate from a contractor's insurance company.
Get it in writing: And always be sure to get a written contract with the price, materials and timeline. The more detailed, the better.
Watch for "red flags": Say no to cash-only deals, high-pressure sales tactics, and on-site inspections. Don't allow someone to go into your home or on your roof until you have a chance to thoroughly check them out.

The Grandparent Scam:

Scammers call an older person and say something like, "Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?" Responding with a name will allow the scammer to be able to establish a false identity and then ask for money to solve some unexpected problem. They may say "I'm stranded on spring break" or "I've been arrested" or "hospitalized" and need money for medical purposes, to get out of jail or back home. They'll generally ask for payments be paid via Western Union, MoneyGram, Money Pak cards, or other untraceable methods. They'll also usually state that his or her voice sounds different due to the accident or crisis and ask that the grandparent(s) not tell their parents.

Door-to-Door Sales Scams:

People go door-to-door and offer extraordinarily low prices for home improvement work, often stating the offer is only good now. Some of the door-to-door sales the BBB receives complaints about each year include asphalt paving, roofing, tree stump removal, storm damage, and sales of products including vacuum cleaners and magazine subscriptions. Door-to-door salespeople are often transient, and if you're unsatisfied with the work or don't receive the magazines you paid for in advance, there may be no way of finding them to get your money back. How do you make sure the Door-to-Door sales representative?

Ask to see their permit to solicit within Lower Swatara Township. If they say they don’t need one, THEY ARE LYING TO YOU!!! Lower Swatara Police will post on our Crime Watch Page (https://crimewatch.net/us/pa/dauphin/lower-swatara-twp-pd) companies that have been given a permit to solicit within the Township. The soliciting company to receive a permit to solicit, must have their employees pass a background check.
Please call either Dauphin County Non-Emergency telephone number (717-558-6900) or our Police Department at (717-939-0463) if a door-to-door salesperson comes to solicit to verify.

Health Care Fraud Scams

Scammers will call or e-mail misrepresenting they are Medicare or insurance representatives, stating they will be sending a new card or announcing a new plan and stating personal information is necessary. Sometimes, they'll falsely state that an initial payment needs to be made for the new card or plan. Scammers are simply attempting to get personal or financial information and scam you out of money.

Investment Schemes

During the senior years, it's typical to plan for retirement and make financial plans. Scammers target seniors at this time because they know they're retired and are making plans to safeguard finances for their later years. Be wary of pyramid schemes (like Bernie Madoff's), investment schemes promising quick and plentiful returns, advance-fee schemes, and foreign letter fraud schemes. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Counterfeit Check Scams

While there are many variations of the fake check scam, scammers will often send a legitimate-looking check and ask you to deposit it into your bank account and wire a portion back to them. They may say that you've won money but need to pay a portion in taxes, or they offer you a "mystery shopping" job and say they're paying you in advance, but a particular dollar amount needs to be returned and "you keep the rest." In reality, the money you wired cannot be returned to you. If you deposit the check and withdraw any portion of it, you'll be responsible for paying back to your bank the entire amount plus any overdraft fees.

Bitcoin or Gift Card Scams

Not ever will any legitimate company or person ever ask you to pay a fee, arrest warrant, anything with Bitcoin or any gift cards. The minute you hear this, what should you do:

Immediately hang up the phone. Do not answer any attempt from the scammer to recontact you. THIS IS A SCAM!!!
Contact your Dauphin County Non-Emergency telephone number at 717-558-6900 to report the scam.
The scammer may try to trick, and/or threaten you. Have no fear, they are just empty words.

Scammers are using caller IP spoofing technology to impersonate the phone numbers of local businesses. neighbors and even you!

Watch out for this wacky twist on the classic phishing phone scam.

How the scam works:

Your phone rings, and you look at the caller ID. You recognize the number. It may be from a local business or a neighbor down the street. But in strange twist, you might even see your own name and phone number on the caller ID screen. You answer the phone, and it's a robo call. Victims have reported several different phishing scams. In one common version, a recording prompts you to verify your credit card number under the guise of lowering your interest rates.

With many people rejecting calls from unfamiliar numbers, scammers are increasingly posing as familiar businesses, government organizations or people. Scammers purchase lists of phone numbers and use spoofing technology to trick potential victims into picking up the phone. Posing as your own phone number is great for shock value and for ensuring the number isn't blocked.

It's extremely important to report the fraud you fell victim to, or even the pitch you received but didn't fall for. Older Americans are least likely to report a fraud because they may be too embarrassed or feel ashamed if family members or friends find out. Reporting the situation to the proper authorities and agencies can prevent others from losing money, can help start an investigation into the scam, and will prompt agencies to properly alert others and work toward getting the scheme shut down.

What to do if a scammer calls:

Hang up and, if you receive a voice mail message, don't call the scammer back. We all like to have the last word but returning the phone call may just give the con artist information he can use.
Don't trust Caller ID. Scammers have technology that lets them display any number or organization name on your screen.
Never give any financial information. If you did not initiate the call, do not provide bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers over the phone unless you have thoroughly done your research and verified the caller.

SEX EXTORTION SCAM

Men and women often fall victim to sex extortion scams. Fake love is a real thing. Sextortion is a serious form of online blackmail where criminals threaten to share a victim's private, nude, or sexual images/videos unless demands for money, gift cards, or additional explicit content are met.

How the Scams Work

Perpetrators, who often operate in organized crime networks from overseas, use sophisticated tactics to manipulate victims.

Building Trust: Scammers create fake online profiles (often posing as attractive people of a similar age) on social media, dating apps, or gaming platforms to develop a false romantic or friendly rapport.
Coercion: They persuade the victim to send explicit photos or engage in sexual activity on video chat, which they secretly record. Alternatively, they may hack a device, use existing images, or digitally alter a non-explicit photo to create fake compromising material.
The Threat: Once they have the content, they threaten to share it with the victim's friends, family, employer, or publicly online unless a payment is made or more material is provided. They may send screenshots of the victim's contact list to add credibility.
Demands & Urgency: Demands are typically for money via untraceable methods like cryptocurrency or gift cards, and scammers impose a tight deadline to force quick, irrational decisions driven by fear and shame.
No Guarantee: Paying the demand rarely stops the blackmail; criminals often ask for more money or content.

Red Flags

An online contact you've never met in person attempts to quickly escalate the relationship or conversation to a sexual nature.
They make excuses for why they cannot video call or appear on their own webcam (but pressure you to use yours).
They try to move the conversation off the initial platform (e.g., social media to an encrypted messaging app).
Their profile seems new, has few followers, or has inconsistencies in their story or details.

What to Do If You're a Victim

Experts advise a specific course of action to handle a sextortion scam:

Do not pay or communicate further: Stop all contact with the blackmailer immediately. Do not send any money or additional images.
Save evidence: Take screenshots of all communications, profile information, and any links or URLs used. This is crucial for law enforcement.
Tell a trusted person: Reach out to a parent, friend, counselor, or another trusted adult for support.
Report the incident:
- Report to the platform where the contact occurred using their safety features.
- File a report with law enforcement, such as your local police department, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), or Homeland Security Investigations.
- Minors should also report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's (NCMEC) Cyber Tipline.
Remove content: If images are shared, use NCMEC's Take It Down tool (for under 18s) or StopNCII.org (for over 18s) to prevent the images from being shared on participating platforms.