LITITZ BOROUGH  - The LBPD is urging the community to be vigilant of scam attempts, which have been increasing during the holiday season.  In the period of time between November 1, 2020 and December 9, 2020, the LBPD has received 16 complaints about various attempts at scams of Lititz Borough residents.  People should be aware of increasingly aggressive and unorthodox scams designed by criminals to steal money and personal information. 

Three common scams to look out for this year include:

• Phishing E-mail Scams. Phishing emails are a common tactic used by scammers to get sensitive information. Sophisticated techniques include replicating merchant email templates with harmful links designed to obtain usernames and passwords, and potentially sensitive financial information.
   
• Skimming and E-skimming Device Scams. Skimming devices capture the information from the black magnetic strip on debit or credit cards at the point of sale device or ATM machine. Last year, criminals infected a merchant’s website with a digital version of the same technology.
   
• Gift Card Fraud. Scammers use a computer program or “bot” to test millions of random combinations of numbers and pins at retailer websites. Once they find a combination that works, they use all the funds available to make purchases, or sell the information on the dark web. When the real owner of the card tries to use it to make the legitimate purchase, they find there are no funds available on the card.

Six strategies that can help people protect themselves include:

1. Monitor your accounts. Frequently check your financial accounts for any debits or withdrawals you do not recognize.
    
2. Never follow links in unsolicited emails. Check that any emails you receive are from a correct email address.
    
3. Type the website directly into your browser. Pay attention to your spelling and double check that it is a U.S. domain – like dot-com, rather than an international domain – before entering any sensitive information.
    
4. Be wary of any transaction involving checks. Never send anything via Western Union or prepaid cards to someone previously unknown to you. When possible, use a credit card, single-use debit card, or prepaid reloadable card for online purchases.
    
5. When in doubt, hang up. Never provide credit card info as part of an unsolicited phone call and think twice if you’re being pressured to donate “right now.”
    
6. Be skeptical. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

Know the “red flags” of scams and fraud and who to contact if you believe you are a victim. Stop and ask yourself a few simple questions to help detect and prevent this from happening to you:

• Has someone contacted you unexpectedly? If you weren’t expecting a phone call or didn’t initiate the contact, it should be a red flag.
   
• Have they promised you something? If they’re offering you something that seems too good to be true, it’s a red flag.
   
• Have they asked you to do something? Are they asking you for money or account information? If you didn’t initiate the conversation, do not provide it.

If you have been the victim of a financial crime, contact the LBPD or your local police department to make a report, as well as your financial institution.  

Click here for detailed tips and information to help protect you against fraud.

Media contact: Media@LititzPD.org