~ Jon James
How many spam calls or door to door offers do you get? Have you accepted any only to learn later the call or visit was a fraudulent one? This happens ALL THE TIME and ALL OVER MAINE.
If you use email, there’s little doubt that you’ve been knowingly or, worse, unknowingly fraudulently contacted and asked to “pay a small fee for a gift” or “re-enter your password and/or information to update your account.”
While the emails look completely legitimate and connect to websites (like Amazon, Paypal and others) that look totally legit, they are anything but. The proof is in the website url (address).
WMTW TV reports that Sanford police are warning residents about scams reported in September, ranging from fake emergencies and threats to fraudulent payment demands.
Know that these types of incidents are not isolated to one part of the state.
According to Maine’s Total Coverage, incidents included:
- Someone on Plenty of Fish claimed to have been arrested in Turkey and requested money and banking information. The resident refused, blocked the account and reported it.
- A scammer threatened to share explicit images with a resident’s social media contacts unless they paid. The images were reportedly taken from Google, and no money was sent.
- A resident lost nearly $3,000 in gift cards after scammers falsely accused them of purchasing illegal material and demanded payment.
- Someone allegedly attempted to take out a loan in a resident’s name in Maryland. The victim contacted a credit bureau and reported the incident to police.
- Residents reported suspicious links, repeated payment demands and fraudulent Microsoft support warnings involving threats of hacking accusations and felony charges. No financial losses were reported in these incidents.
- A caller posing as a representative of Central Maine Power threatened to disconnect a resident’s electricity within an hour unless they paid $2,000 in cash. The resident verified their account directly with CMP and paid nothing.
- A resident looking for an apartment reported concerns about a suspicious rental offer, though police had insufficient information to determine whether it was fraudulent.
Police encouraged residents to slow down, ask questions and verify requests before sending money or sharing personal information. They also stressed that reporting suspected scams is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Other scams have also surfaced across Maine. Fraudsters have targeted people submitting building plans to local planning boards, while law enforcement agencies have warned about scammers impersonating officers and demanding payment over alleged missed jury duty.
Authorities emphasize that law enforcement agencies do not handle jury duty selection or scheduling.
Earlier reporting also found that older Mainers are less likely than younger residents to fall for scams, but those who do often suffer significantly greater financial losses.
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