By Pat Culverhouse
Warning signs of scams and steps to take to avoid becoming a victim were messages delivered Tuesday to during an “It’s A Scam” community event Tuesday at First Baptist Church.
A select panel including Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker, Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver, b1Bank’s Jack Byrd, Council on Aging liaison Karen Guice and Meriweather Wealth Management’s Tracy Campbell, moderator of the event.
A crowd of nearly 250 persons attended the free event and heard panelists encourage vigilance and skepticism. Panelists agreed that scammers use a positive character trait against their potential victims.
“There is a big loophole in our lifestyle and it’s trust,” the COA’s Guice told the crowd. “One reason seniors are targeted is the trust factor, they like to trust everyone.”
Byrd said scams have grown tremendously over the past 12 months. Those target individuals and businesses and the scammers are highly trained, experienced and already have much of your personal information.
“They know your vulnerabilities. There are people who make their living seeking data, creating profiles on you,” Byrd said. “They already have more information on you than you have on yourself.”
Byrd estimated that within the Minden market, close to $250,000 may have been lost to scams and fraud, which he said are synonymous.
Both law enforcement panelists encouraged the public to always be on the skeptical side when dealing with someone unknown, especially in emails and text messages.
“There are fake utility bills, tax liens, claims of sweepstakes winners…all types of things that with current technology can be made to look perfectly legitimate,” Parker said. “Legitimate service or utility companies won’t email or text you. Be suspicious and confirm everything, and never click on their text or respond to an email.”
“Always be alert,” McIver told the audience. “Our advice is never send money, never give personal or financial information to anyone you’ve never met. And if you believe you’ve been a victim or if you suspect something, do not be embarrassed to call us. Our detectives are constantly investigating scams and they work hard to get solutions. But it’s hard to recover something that’s gone overseas.”
Campbell said scams are becoming an even bigger business, and victims range from small business owners and corporations to individuals of every socio-economic level.
“To bring this into perspective, scams are costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. These discussions are not just for senior adults, they’re for young persons and business owners,” he said. “If we touch one person today, we’ve done something positive.”