Delaware State Police Shares Safety Tips to Protect Delawareans from Phone Scams

Visit our civilian job opening page at:

Civilian Careers – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Sergeant India Sturgis

Released: 031623 1217

-End-

Corporate Sponsors

State Police Issue Warning About Cryptocurrency Scams

The Delaware State Police are providing a scam advisory surrounding the fraudulent use of cryptocurrency.

The Delaware State Police are warning the public of an increase in scams involving the use of cryptocurrency (or “crypto”) ATM machines and quick response (or “QR”) codes. The Delaware State Police have recently seen an increase in scams where the victim is directed to local crypto ATMs and/or stores that authorize QR crypto payments. Criminal perpetrators will leverage victims to send money in these forms during schemes that include government impersonation (DEA, ATF, Sheriff’s office, police agencies), computer spyware (computer takeovers, fraudulent security alerts), and romance scams (creating a false sense of intimacy). Scammers may maintain lengthy contact with the victim through online or telephone communication methods.

Given the nature of cryptocurrency, the successful recovery of lost funds can be extremely challenging. Unlike traditional wire or bank transfers, crypto transfers are instantaneous, and once the suspect receives the funds they are typically moved immediately to other accounts that are often based outside of the country.

Follow these tips to prevent yourself from falling victim to such scams:

Never send crypto payment to someone you have never met.
Remember that no legitimate business or agency will ever request a crypto payment.
Do not engage unknown callers who claim that you are in trouble or threaten you or a family member with arrest, exposure, or embarrassment if a crypto payment is not made immediately.

We encourage victims to report these instances and any related fraudulent or suspicious activities to the FBI at www.ic3.gov.

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Senior Corporal Leonard DeMalto

Released: 063022 1007

-End-

Troopers Issue Warning About Scammers Posing as State Police

The Delaware State Police is providing a Scam Alert Advisory. This is a general alert that applies to the entire State of Delaware.

The Delaware State Police has been investigating multiple incidents in which victims receive phone calls from subjects posing as troopers and are advised they are wanted and/or owe bail money. These subjects are utilizing spoofed, Delaware State Police-issued phone numbers. Many of the victims of these scams have been individuals listed on the Delaware sex offender registry.

“Spoofing” is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.

The following tips can help you avoid becoming victim to a spoofing scam:

Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you do so by accident, hang up.
If a caller (live or recorded) suggests hitting a button to stop receiving calls from them, hang up. This can be a trick to engage you in conversation.
Never give out any sensitive data – for example, account numbers, Social Security Number, passwords or PINs, or your mother’s maiden name.
If a caller claims to be with a legitimate company, call back using the phone number on a statement you have from them, or on their verified, secure website. This is particularly important if the caller asks you to verify personal information or make a payment.
If you are immediately pressured for information – be cautious. You are not obligated to answer any question asked of you.
Set your own password for your voicemail. Some voicemail services are set up to automatically allow access to your mailbox if you call in from your own phone. If a scammer spoofs your number, they can access your voicemail if you have not set a password or PIN requirement in place.
Use a call blocking tool (talk to your phone company) or reputable app on your mobile device. There are different options for different platforms. Do some research and choose the one that makes the most sense for you.

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Senior Corporal Leonard DeMalto

Released: 061522 1438

-End-

Troopers Warn Public About Delaware State Police Phone Number Spoofing Scam

Sussex County, DE- The Delaware State Police are issuing the following advisory in response to a recent phone scam involving a “spoofed phone number”.

On February 28, 2022, Delaware State Police were made aware of two incidents in which individuals received a phone call from what appeared to be from Delaware State Police Troop 5. In one incident the victim was told they had to pay a fine on a sex offender charge and another was going to be arrested for jury duty fines.

As a reminder, the Delaware State Police will never request payment for fines, traffic tickets or bail. All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Electronic payments are also never requested via phone for court matters.

Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.

The following tips can help you avoid becoming victim to a spoofing scam:

Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you do so by accident, hang up.
If a caller (live or recorded) suggests hitting a button to stop receiving calls from them, hang up. This can be a trick to engage you in conversation.
Never give out any personally identifiable information – for example, account numbers, Social Security Number, passwords or PINs, or your mother’s maiden name.
If a caller claims to be with a legitimate company, call back using the phone number on a statement you have from them, or on their verified, secure website. This is particularly important if the caller asks you to verify personal information or make a payment.
If you are immediately pressured for information – be cautious. You are not obligated to answer any question asked of you.
Set your own password for your voicemail. Some voicemail services are set up to automatically allow access to your mailbox if you call in from your own phone. If a scammer spoofs your number, they can access your messages unless there is a password or PIN requirement in place.
Use a call blocking tool (talk to your phone company) or reputable app on your mobile device. There are different options for different platforms. Do some research and choose the one that makes the most sense for you.

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Heather Pepper

Released: 022822 2221

-End-

BEWARE OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SCAM

Delaware– The Delaware State Police have been made aware of a new scam in the New Castle area involving the World Health Organization. According to the World Health Organization’s webpage, there are various internet scams involving emails circulating implying to be from or associated with the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). The scam emails request money or information from non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals with a promise of funds or other benefits sent in return. The emails appear to come from W.H.O. or a United Nations address. In the scam reported to the Delaware State Police, the email address came from an organization with which the individual was familiar.

The Delaware State Police would like to remind the public to never send money or personal information in response to anyone who claims to be awarding funds, grants, scholarships, certificates, lottery winnings, or prizes.

If you have any doubts about an email, letter, or phone call you received, please verify its authenticity before taking any action. The Delaware State Police remind citizens to remain vigilant as the Coronavirus situation evolves, as there have been numerous scams associated with the outbreak. For up to date accurate information, call Delaware 211 or visit https://de.gov/Coronavirus.

As a reminder, there have been numerous other scams associated with the outbreak. Please review the information from the Federal Trade Commission on how to identify a scam at https://ftc.gov/coronavirus. For additional information regarding the World Health Organization scam, please visit https://www.who.int/about/scamalert/en/.

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461). You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@state.de.us.

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/robocalls-analysis/

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Senior Corporal Heather Pepper

Released: 051820 1100

-End-

Delaware State Police Phone Number Used in Spoofed Phone Number Scam

Dover – The Delaware State Police are issuing the following advisory in response to a recent phone scam trend involving a “spoofed phone number”.

The Delaware State Police have recently been made aware of multiple incidents in which individuals have received phone calls from a Delaware State Police issued number. Only the number appears on the caller ID, and if that number is looked up, it shows that it is a valid Delaware State Police phone number.

Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity as well as appearing as an official organization or entity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally

During these most recent calls the recipient is told that a family member has been in an accident and needs money wired to them due to being injured, for payment of a traffic ticket or for bail. The scammers can be very convincing playing on the emotional vulnerability of the victim.

The Delaware State Police will never request payment for fines, traffic tickets or bail. All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Electronic payments are also never requested via phone for court matters.

If someone is calling regarding a family member, do not offer any personal information about yourself or the family member. Immediately attempt to contact the family to verify their status on your own. Indicators of scam calls are threats, orders to not hang up and other statements about immediacy.

The Federal Communications Commissions has provided the following tips to avoid spoofing scams:

You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be extremely careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information.

Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
If you answer the phone and the caller – or a recording – asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with “Yes” or “No.”
Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.

Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls. Information on available robocall blocking tools is available at fcc.gov/robocalls.

This information was provided through the Federal Communications Commissions website located at:

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id

Many of these scams are difficult to investigate. They will target persons of all age groups. The Delaware State Police is asking citizens to remember the tips previously mentioned in order to not become a victim of one of these scam artists.

If you suspect you have been a victim of this scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 012320 0953

-End-

Troopers Offer Tips to Help Avoid Being Scammed by Fake Social Security Calls

According to the Social Security Administration in the last year, Social Security phone scams have skyrocketed, becoming the #1 type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission and to Social Security.

Similar to other types of telephone scams, the scammers are trying to trick you into giving them your personal information and money. Don’t be fooled!

Scammers pretend they’re from Social Security. The number you see on caller ID may even look like an official government number but it is not. The caller may say there is a problem with your Social Security number or account. They may ask you to give them personal information like your Social Security Number or bank account. They may tell you to fix the problem or to avoid arrest you must pay a fine or fee using retail gift cards, pre-paid debit cards, wire transfers, or cash.

These calls are not from the Social Security Administration. The following tips will help you avoid falling victim to one of these scams by being able to better identify a fake call.

Social Security will NOT:

Threaten you.
Tell you that your Social Security Number has been or might be suspended.
Call you to demand an immediate payment.
Ask you for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Require a specific means of debt repayment, like a pre-paid debit card, a retail gift card, or cash.
Demand that you pay a Social Security debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
Promise a Social Security benefit approval, or increase, in exchange for information or money.
Request personal or financial information through email, text messages, or social media.

Social Security WILL:

Sometimes call you to confirm you filed for a claim or to discuss other ongoing business you have with them.
Mail you a letter if there is a problem.
Mail you a letter if you need to submit payments that will have detailed information about options to make payments and the ability to appeal the decision.
Use emails, text messages, and social media to provide general information (not personal or financial information) on its programs and services if you have signed up to receive these messages.

If you receive a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from Social Security, please:

Hang up right away.
Never give your personal information, money, or retail gift cards.
Report the scam at oig.ssa.gov/ to Social Security’s law enforcement team at the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

To help reduce these types of fraud, Commissioner Andrew Saul and Inspector General Gail S. Ennis have also announced the launch of a new online form to report Social Security phone scams.

Please share this information with your family and friends.

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin

Released: 011020 1500

-End-

Mystery Shopper Scam Alert

The Delaware State Police are issuing the following advisory in response to the recent reappearance of the Mystery Shopper Scam. This is a general awareness advisory applicable statewide. The following tips and information will help you avoid falling victim to this specific scam.

What is Mystery Shopping?

Some retailers hire companies to evaluate the quality of service in their stores and they often use mystery shoppers to get that information. They instruct a mystery shopper to make a particular purchase in a store or restaurant, and then report on the experience. Typically, the shopper is reimbursed and can keep the product or service. Sometimes the shopper receives a small payment, as well.

Many professionals in the field consider mystery shopping a part-time activity, at best. These opportunities generally are posted online by marketing research or merchandising companies.

Don’t Pay to Be a Mystery Shopper

Dishonest promoters use newspaper ads and emails to create the impression that mystery shopping jobs are a gateway to a high-paying job with reputable companies. They often create websites where you can “register” to become a mystery shopper, but first you have to pay a fee — for information about a certification program, a directory of mystery shopping companies, or a guarantee of a mystery shopping job.

It is not necessary to pay anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The certification offered is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free, and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are listed on the internet for free. If you try to get a refund from the promoters, you will be out of luck. Either the business won’t return your phone calls, or if it does, it’s to try another pitch.

Don’t Wire Money

You may have heard about people who are “hired” to be mystery shoppers, and told that their first assignment is to evaluate a money transfer service, like Western Union or MoneyGram. The shopper receives a check with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank account, withdraw the amount in cash, and wire it to a third party. The check is a fake.

By law, banks must make the funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. It may seem that the check has cleared and that the money has posted to the account, but when the check turns out to be a fake, the person who deposited the check and wired the money will be responsible for paying back the bank.

It’s never a good idea to deposit a check from someone you don’t know and then wire money back.

Tips for Finding Legitimate Mystery Shopping Jobs

Don’t do business with mystery shopping promoters who:

Advertise for mystery shoppers in a newspaper’s ‘help wanted’ section or by email.
Require that you pay for “certification.”
Guarantee a job as a mystery shopper.
Charge a fee for access to mystery shopping opportunities.
Sell directories of companies that hire mystery shoppers.
Ask you to deposit a check and wire some or all of the money to someone.

If you’re looking for legitimate mystery shopping jobs, check out the Mystery Shopping Providers Association for a database of authentic companies. But if you spot any scams, report them to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint and your local police.

These tips have been provided by the Federal Trade Commission. Click on the following link to view further information: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/07/mystery-shop-til-you-drop-not-so-fast

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/robocalls-analysis/

Please tell us how we’re doing via our Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Senior Corporal Heather Pepper

Released:111819 1900

-End-

Delaware State Police Phone Number Used in Spoofed Phone Number Scam

Dover – The Delaware State Police are issuing the following advisory in response to a recent phone scam trend involving a “spoofed phone number”.

The Delaware State Police have recently been made aware of multiple incidents in which individuals have received phone calls which appear on their caller ID as coming from the Delaware State Police. To further convince the recipient that the caller is an official representative of the Delaware State Police, the victim’s are advised to look up the phone number where the call is originating from. When the victim researches the number it does appear to be a working Delaware State Police phone number.

During these most recent calls the recipient is convinced that a family member needs money wired to them due to being injured, for payment of a traffic ticket or for bail. The scammers are very convincing and even have the alleged family member in need crying on the phone, further playing on the emotional vulnerability of the victim. The majority of these recent calls have been made to out of state individuals from multiple states nationwide.

The Federal Communications Commissions has provided the following tips to avoid spoofing scams:

You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be extremely careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information.

Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
If you answer the phone and the caller – or a recording – asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with “Yes” or “No.”
Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.

Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls. Information on available robocall blocking tools is available at fcc.gov/robocalls.

This information was provided through the Federal Communications Commissions website located at:

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id

You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on: