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Familiar Scam Reemerges

By Brian Hagen

02/17/2014

(MSC News)--An occasional scam is again being reported across the region, with area law enforcement working to keep targeted residents from falling victim to the rip-off attempt.

The scam works like this: a phone call is received, with the intended victim told they have a relative in trouble in another country who will be sent to prison if money is not wired immediately.

Sometimes the caller claims the relative has been in an accident and needs money wired to pay for the hospital.

Regardless of which ploy is used, the call is a scam attempt, with the relatives cited later found to be safe and sound, inside the United States.

According to reports from those targeted, the callers are persistent and convincing, sometimes, through methods undetermined, sounding identical to the family member falsely listed as being in danger.

However, authorities say it's likely the scammers are using online information to gain the names, addresses, and other publicly available details, of relatives in the attempt to rip-off victims.

Authorities warn those who receive the calls to not act on emotion, as money wired out as requested will be impossible to retrieve.

Those who are targeted should just hang up, and contact the family member mentioned in the call to confirm their whereabouts.

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