Beware of phone scams, police say
Police and Neighborhood Watch are warning residents of telephone scammers.
About two weeks ago, a Manhattan Beach resident reportedly received a call from a man claiming to be a relative, but asked the resident to guess who he was, said Detective Jeanette Meers of the Manhattan Beach Police Department. The woman guessed it was her nephew and the suspect confirmed. The woman said it didn’t sound like her nephew, and the man subsequently claimed his voice change was due to a broken nose from a traffic collision in the Dominican Republic. The woman later called her nephew’s mother, who confirmed that the call was a scam.
In July, an 87-year-old woman reportedly got a call from a suspect who told her he was her 29-year-old grandson. He told her that he was on vacation in Mexico, had been in an accident and needed money – he asked her to send money through Western Union to Mexico City. She sent him $2,000 before realizing it was a scam, Meers said.
“They seem to be calling older adults who are probably likely to have grandchildren,” Meers said. “We don’t know exactly how they are targeting people yet or where they getting the phone numbers.”
These crimes are difficult for police to investigate because they go beyond their local jurisdiction. “The only people who can investigate international crimes (are those in) the Secret Service,” Meers said. “We just have no jurisdiction in Mexico or the Dominican Republic.”
To prevent being scammed, “always confirm the legitimacy of everything before you deposit a check or send any money,” Meers said. “Check your credit reports, check your statements, be wary of any kind of solicitations you get through the mail and report any suspicious activity to your bank or police department.”
Manhattan Beach police have received reports from police in other cities about similar crimes in their areas.
If you are suspicious of a request you’ve received, call Detective Jeanette Meers at 310-802-5134.