Local law enforcement warn of phone scams popping up during summer

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – Summertime is vacation time for many, but not for scammers.

A familiar con is popping up again around the area: the Green Dot Scam.

How it works is the scammer calls up someone, often an elderly person, pretending to be a family member or friend in trouble, and they get the victim to buy a prepaid credit card, like the branded Green Dot cards, and send the card or the card information to them.

Sometimes they even double down and call the person back in a few days saying they didn’t get the money, and get them to send another.

In other cases, they pretend to be law enforcement and tell them that their loved one needs bail, or they pose as an IRS agent, and tell the victim they need to pay taxes or penalties.

The method is the same, buy the prepaid card and send it, and the end result is the same: the money is gone. Forever in most cases, because the scammers are hard to trace.

“We had an elderly lady a couple of weeks ago, and in talking to the store personnel, they say she sends it 2-3 times a week, $500 a lick,” said Aberdeen Police Chief Quinell Shumpert.

Law enforcement reminds people, they and the government will not call you for money for bail, fines, or penalties. Someone asking you to send a prepaid card is an immediate red flag.

And if you get one of the calls, you should make a call to your local police or sheriff’s office.

For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter