Scammer Update: Fraudsters Strike in Westlake & Bay

IRS Scam Call Costs Westlaker $1700

A Westlake resident reported that he had received a call from an unknown male on Feb. 15 purporting to be from the “IRS Criminal Division.”  The male scared the complainant, saying that he owed back taxes and a warrant would be issued for his arrest if a partial payment was not made.  The fraudster instructed the victim to buy WalMart gift cards and read them to him over the phone to make his tax payment.  Unfortunately the victim did do this only to realize later that the scheme was a scam.  The victim lost $1700.  It appears to investigators that the phone numbers used to call the victim were not legitimate.  ***NOTE that the IRS does not call people to collect on back taxes.  Nor will they accept gift cards of any type for payment.***

Scammers Target Bay Residents

Bad Title: On Feb. 15, at 2205 hrs, a Maple Heights resident called Bay Police to report he had purchased a vehicle from a resident in the 23000 block of Lake Rd.  After the purchase, the buyer realized that the title he was given did not match the vehicle.  Police are investigating.

ID Fraud: On Feb. 16 at 1104 hrs, a Bruce Road resident arrived at the Bay Village Police Department to report that he was the victim of identity fraud. The male had received a letter in the mail explaining that he owed almost $3000 dollars to a loan agency. The male fears that this incident stems from a nationwide data breach in which millions of people had personal information potentially exposed. The Bay Village Police Detective Bureau is investigating.

Craigslist Scam: On Feb. 16 at 1933 hrs, a Columbia Road resident called Bay Village Police to report he was being targeted in a scam. The homeowner had placed an advertisement on Craigslist selling a $75 vacuum. The homeowner was contacted by an interested couple, who then sent him a certified check for $1,250. The homeowner realized this was a scam and destroyed the check.

Residents are encouraged to call police when they receive these kind of scams, even if they are not out any money. Contacting police allows us to keep track of growing trends used by these criminals.