Carroll residents targeted with telephone scam

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/neighborhoods/westminster/ph-ce-sheriff-warning-0429-20130429,0,5971076.story

Carroll residents targeted with telephone scam

By Kevin E. Dayhoff, April 29, 2013

Carroll County has recently been hit with a series of suspicious telephone calls in which the caller claims that he’s holding the family member captive until several hundred to several thousand dollars in damages are paid.

According to information from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the suspicious telephone calls are reported to have also been made to Baltimore county and City residents.

In Carroll County, a Hampstead man, and recently a Mount Airy man reported receiving a call where the male caller claimed to have been involved in a motor vehicle accident with a member of their immediate family, with the caller citing the correct name of the family member, says police.

According to the Sheriff’s office, the calls display a local exchange but they are suspected as originating from outside the continental United States. 

So far the Sheriff’s Office has not received any reports of residents being defrauded by the calls, but reminds resident to be on the alert.   

If you should happen to receive a suspicious phone call the Sheriff’s Office has the following tips: Do not reply to any of these types of requests asking to pay fees or damages; do not send any money; do not send or hand over identification documents - not even copies; never surrender details of your bank accounts or payment cards; never agree to meet the criminals in person - you may be putting yourself in danger, instead, ask for their telephone number or contact information; and contact your local law enforcement agency immediately and follow their advice.

The investigation continues… Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 410-386-2900, or the Anonymous TIPS Hotline at 1-888-399-TIPP. 

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