TOP
10 FRAUD ALERTS of 2009
FROM LISA MADIGAN, ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
Magazine Scam: A
magazine scam in which door-to-door solicitors say they are
raising money for local sports teams to travel by selling
magazines that will be sent to troops in Iraq.
Stolen Home
Scam: Scam artists use public records to research properties and
then create forged, fraudulent deed transfer documents to
effectively steal someone’s home. (Alert issued by AARP).
Jamaican
Telemarketing Scam: This alert warns about current phone scams
coming from overseas and mentions a new partnership between law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Jamaica called Project JOLT
(Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing).
Grandparents
Scam: Scam artists claiming to be attorneys, paralegals, and law
enforcement officers will frantically call saying that a
grandchild is in trouble and requesting that the grandparent
immediately wire a large sum of money.
Allergy Test
Scam: This alert notifies consumers that a nurse, formerly of
Harwood Heights, directed an allergy testing health care fraud
scheme against more than 200 insurance companies. A/A advertised
free immunizations and administered allergy shots to some 800
individuals without proper medical evaluation or supervision, and
shots were prepared in unsanitary conditions by individuals who
were not licensed or qualified to prepare them.
Credit Card
Interest Rate Scam: The scammer will tell you that they can help
you lower your credit card interest rate. Remember to check out
companies with “F” ratings with the Better Business Bureau. The
best way to lower your credit card interest rate is to simply call
your credit card company.
Economic
Stimulus Scam: The Illinois Center for Independent Living notified
us of an e-mail scam stating that Vice President, Joe Biden, and
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, have authorized a payment of
$1,500,000 to the recipient’s bank account.
Jury Duty Scam:
The caller claims to be a jury coordinator and waits for you to
protest that you never received a summons for jury duty. The
caller then asks for your Social Security number and birth date,
so he or she can ‘verify the information and cancel the arrest
warrant’.
Donation E-Mail
Scam: An e-mail that claims to be from a dying woman who would
like to donate $5,700,000 to the e-mail recipient as part of her
will. The e-mail requests that the recipient use the money ‘for
the good work of the Lord, and also to help the motherless and
less-privileged, and to assist widows’. The writer then asks the
recipient to contact someone in England about the money.
‘EMT Alert’ ID
Card Scam: A senior will receive a call from someone claiming to
be from EMT offering ID cards. The caller will state that the
‘lifetime membership’ cost of the ID cards is $398.00, and the
only form of payment accepted is checking account information.
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An Important
Message for parents and caregivers. Please
follow these tips to help keep your children safe at
Halloween: |
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NEVER
talk to strangers! |
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Trick or Treat in
your neighborhood |
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Make sure older
kids go out with friends |
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Younger children
should be accompanied by an adult. |
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Set a time limit
for children to Trick or Treat |
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Do not to enter a
stranger's house or car |
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Wear white or
reflective clothing |
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Check out the candy
when you get home |
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Children should
always stay in well lighted areas |
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Never go out alone |
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Check your treats |
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Carry a flashlight |
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Go only to homes
you know |
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Have a safe Halloween! |
Date:
October 1, 2009
Police encourage Halloween safety
With
Halloween approaching, the
Tinley Park Police Department is encouraging parents to pay close
attention to the areas their children go for trick-or-treating.
It is very important for all parents to know where their children
are at all times of the year, but particularly so for parents of
small children.
Parents are
encouraged to check the Internet for registered sex offenders who
may reside in their neighborhoods, and to ensure their children
avoid these locations. The information can be accessed by going to
the Tinley Park Police website at
www.tinleyparkpolice.org
and clicking on the Sex Offender
Registry. There are easy-to-follow instructions that will
provide valuable information on the 25 registered sex offenders
who legally reside in and around the Village of Tinley Park.
Parents can learn where these individuals live in their own
neighborhoods and plan appropriately. Tinley Park police
officers make contact with each registered sex offender on a
random and frequent basis through the department’s Sex Offender
Tracking Team. The team ensures that all information regarding
registered sex offenders is current and accurate. With parents
keeping themselves informed, the safety of our children is
enhanced.
If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact the
Tinley Park Police Department at
708-532-9111.
Date:
February 27, 2009
Strategies to Protect Yourself
The following information provided by the Tinley Park Police
Department is intended to help victims of identity theft to minimize
damage and limit financial liability. If you suspect that you
have been victimized by identity theft, it is very important to take
immediate action to protect yourself and your credit.
Learn more...
Date:
December 11, 2008
Put
Your Car Keys beside Your Bed At Night!
Tell your spouse, your children, neighbors, parents, everyone you
run across to “Put your car keys beside your bed at night.” If
you hear a noise outside your home or someone is trying to get in
your house,
just press the
panic button for your car.
The alarm will set off, and the horn will continue to sound.
Next time you come home for the night and start to put your keys
away, think of this: it’s a security alarm system that you
probably already have and requires no installation.
Test it.
It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will
keep honking until you hit the stop button on the keychain. It
works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm
goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are
the burglar or rapist won’t stick around. After a few seconds all
the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out
there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that.
Remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking
lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something
that should be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life
or someone from a sexual abuse crime.
It would also be useful for any
emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can’t reach a phone.
Another suggestion is to have your spouse or significant other
carry his/her car keys in case he/she falls outside and you don’t
hear them. He/she can activate the car alarm and then you’ll know
there’s problem.
Date: July 27, 2008
Pick Pockets
Tinley Park Police Department would like everyone to be proactive
in fighting crime. There has been an increase in the number of
women’s wallets being stolen from purses. Please do not leave
purses in shopping carts while shopping in the stores. It is an
opportunity to become a victim of a crime. Do no leave purses in
vehicles, on the backs of chairs in restaurants, unattended or in
plain sight. The Tinley Park Police Department thanks you for
your assistance.
Hear it See it Report Program
The Tinley Park Police Department would like the public to assist
us with the reporting of criminal activity through our Hear It
See It Report It program. The public can call the non-emergency
phone number at 532-9111 anonymously to report any criminal
activities.
A new problem within the Village is the rise in graffiti
incidents The Village and the Tinley Park Police would like your
assistance in apprehending the person/persons who are spreading
this graffiti throughout our community. If you live in Cook
County and have graffiti on your property, please access the
Tinley Park Police website at www.tinleyparkpolice.org for the
Cook County Graffiti liability waiver. The liability waiver
should be completed and faxed to the Cook County Sheriff's Office
for the removal of the graffiti. Will County Sheriff's Office
does not provide this service. These residents and property
owners are responsible for having the graffiti removed.
Thank you for your assistance in this manner.
