Scam Targeting Elderly San Marcos Residents

Con artists are going after elderly citizens and the San Marcos Police Department wants to warn residents before they get swindled.

A crook is calling elderly citizens pretending to be a federal court officer and telling residents they have an outstanding warrant for contempt of court and failure to appear for missing jury duty. The scammer, who calls from a blocked phone number, then tells the victim to purchase a money order or prepaid gift card to take care of the warrant. The victim is asked to send the money to an address on Stagecoach Trl. in San Marcos.

The San Marcos Police Department says one such incident happened on Sunday, July 5 at the CVS on Wonder World Dr. Luckily a quick thinking resident phoned police. Officers questioned the scammer, which led him to hang up.

A CVS employee says this isn’t the first time this type of scam has happened. In fact, it happened two times earlier in the same day. In those cases, the scammers demanded the victims buy a gift card or prepaid debit card and then read them the card number and security code over the phone.

Police also warn that scammers sometimes use smart phone apps to disguise their numbers and give the appearance that they are calling from a valid agency like the City of San Marcos or Hays County. Residents are advised to contact the agency to verify a caller’s claim.

The Federal Trade Commission has some tips for avoiding scams:

A caller may be a fake debt collector if he/she:

• Is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
• Refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
• Asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
• Exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

• Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written “validation notice.” The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
• If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.
• Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller’s address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
• Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you’re dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
• Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
• Report the call. Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your state Attorney General’s office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General’s office can help you determine your rights under your state’s law.
• If you have any questions concerning a debt collector contact your San Marcos Police Department at 512) 753-2108