FBI imposters, romance popular scams that often target elderly

In Dothan, a scammer posing as a federal agent, a few months ago, bilked a convenience store out of several thousand dollars.
Published: Oct. 21, 2020 at 8:55 PM CDT
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DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) -An old scam with a new twist has con artists posing as FBI agents.

One of the most popular scams often starts with a robocall about your Social Security number. In some cases the recorded message or caller will say: “If I don’t hear a call from you, we will have to issue an arrest warrant under your name.”

In Dothan, a scammer posing as a federal agent, a few months ago, bilked a convenience store out of several thousand dollars.

Police reports show someone called the clerk, telling her the FBI was conducting an investigation and needed her help. That clerk, according to police, then took money from the store’s safe and purchased gift cards. Number from those cards were then given to the imposter.

AARP’s top ten scams targeted senior citizens is topped by romance. In one case, an elderly, and perhaps lonely Dothan woman, shelled out $14,000 to a person she met on an app, according to Lt. Scott Owens, who commands the police department’s investigative unit.

Other scams making the shameful top ten include timeshare rentals, computer service contracts, and the ones that convince victims to send money in order to collect lottery winnings.

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