Residents of Mill Valley have found themselves the targets of a predatory phone scam, prompting an advisory from the local police department. Fraudsters, posing as agents from the Social Security Office or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), are ringing up locals and spinning tales of "issues" that can only be resolved with personal information and wire transfers of cash. These con artists have gone as far as to threaten to dispatch police officers to their victims' homes to collect the supposed debts if they can't make it to the bank in time.
Keen to remind the community that no legitimate government agency would ever operate in such a manner, Mill Valley Police are clarifying that neither the DEA nor the Social Security Administration would call demanding personal information or money. They also stressed that the police department isn't in the business of collecting dough over the phone for any monetary issue, including unpaid taxes or outstanding warrants. According to a statement, those in Mill Valley who have been financially stung by these crooks are encouraged to report to the Mill Valley Police Department’s Non-Emergency line at (415) 389-4100.
In a move to shield the community, the police department is offering up a handful of smart tips: never fork over personal or financial data to a caller or email you didn't request; be wary of any caller demanding immediate payment; and make it a point to revise your social media's privacy settings constantly—scammers are known to weave more convincing lies through the personal data they mine from platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Another piece of sage advice is to remember that once you give out the numbers on a prepaid card, the funds are as good as gone. As a rule of thumb, never wire money or give a stranger debit or credit card numbers.
The Mill Valley Police Department urges you to check on older and vulnerable loved ones who might have fallen prey to these relentless scam calls. In this age of increasingly sophisticated scams, staying vigilant is more crucial than ever.
