Multiple Attempted Telephone Scams Related

Since September, four reports have been filed with the Raleigh Police Department involving a variety of attempted telephone scams that detectives believe to be related.

• On September 4, a shopkeeper received a telephone call from a customer. The customer had been contacted by phone by someone claiming to be the shopkeeper and requesting that money be sent to him outside the country. The customer recognized the call to be an attempted fraud and hung up.
• On October 14, a man received a call from someone claiming to represent a parcel delivery company. The caller attempted to get the man to provide his address over the telephone, but the man believed the call to be a scam and declined.
• On November 24, a woman received a call from someone who told her she had won millions in a sweepstakes. The caller told the woman she needed to wire $1,300 to an out-of-state addressee before the prize could be awarded. The woman declined to do so.
• On November 27, a woman received a call from someone who told her she had won a car. When the woman said she was not interested, the caller then claimed that she owed him $500. The woman declined to provide the money.

The investigation of the cases determined a commonality among some of the telephone numbers used to make the calls detailed above. Another common thread between them is a persistence often displayed by the caller.

The Raleigh Police Department reminds residents they should not respond by providing information or sending money to unknown callers and should immediately report any suspicious solicitations to law enforcement.