Town of Webb Police Chief John Russell is advising everyone in the area to be on guard for phone scammers who have been targeting the Town of Webb in recent months.
According to Chief Russell, several Webb residents have reportedly received calls from a Jamaica cell phone number used by a scammer that preys on elderly or unsuspecting people.
Russell said that the particular caller that is active currently, speaks with a foreign accent and attempts to establish a relationship of trust with potential victims.The scammer feels his way through conversation and asks the victim to exchange money in some way, either immediately or during subsequent phone conversations.
One ruse involves the caller telling the victim they have won a lottery price that they can collect in exchange for a processing fee.
Another has the caller trying to convince the victim that a loved one is in financial straights due to a lost passport or a detainment, where the forwarding of cash is necessary.
“They are even using businesses, usually delivery services such as pizza or flower shops to get phone numbers of potential victims,” Russell said.
“Everyone in the area should watch for calls received from the 876 area code or from a male with a foreign sounding accent, who appears to be interested in personal information or some form of money payment,” he said.
People should also touch base with older loved ones, who may have been contacted and are in an early or advanced stage of a money scam.
Anyone that has had such an encounter should contact the local police, Russell said.
Russell added that the scammers are persistent and once they have identify an effective target, they are reluctant to give, even after a change of phone number.
They are very resourceful and everyone needs be alert so neither they nor a loved one gets sucked in, Russell said.
