(StatePoint) While we are all taught to use good manners when answering the telephone, not everyone who calls you necessarily has good intentions.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a recent spate of lottery scams or advance fee frauds originating in Jamaica are targeting seniors and other Americans by telephone.
kAm(9:=6 E96 y2>2:42? 2?5 &]$] 8@G6C?>6?ED 92G6 E62>65 E@ E:89E6? =2HD 2?5 4@>32E E96 AC@3=6>[ :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 8F2C5 282:?DE 364@>:?8 E96 ?6IE G:4E:>]k^Am
kAmz?@H:?8 E96 5:776C6?46 36EH66? =68:E:>2E6 E6=6>2C<6E6CD 2?5 D42>>6CD :D 4CF4:2=] !C@E64E J@FCD6=7 3J E2<:?8 E96 7@==@H:?8 AC642FE:@?Dik^Am
kAm• }6G6C A2J >@?6J E@ 4@==64E DFAA@D65 DH66ADE2<6D H:??:?8D] {68:E:>2E6 @A6C2E:@?D H@?’E C6BF:C6 J@F E@ A2J E@ 4@==64E H:??:?8D] xE’D 282:?DE &]$] =2H E@ A=2J 7@C6:8? =@EE6C:6D] x7 J@F 86E 2 42== D2J:?8 J@F’G6 H@? @?6[ :E’D AC@323=J 2 D42>]k^Am
kAm• }6G6C H:C6 >@?6J E@ 2?J@?6 J@F 5@?’E <?@H]k^Am
kAm• x8?@C6 F?D@=:4:E65 42==D 7C@> 2?J@?6[ 6G6? 492C:E:6D 2?5 4@>A2?:6D H:E9 H9@> J@F 2=C625J 5@ 3FD:?6DD] *@F 92G6 ?@ H2J E@ 4@?7:C> E96 42==6C :D =68:E:>2E6] tG6? 42==6C xs 42? 36 72<65] (96? :? 5@F3E[ ;FDE 92?8 FA]k^Am
kAm• !=246 J@FC E6=6A9@?6 ?F>36C @? E96 }2E:@?2= s@ }@E r2== #68:DECJ] xE’D 72DE 2?5 7C66] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]5@?@E42==]8@G^QmHHH]s@}@Er2==]8@Gk^2m @C 255 J@FC ?F>36C E@ E96 C68:DECJ 3J 42==:?8 ggg\bga\`aaa 7C@> E96 A9@?6 J@F H:D9 E@ C68:DE6C]k^Am
kAm• r964< F?72>:=:2C 2C62 4@56D 367@C6 C6EFC?:?8 42==D] q6 2H2C6 E92E E96C6 2C6 >2?J E9C66 5:8:E 2C62 4@56D E92E 4@??64E 42==6CD E@ :?E6C?2E:@?2= E6=6A9@?6 ?F>36CD]k^Am
kAm• x7 J@F 5@?’E >2<6 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 42==D[ 2D< J@FC E6=6A9@?6 AC@G:56C E@ 3=@4< :?4@>:?8 2?5 @FE8@:?8 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 42==D] k^Am
kAm• }6G6C AC@G:56 2?J@?6 H:E9 A6CD@?2= :?7@C>2E:@?[ DF49 2D 32?< 244@F?ED[ A:? ?F>36CD @C $@4:2= $64FC:EJ ?F>36CD]k^Am
kAm• !C6G6?E 4C:>:?2=D 7C@> 2446DD:?8 J@FC >@?6J] r@?E24E J@FC 32?<[ 3C@<6C286D[ 2D H6== 2D E96 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ p5>:?:DEC2E:@? E@ 255 2 A2DDH@C5 E@ J@FC 244@F?ED]k^Am
kAm• x7 42==6CD :?D:DE @? DA62<:?8 H:E9 J@F[ E6== E96> J@F’== 42== E96> 5:C64E=J] s@?’E E2<6 2 ?F>36C @776C65 3J 2 A@E6?E:2= 7C2F5DE6C] *@F’C6 D276C =@@<:?8 FA E96 ?F>36C :?56A6?56?E=J]k^Am
kAm• $42>>6CD @7E6? 4C62E6 72=D6 5625=:?6D] x7 J@F 766= AC6DDFC65[ 92?8 FA] *@F’G6 DA6?E 2 =:76E:>6 62C?:?8 J@FC >@?6J] *@F 56D6CG6 E:>6 E@ 49@@D6 9@H E@ DA6?5 :E]k^Am
kAm• w6=A @E96CD 7C@> 72==:?8 G:4E:> E@ D42>>6CD 3J H2C?:?8 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J] x7 J@F’G6 C646:G65 2 42==[ >2:= @C 6>2:= J@F E9:?< >:89E 36 7C@> 2 D42>>6C[ C6A@CE :E E@ E96 u656C2= %C256 r@>>:DD:@? 3J 42==:?8 2E gff\u%r\wt{! Wgff\bga\cbdfX @C 4@?E24E =@42= 2FE9@C:E:6D]k^Am
kAm“%96 y2>2:42? v@G6C?>6?E :D C6D@=G65 E@ DF446DD7F==J 4@>32E E9:D D4@FC86] (6 92G6 AFE :? A=246 3@E9 =68:D=2E:G6 2?5 @A6C2E:@?2= >62DFC6D E92E H:== 6?DFC6 E92E A6CD@?D H9@ AC6J @? GF=?6C23=6 D6?:@CD 2C6 96=5 244@F?E23=6[” D2:5] y2>2:42’D |:?:DE6C @7 }2E:@?2= $64FC:EJ[ !6E6C qF?E:?8[ H9@ :D H@C<:?8 H:E9 &]$] @77:4:2=D E@ DE@A ?6H y2>2:42? =@EE6CJ D42>D]k^Am
kAm*@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ =:G6 :? 762C E@ 2G@:5 36:?8 2 G:4E:>] qJ 364@>:?8 :?7@C>65 @7 E96 =2E6DE E24E:4D FD65 3J D42>>6CD E@ 567C2F5 4@?DF>6CD[ J@F 42? AC@E64E J@FCD6=7 2?5 J@FC 7:?2?46D]k^Am
kAm!9@E@ rC65:Ei W4X z@?DE2?E:? $FEJ28:? \ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u@E@=:2]4@>Qmu@E@=:2]4@>k^2mk^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEAi^^7665D]DE2E6A@:?E]?6E^E@H??6HD^A=246>6?E]2D9InEl4U2>Aj:5lb_a_Q ^mk^Am