Atlantic County Sheriff's Office

Potential Scams

Census workers will be on the streets from 4-27-00 to 7-7-00 and will be wearing an official agency badge, which is white along with their name, (blue seal Dept. of Commerce). The census persons name and signature, and the badge will say Census Enumerator. Request an additional form of ID if in doubt. They are not allowed to ask for credit history, bank accounts, social security numbers, etc.. If the person does, shut the door and call police immediately.
Gypsies (repair scams), a group or an individual, will approach a residence and identify themselve(s) as driveway resurfacers, roofing contractor or tree surgeons and say they saw something on the property which needs repair. Often times they will say they were working in the area and they have some extra time and materials to do the j ob. Be watchful for out of state tags, and stay away from such projects, unless you know who's doing the work or you use a local contractor.
Home invasions started in the area a few years ago. The setup occurs when two or more individuals come to the door seeking directions or saying they are inspectors of some sort looking to check a certain area. They divert the victim's attention while an accomplice searches other areas of the house for valuables.
Similar to this scam is the pocketbook scam, which takes place in shopping centers. They look for someone who has their purse on the shopping cart; one will distract the victim while the other grabs the purse.
Street Sale Scam, this works by an individual luring the victim out of their house to look at merchandise they are selling out of the back of their vehicle while an accomplice enters the residence through the back or a window.
Tow Truck Scam, scam artist approaches the residence and says that a relatives car has broken down and they need cash for a tow.
Telephone Scams, callers will try and lure cash, credit card numbers or checks by taking advantage of natural disasters and emergencies, requesting donations for that cause. Never give out any information, just ask them to mail something to you and you'll take a look.
THE MOST COMMON SCAM -- One of the most common scams is linking a charitable contribution to a major news story, like a major fire, bombing or natural disaster. Your first reaction should be to investigate any charity before giving, tell them to send you something in the mail and you will think about it. Do not give your name and address, if it is a National Charity they should not have to ask you for your name or address. The most common National Disaster Charity is the American Red Cross.

The phrase to remember is:

IF IT SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS.

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