It is a scam if it says this

Our friends at the city of Creve Coeur parks and recreation department published a great article in their recent newsletter to residents, titled “four signs that it’s a scam.” The article provides great advice on what to watch for and how to deal with it. Here are the key points it made:

1. Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know. Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like Social Security Administration, the IRS or Medicare. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company. They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID, so the name and number you see might not be real.
2. Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize. They might say you are in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Some say there is a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify information. 
3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s license, or deport you. 
4. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way. They often insist that you pay by sending money through a money transfer company or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back. 

What you can do to avoid a scam

The article further provides advice on how to keep you and your important information safe. 

• Block unwanted calls and text messages. This will reduce the chance you will get contacted by a scammer. 
• Don’t give your person or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to ask for your personal information. If you get an email from a company you do business with and you think it is real, contact them to double check the request.
• Resist the pressure to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will give you time to make a decision. 
• Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone – a friend, a family member, a neighbor – what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
• Repot scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.