Scams of varying degrees of sophistication have recently targeted people living in the state of Ohio. The following are five common schemes that you should be aware of:
1. Imposter Scams
Scammers pose as representatives of state or municipal governments, such as the Internal Revenue Service or local courts, in order to demand quick payments for purported breaches or debts.
Frequently, they threaten to arrest you if payments are not made in a timely manner. For the purpose of further exploiting victims, these con artists may also ask for personal information, including Social Security numbers.
2. Frauds involving romantic relationships and financial investments
Cautionary statements have been made by the Division of Securities of the Ohio Department of Commerce regarding online romance scams that eventually turn into investment frauds.
Swindlers first cultivate emotional connections with their victims, and then they use those connections to entice them into false investment possibilities, which ultimately results in large financial losses.
3. Turnpike Text Scams
It has been claimed that residents have received fake text messages saying that they are owed fees for using the Ohio Turnpike service.
These messages frequently include links to phony websites that are designed to steal personal and financial information from their recipients.
In order to warn the general public about this scam, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has issued a warning to recipients, instructing them not to click on any suspicious links.
4. Scams with Brushing Packages
The term “brushing” refers to the practice of getting packages unsolicited from companies such as Amazon. For the purpose of sending these goods, con artists use your address and other personal information.
This is typically done as a strategy to submit bogus reviews in your name. Despite the fact that you are not charged for the things, this fraud suggests that your personal information may have been inappropriately accessed.
5. Contractors Fraud
An increase in the number of scams involving contractors has been seen. These scams involve individuals pretending to be professional contractors, accepting payments in advance, and then failing to finish the work that was promised.
For example, a woman from Ohio who was 74 years old said that she had lost $153,000 to a contractor who never managed to rebuild her house after it was damaged by fire.
In order to protect themselves from these ever-evolving frauds, residents are strongly encouraged to maintain vigilance, verify communications that are not solicited, and report suspicious actions to the authorities in their particular area.
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