What are Virginia Charity Scams?
In Virginia, phone scams refer to various activities done over the phone to deprive unsuspecting individuals of their money and valuable information. The Virginia Office of the Attorney General is the principal government agency responsible for tackling phone scams in the state. This office’s consumer protection division regularly publishes scam alerts that warn residents on the latest scams uncovered in the state. Residents also can subscribe to receive these alerts directly and search for all complaints reported to the Virginia Office of the Attorney General online through its consumer complaint database.
Phone scams can be carried out through various methods. Some of the most common methods reported in Virginia are:
- Charity Scams: scammers prey on potential victims by pretending to be reputable charity organizations;
- Fake Check Scams: scammers send bad checks to potential victims and ask for cash in return;
- Foreclosure Rescue Scams: scammers contact individuals facing foreclosure and ask for a fee in return for helping them out of their predicament;
- Government Impostor Scams: scammers pretend to be government agents and threaten their potential victims into divulging sensitive information;
- IRS Scams: a variation of the government impostor scam where scammers obtain money from victims by claiming to be IRS agents;
- Grandparent/Relative Scams: scammers target elderly citizens by claiming to be a relative in distress;
- Lottery/Sweepstakes Scams: scammers contact potential victims with offers of lottery and prize winnings and ask for a fee to send these winnings;
- Phishing Scams: scammers impersonate a business to trick victims into releasing personal information
Virginia charity scams involve unscrupulous individuals preying on potential victims’ emotions by pretending to be representatives of real charity organizations. In most cases, they pick a charity with a public and well-known cause and solicit cash or gift donations towards that cause. In reality, these scammers do not work for the charity organization, and they divert all donations made to themselves.
Virginians can avoid falling victim to charity scams by only donating to charities that they have personally verified. One way of confirming if a charity organization is appropriately registered in Virginia is through the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs online charitable organization database. Other ways of not falling victim are by always asking for written information about the charity organization and what the donation will be used for from the caller, and never sending cash. Always send checks made payable to the organization, and not to a particular person. Finally, if the caller tries to pressure you into donating, hang up immediately.
What are Virginia Fake Check Scams?
In Virginia fake check scams, a scammer sends a check to a potential target, contacts the person, and provides reasons for doing so. The scammer may claim to have sent the check as an incentive for a job offer, or they may say that the check was sent in error. These scammers always ask for cash to be sent back. Most times, the scammer does not ask for full reimbursement of the amount on the check. The checks may look legit, but in reality, they are fake checks. Virginians that receive checks from an unknown individual or business are advised to disregard these checks and never wire cashback to the person or business that sent it.
What are Virginia Robocall Scams?
Virginia robocall scams are deceptive schemes carried out via automated phone calls. They use pre-recorded messages or computerized voices to target individuals. In some cases, these fraudsters pretend to be from legitimate organizations like government agencies, banks, tech support, or utility companies. They often claim there's an urgent issue with the victims account, taxes, or a legal matter to get personal information or payments.
Robocall scams also encompass offers for loans, credit cards, or debt relief services that sound too good to be true. They may request upfront fees or personal financial details, leading to identity theft or financial loss.
Oftentimes, scammers offer fake health insurance, medical products, or miracle cures over the phone. They exploit people's health concerns to collect money or personal information.
Scammers can also manipulate caller IDs to make it seem like the call is coming from a trusted source, making it harder to identify fraudulent calls.
What are Virginia Foreclosure Rescue Scams?
Foreclosure rescue scammers target Virginians that have their houses in foreclosure and send them messages with offers of ways to help them out of their situation. These messages are usually simple and straightforward and typically include offers of loan modifications, lease buybacks, and legal help. Potential targets are asked to pay a fee for these services, and in some cases, they are even duped into transferring the deeds of their homes to these scammers.
The best way to avoid falling for this type of scam is by remembering that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not.” Always verify every claim made by individuals or businesses that say they can help with foreclosures, and never sign any documents without proper legal advice.
What are Virginia Government Impostor Scams?
In government impostor scams, scammers pretend to be official representatives of a government agency and intimidate a potential victim into parting with money or sensitive information. A popular variant of this in Virginia is the IRS scam, where the scammer claims to be an agent of the IRS and tries to make a potential victim make payments for allegedly owed taxes. Scammers that try to pull off government impostor and IRS scams typically use a phone spoofing technique that makes their phone numbers show up as a government phone number on their targets’ caller ID.
Virginians who receive calls from individuals claiming to be government agents are advised to hang up immediately and contact the appropriate agency if the caller starts to pressure or threaten them to send money or divulge any personal or financial information. Contact details for government agencies are always displayed on their websites. You can also perform a reverse phone number lookup if you suspect that the scammer called with a spoofed number. If the phone lookup does not produce any results, then there is a high likelihood that the number was spoofed.
What are Virginia Grandparent/Relative Scams?
Virginia grandparent/relative scams refer to scams where an individual contacts a potential target and poses as either a relative in distress or as a representative of a relative in distress. These types of scams are mostly targeted at senior citizens. Scammers always ask for money to help them out of the alleged distress, and sometimes they feign shame and embarrassment at having to do so. The best way to avoid falling for this scam is to verify the caller’s story independently. This can be done by contacting a close relative of the person the scammer is claiming to be. Elderly Virginians should also be wary of these types of calls if they are received late at night and if the caller asks them not to contact their alleged parents or other relatives.
What are Virginia Lottery/Sweepstakes Scams?
In lottery/sweepstakes scams, potential victims are contacted and told that they are the winners of an unexpected competition or lottery. In most cases, these victims never entered into any such competition. Potential victims are always asked to pay a fee before they can claim their winnings. Sometimes, the scammers may claim that the fees are necessary to cover insurance costs or taxes.
If you receive a call or message claiming that you have won a prize for a competition you never entered, it is advised that you hang up immediately or never respond to the message.
What are Virginia Phishing Scams?
Phishing scams involve scammers pretending to be a business and contacting potential victims via email or text message to obtain personal information. Most scammers pull off phishing scams by impersonating financial institutions and tricking victims into releasing sensitive financial information. One way to avoid falling victim to this scam is to never click on any links in a message that asks for personal information.
How Do I Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Phone Scam?
Scammers are always trying to come up with new ways to defraud unsuspecting Virginians. To avoid falling victim to a phone scam, the following tips should be considered:
- Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. This limits the number of unwanted calls you receive;
- Be wary of offers that sound too good to be true;
- Perform a reverse phone number lookup on numbers that seem suspicious;
- Hang up if the caller tries to pressure you into providing personal information;
- Be suspicious of messages from supposedly legitimate organizations that have grammatical errors;
- Be wary of callers that ask for an advance payment or fee or try to pressure you to act immediately;
- Never provide remote access to your computer without completely verifying who you are providing it to;
- Be suspicious of organizations that cannot give you a proper contact address or phone number;
- File a complaint with the Virginia Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission if you are a scam victim or you suspect that you were contacted by a scammer.