Flurry of fraud reports to Manassas City Police Sept. 29 & 30

Manassas City Police Department Crime Report
Oct. 4, 2016
Special Attention: Fraud & Scams with Crime Prevention Tips

Beauty Fraud
On Sept. 30, 2016, Manassas City Police responded to Sonia Beauty Salon, located at 9922 Cockrell Rd, for a report of a fraud. The reporting party told officers that at approximately 10:45 a.m., a female customer attempted to pay for salon services with a bank card which was declined. When the customer offered to retrieve money from her vehicle, she left the business and did not return.

Utility Phone Scam
On Sept. 30, 2016, Manassas City Police responded to a business located at 9413 Main St for a report of a fraud. The reporting party told officers that a female subject called claiming to work for a local utility company. The caller told the citizen that unless he settled his unpaid electric bill immediately, the electricity at his business would be cut off. At the request of the suspect, the victim purchased prepaid money cards and provided the card numbers to the suspect over the phone. The victim then recognized the call as a scam and notified Police.
 
**Crime Prevention TIP**
Don’t believe callers, emails or texts that say they are from a utility company and that your account is past due. The City of Manassas is the sole provider of utilities in the City of Manassas (20110), and will not call customers demanding money. When in doubt about the status of your account, please call Public Works Customer Service line directly at (703)257-8219. Payments to the Public Works Department are never accepted in the form of pre-paid cards, but may be made in person at 8500 Public Works Dr, by phone, and online. Click here to view all payment options available.

Online Rental Scam
On Sept. 29, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a citizen for a report of a fraud. The reporting party told officers that on Sept. 28, she entered an agreement with a prospective landlord to rent a property in the Falls Church area. The victim reported that the suspect requested payment by wire transfer to an address in Nigeria, where the suspect’s alleged attorney was located. Upon receipt of the initial payment and victim’s personal information, the suspect claimed he would mail the victim a key to the property. The key never arrived when the victim learned it was a fraud she called Police.
 
**Crime Prevention TIP**
If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Visit Craigslist’s “Avoid Scams & Fraud” and “Personal Safety Tips” for suggestions on how to protect yourself from fraudulent sales online, and to maintain your personal safety when buying or selling in person.

Attempted Phone Scam
On Sept. 29, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a citizen for a report of an attempted fraud. The reporting party told officers that on multiple occasions, he had received phone calls from a male subject claiming to be a representative of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The caller claimed that the citizen was owed money from past tax returns that he had yet to collect. In order to proceed claiming his refunds, the citizen was asked to provide his Social Security Number and driver’s license number. The citizen recognized the call as a scam, did not provide any personal or financial information, and notified Police.
 
**Crime Prevention TIP from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)**
Despite public perception, scam artists don’t discriminate based on age. Children, adolescents, adults, and seniors are ALL at risk for becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft. October is STILL tax season, which is the perfect time for scam artists to target residents. Don’t believe callers, emails or texts that say they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), even if they offer you’re a refund or threaten to have you arrested for tax evasion. Tax identity thieves may send phony “phishing” emails that appear to be from the IRS and ask you to click on a link. They may also directly ask you to provide or confirm your personal information online or over the phone.  Don’t do it! The IRS does not email, call, or text people to get personal information. If the IRS needs to contact you, they will do so by mail. If you have any doubt whether a message is legitimate, call the IRS directly or consult Police or a trusted family member. For more information on IRS scams, click here.

Attempted Fraud
On Sept. 29, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a citizen for a report of an attempted fraud. The reporting party told officers that on Sept. 24, he received an email from a business claiming to offer him employment. After the citizen replied expressing interest, the a suspect mailed him a check and instructions to cash the check, deduct a portion for commission, and return the remainder to the sender by wire transfer. The citizen recognized the offer as a scam and called Police.

Crime Prevention TIP
It can be tempting to respond to offer of home employment, easy income, or no-risk investments but remember: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid becoming a victim of fraud by consulting a trusted friend, family member, or Police when someone offers you a deal that requires any payment or fund transfers from you up front.

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