Residents warned to verify requests
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
After a Twin Lakes resident reported a phone scam, the village is reminding residents to stay vigilant, and report any issues to the police department.
According to Police Chief Adam Grosz, a person received a phone call from a representative of the non-existent Twin Lakes Water Department.
When the resident challenged the person, the caller abruptly hung up, he said.
While this is the first case using a fake “water department” in a scam, Grosz reports there have been issues in the past.
“We often receive of similar nature where the caller is trying to solicit money or personal information by claiming to represent a company, government agency or family member,” he said.
However, unlike other cases where the elderly are targets, it was not the case this time, the chief said.
The resident reported the number came from a 262 area code, but citing advanced technology, Grosz said it could have come from anywhere.
“Technology has given phone scammers the ability to disguise themselves extremely well to avoid detection,” he said. “There are applications on the market that allow criminals to disguise themselves and make it appear that they are calling from a local phone number.”
The efforts of criminals make it difficult for the police investigate, but they document each incident, the chief said.
“The vast majority of these scams are generated outside the United States, which makes any type of follow-up investigation very difficult,” Grosz said.
The police department issued tips for residents to safeguard themselves from a phone scammer.
In the case of a government organization, contact the agency directly to verify the call, and do not give personal or financial information over the phone.
Grosz also noted there are online resources containing information about the latest phone scams.
“The very best thing a citizen can do when they receive a phone call that they feel may be a scam, is to simply hang up without revealing any personal information,” he said.