The Munster Police Department encourages residents to read through and make note of the following, common types of scams and to also share the information with their friends, family members and neighbors.
• GRANDPARENT SCAM: You get a phone call from someone posing as a grandchild or child who is supposedly out of town and in a desperate situation. They could claim to be locked in jail, have had a car accident or are in need of medical treatment. They’ll want money wired to them. Always hang up and call your relative directly to check on them yourself.
• JURY DUTY SCAM: This time the call is supposedly from someone at the courthouse who claims you failed to report for jury duty and a warrant has been issued for your arrest. You’re offered a choice to either pay for the warrant or have an officer sent over to arrest you. The suspects will typically demand the money be paid by money transfer or by loading a prepaid gift card and sending them a photo of the redemption code.
• LOTTERY SCAM: While the other scams prey on fear and concern, this one aims to convince you that you’ve won money in a foreign lottery. Never mind that you can’t recall entering one. The call will come from someone who sounds official. They’ll ask for a payment up front for supposed taxes and fees so that you can collect your winnings.
• IRS SCAM: The suspect claims to be from the police or an IRS agent who is demanding payment for overdue taxes. If they’re not settled immediately, you’ll be arrested. They’ll want the money either wired or provided through gift cards. Please note that the IRS does not make contact by phone!
• UTILITY SCAM: The suspect will claim to be from the utility company while advising that they are about to cut off service due to unpaid bills. As with the other scams, they want the money sent by transfer or though gift cards.
• PERSONAL INFORMATION COMPROMISED SCAM: This scam involves the suspect contacting you advising that either your bank account, Amazon account, or Social Security number has been compromised. The suspect then tells you that you need to send cash to specific locations or to submit photos of gift card redemption codes to correct the issue.