The Flagler Beach Police Departments has released an announcement in an effort to raise awareness and alert citizens that there is a new telephone “scam” currently taking place in the Flagler County area.

The scams involve a phone call from someone you don’t know, usually from a private number, blocked phone number or a phone number from outside the Country.

In a recent case, the caller/scammer stated that she was a Police Officer from Jacksonville, Florida and that the victims’ granddaughter was under arrest and in need of bail money.

The call was actually placed from Canada.

The victim was directed by the caller/scammer to withdraw two large amounts of money and purchase pre‐loaded debit cards. The victim in this case complied with the caller/scammers instructions and provided the caller/scammer with the card numbers and access codes of the purchased cards.

The suspect, or suspects, contacted the victim again and advised the victim that the Judge increased the bail amount, and more money was required for the granddaughter’s release.

At this point the victim became skeptical and was able to make contact with his granddaughter, who had not been arrested.

Police are reminding citizens that the people behind these scams can be very charming and convincing, but their goal is simple; to take your hard earned money.

We live in an age where vast amounts of personal information is readily available online.

“Scammers” can access genealogy and family history research to target select individuals, and they can obtain names, addresses, and telephone numbers of relatives, such as grandparents.

This kind of information can also be easily garnered on social networking website such as Facebook, if proper security settings are not utilized.

Police have provided citizens with these tips to help minimize the chances of citizens becoming a victim to this scam:

  • Never provide or verify any personal information by phone or e‐mail to unconfirmed persons or contacts. This includes verifying names, addresses, phone numbers, or providing any
    information as to bank accounts, credit card numbers, social security numbers, or dates of birth.
  • Ask to speak personally and directly to your relative or friend said to be “in jail and in need of help or bail money”. If you are not absolutely certain you are speaking directly to your relative or friend, then do not acknowledge them as such or provide any information.
  • Ascertain the specific jurisdiction and facility that your relative is said to be detained or in custody at. Obtain the exact name of the agency or facility, the address, the identity of the administrator, and the telephone number. Verify this information online or through other means.
  • End the call, and make a call back to the facility yourself to verify the information.

If you receive a call of this nature and are unsure if it’s legitimate, be cautious and contact local Law Enforcement for assistance.