DENVER — Police are warning anyone who will listen: There are several scams making their way to the Mile High City, and people need to stop falling for them.
In 2017, the Denver Police Department took 1,376 fraud reports. DPD said that number went up to 1,504 in 2018. That's a 9.3 percent increase on telephone fraud cases alone.
Here are some common scams that have been around over the last few years:
The grandparent scam - where your grandchild's been in an accident and needs money.
The jury duty scam - you missed jury duty and now you'll have to pay or you'll be arrested.
The loved one being kidnapped scam - pay, or else.
The behind-on-your bills scam - pay us for your phone or electricity bill or your service will end.
The perennial taxes scam - you owe money to the IRS and if you don't pay, you're going to jail.
There's also a pretty regular modus operandi for scammers when calling over the phone. Imposters often work to build a relationship with their victims, like in a home improvement or investment scheme.
They also play on emotion, trying to get their victim to make a quick decision before they have time to think about it. Or they pretend it's an emergency situation or tells the victim they have a limited amount of time to act.
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According to the Denver Police Department, officers continue to see an alarming number of telephone-based fraud cases that often bilk unsuspecting victims for thousands of dollars. Sometimes people are scammed of much more.
DPD said they were also investigating sexual extortion crimes, where people demand not only money, but explicit photos, in their scams.
If you think you are a victim of a scam, or someone has tried to scam you, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
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