OTTAWA COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — Email, phone, and even letters are being used to lure unsuspecting people into sharing account numbers, passwords, or cold cash.
Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Kempker said his detectives investigated a case where churches and their members were targeted by an email scam. The email writer asked people to buy gift cards and forward the card numbers. Kempker said the pastors alerted police to that scam.
Macatawa resident Gail Zainea called WHTC to warn people to watch out for phone scams.
Her husband George received a call from a man who asked for “grandpa,” and proceeded to pretend to be the couple’s grandson, saying he was out of state; had been in a car crash and was in jail. He asked that they send him money — and not tell anyone about his troubles.
But Gail Zainea suspected a problem. She called her grandson’s cellphone, and when he didn’t answer, she sent him a text, asking him to call her right away, which he did, she told WHTC. He hadn’t made the original call asking for cash, he said, nor had he been out of state or in a crash.
Another scam arrives as an email that appears to be from a bank, phone company or other online account. The note indicates your account has been hacked or suspended, and instructs the recipient to update their password — using a handy link. That link goes to a fak webpage, used for stealing personal infornation.
