HOLDEN — Bonnie Clark of Holden was first scammed in 2019.
“When you see it come up on your computer screen and they say it’s from the company, then you kind of believe it,” Clark said.
Clark added the first time it happened she didn’t lose anything.
The second time, about two weeks ago, is when things took a turn for the worse.
A notice popped up on her computer saying there was an issue with her email. She said there was a number for her to call and fix it.
“I kept holding off on it and tried a few days later and it was still there. So I called it,” she said.
She said the person on the other end told her to pay for the service with two $500 gift cards.
She was scammed thousands of dollars.
“They had my account numbers and everything,” she added.
Holden Police Chief Chris Greeley said they’ve seen an up tick in scams after the holidays. To try to recognize if you’re being scammed, he said to follow the four Ps.
“The first P is pretend. When they call you they’re going to pretend that they are somebody they are not,” Greeley said. “The second P is there’s either a prize or a problem.”
“The third P, which is really important, is pressure. And what I mean by that is they want to keep you on the phone. The fourth P is pay. That’s where they tell you specifically how they want you to pay the money to get out of the problem or to collect the prize or whatever it might be,” Greeley said.
If you’re questioning if it’s a scam Greeley suggested calling your local police.
Bonnie Clark has a warning for others.
“If anybody wants your addresses or your bank account or anything like that, don’t do it. Make sure it’s an honest person,” Clark said.
