Contact: Capt. J.L. Rogers
Phone: 373-3619

GPD Warns of Recent Fraud Scams

GREENSBORO, NC -- (May 1, 2009) – The Greensboro Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division/Fraud unit is warning residents not to be fooled by recent e-mail and standard mail frauds and scams, one of which claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

If you receive an e-mail that appears to be from the IRS, complete with official logo, do not open the message and do not click on any links in the message. The IRS would not request personal information from you through e-mail, police say. If you receive an e-mail of this nature delete it.  For more information, visit IRS’ Web site at www.irs.gov.

There are also several versions of a lottery scam taking place in the area, many of which originate from outside the United States. According to police, if you receive a letter stating you won a lottery for which you do not hold a ticket, then the letter is a fraud. Do not respond to it. Also, if you receive a check from a lottery you never entered, then the check is a counterfeit. In this scam, you will be asked to deposit the check and then send or wire money to another party. Do not respond or you will lose your money, police warn.

To report cases of possible fraud, call CID/Fraud at 373-2255. To report a fraud in progress, call Guilford Metro 9-1-1 at 373-2933.

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The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body. For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.