Lynn Police warn residents of telephone scam

LYNN – Lynn Police are warning residents to beware of phony automated phone calls that are popping up on caller ID as if coming straight from the department.According to Lt. Christopher Kelly, the calls are prompting people to enter their personal credit card information in order to follow up on alleged misuse of their accounts. The department’s Criminal Investigations Unit was notified by a victim on Tuesday who had received the bogus call at home.”The whole thing is a scam,” Kelly said. “It’s an automated female’s voice that lists alleged fraudulent charges on the person’s credit card and asks for the person to enter the information for a follow-up investigation.”Kelly stressed that the department does not use automated calling (unless, in an event of an emergency, a broadcast would then be made to the community). The department would also not be asking for credit card information unless there was an ongoing investigation regarding a previous complaint.In regards to the scam, Kelly said the department has discovered during its investigation several websites that can be used to disguise and change the name on the incoming caller identification.”We don’t have a lot of reports on this scam, but these tend to happen fast and multiply so we want to nip it in the bud and make sure residents don’t fall victim,” Kelly said.Catching the masterminds behind the scam may be a tough task, according to Kelly, who said they often operate out of the state or the country. The last scam to target the city was over a year ago where, Kelly said, Spanish-speaking residents were called and told a relative was being held hostage and to give money to free them.”There have also been landscaping scams and paving scams targeting the elderly as well,” he said. “And that’s sad because the elderly are often seen as easy victims.”The investigation into the latest scam remains ongoing but, in the meantime, Kelly urged residents to not give out their personal information over the phone to a person they do not know. In the event another resident receives the same mysterious automated phone call they are asked to contact the police at 781-595-2000. Tips about the scam can be sent to the department by texting the word tiplynn and the information to tip411.