Wed, 2008-10-15

The Bermuda Police Service, Fraud Unit would like to warn members of the public on the recent cold calls being made to Bermuda residents offering free or discounted vacations subject to a credit-card booking fee.

They get the consumers attention by informing them they have won a free or discounted vacation and after telling them what they will receive they ask for a booking fee which will require credit card details. Free means without cost and persons need to be wary of these types of schemes and others which inform individuals they have won, inherited, been willed or given a large quantity of money. If you know you have not entered anything to win or you don’t have a wealthy relative in some known or unknown parts of the world ignore them.

The Fraud Unit has received several calls from individuals asking for advice in relation to this matter, but we have not received any criminal complaints from persons who have actually lost money. Although we cannot comment on the legitimacy of this particular scheme it does bear similarities to other scams previously known to the Fraud Unit and we warn members of the public not to divulge credit card or other financial details to persons over the phone.

We would also like to take this opportunity to speak about the phishing scams and remind members of the public that if they are receiving emails, text messages, faxes or letters requesting financial information, social security numbers for our US residents or personal details even if it looks like it is coming from their financial institution not to give out any information. Your financial institution already has that information and would never solicit or request that type of information via those mediums.

We ask that persons who find themselves subject to these and other schemes contact the Fraud Unit at 299-8023 for advice before parting with any financial information or finances. You can also email us at fraud@bps.bm. We will continue to say it, if it sounds too good too be true, it probably is and the person who has been told they are the winner actually turns out to be the loser in the end.

The Christmas Season is rapidly approaching and this is the time of year where we see an increase in the circulation of counterfeit currency and we are asking that all businesses be on the lookout. If you have any doubts what to look for please contact the Fraud Unit and we would be happy to assist. We would also like to inform businesses that we are happy to offer training to their employees on how to detect counterfeit currency. This is a serious offence which carries a sentence of jail time, but this type of crime has a significant impact on the economy which affects us all. Once again if you have any questions, queries or are seeking advice we ask that you contact us at the Bermuda Police Service Fraud Unit before giving out any personal or financial details to individuals you do not know or cannot verify. The contact information again for the Fraud Unit is 299-8023 or email us at fraud@bps.bm.

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