Baker City Police Warn of Potential Holiday Thefts and Scams

By on Friday, December 2nd, 2022 in Featured Stories Northeastern Oregon News

BAKER CITY – (Release from the Baker City Police Department) As the holiday season reaches full swing law enforcement begins to see and uptick in crimes of opportunity, these crimes can include but are not limited to package thefts, burglary, and telephonic scams. It is estimated that 36% of Americans have had, at least once, a package stolen from outside their residence, there are 2.5 million burglaries annually in the United States, and according to a recent study 33% of Americans have reported falling victim to phone scams, and 20% on more than on occasion. Here are some tips on keeping yourself safe over the holiday seasons as well as year-round:

  • Require a signature on packages delivered to your residence
  • Ask the package to be left out of plain view
  • Have UPS, FED EX, or local post office hold packages
  • Install a home security system
  • Install motion detector lights
  • Network with neighbors
  • Have package delivered to work

If you are going to be gone over the holiday season or for any length of time during any portion of the year:

  • Contact local law enforcement and have your residence placed on a watch list
  • Make your home look occupied
  • Lock all outside doors and windows
  • Don’t share vacation plans on social media
  • Don’t allow mail, newspaper, or package deliveries to build up
  • Store lawn mowers, barbeques, and bicycles out of sight
  • Minimize hiding spots by trimming trees and shrubs

Criminals continue to use phishing techniques (phone scams) because they realize that talking quickly and persuasively can and does many times catch people off guard. Sometimes these techniques are easily detected while other times they are subtle enough to fool even the most cautious of consumers some of the most common phishing scams are:

  • Solving a problem with your account
  • A demand for payment (Scammers may pretend to work for government agencies, such as the IRS or the FBI, or as employees at collection agencies or other third parties)
  • Technical support
  • Enrollment scam
  • Collecting an award or special offer
  • Threaten law enforcement arrest if immediate payment is not made

Some ways to protect yourself from these scams:

  • Put your phone number on the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry (https://www.donotcall.gov/)
  • Use call blocking
  • Hang up on robocalls
  • Do not answer calls from unknown numbers
  • Do not return one-ring calls from one-ring numbers
  • Don’t follow instructions on prerecorded messages, such as “Press 1” 
  • Do not give out personal or financial data such as Social Security number or credit card account numbers
  • Do not pay registration or shipping charges to get supposed free products or prizes
  • Do not make payments by gift card (https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/gift-card-payment/) prepaid debit card or wire transfer 

More Resources

If you encounter a suspected phone scam or an abusive telemarketer, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, online or at 877-382-4357, and notify your state consumer protection office.

Report caller-ID spoofing to the Federal Communications Commission, online or at 888-225-5322. The FCC also provides consumer guides to numerous phone scams and improper practices.

Visit the Do Not Call Registry website or call 888-382-1222 to register your number or report illegal robocalls.

As always the Baker City Police Department wishes you a safe and healthy holiday season.

Elkhorn Media Group