FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Fruitport police are warning of several scams targeting elderly people.
Fraudulent phone calls say a family member is hurt and needs emergency medical treatment and asks for money to be sent to them. Police say the calls often include the name of the person’s child or grandchild.
Some calls are IRS scams asking for money orders or prepaid debit cards to eliminate a debt. The IRS will never call someone on the phone without making previous contact through mail.
Police say scammers are also targeting elderly people online by asking for remote access to their computers by claiming to be Microsoft or an internet service provider. Once they get access, they request money to release control of the computer.
Most of these types of scams originate in other countries and have software to generate phone numbers and email addresses that can’t be traced.
Everyone is advised to never give away personal information on the phone.
