Oakland County Sees Jump in Bank, Rental, and Senior Scams

Scammers strike hard across Southeast Michigan. Their tricks hit bank account holders, rental seekers, and older adults in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties, shows data from AARP Scam Tracker.

Bank fraudsters make calls and send texts while pretending to work at banks. They spin tales about hacked accounts, pushing victims to hand over passwords or send cash to fake secure accounts under their control.

House hunters face traps too. Fake listings flood websites, using stolen photos from real estate pages. Would-be renters waste money on bogus application costs. 

Older adults remain prime targets. Swindlers recently posed as medical device sellers. They dangled no-cost alert systems as bait, then snatched credit card numbers and private details from trusting seniors.

Bogus utility workers knock on doors. A crafty caller claimed water waste hit 700 gallons each minute at night. Others got frantic calls about relatives needing quick bail cash through wire transfers or crypto ATMs.

Email inboxs fill with threats. Fake bills for $499 antivirus charges push people toward phony tech support lines. Once they call, crooks sneak into their computers and raid their accounts.

Help is available at Michigan's Attorney General office - just dial 877-765-8388. AARP's Fraud Watch team backs up victims at 877-908-3360. The BBB tracks these crimes in their Scam Tracker system.

Stop and think, say county officials. Check facts through real websites and phone numbers first. Never share account info, codes or Social Security details with surprise callers. Smart moves can block most scams.

Want to learn more? The county's Information Security team puts safety guides online. Local folks can tap into free Citizen Cyber Training to spot and dodge dirty tricks.