The Northborough Police Department is warning residents of three recent phone
scams that have come to its attention within the last week:
Scam No. 1: Donation to local group organization scam.
There is an individual calling local merchants soliciting money for the "Northborough Drug Task Force." This is a scam and residents and business owners should not send money to this individual. The caller may be calling from a 305 area code. There is no known group/organization known as the Northborough Drug Task Force.
Scam No. 2: The "Get Rich Quick" scam.
The caller is targeting the elderly by calling them on their home phone. The caller indicates that they have won $50,000. The caller tells the individual to wire him/her $400 for a processing fee and in return the $50,000 will be delivered to their house within 3 to 5 business days. The caller in this scam is calling from a 561 area code.
Scam No. 3: Relative in need of assistance scam.
The caller, once again, targets the elderly, and informs them that he/she has run into a problem out of state and needs some money wired to him/her. The caller uses the name of the individuals grandson or granddaughter. The caller also uses the first name of the homeowner. Again, this is a scam and money should not be sent.
"Most scams we see come in all different methods," said Det. Brian Griffin. "Most of these scams we have seen many times before and we will continue to see them. The scam artist can be very creative and sophisticated. Bottom line—if it sounds too good to be true then it is probably a scam."