Crime & Safety

Police: Latest Telephone Scam Targeting Senior Citizens

Persons pretending to be from legitimate businesses are asking residents to verify personal and financial information over the phone in order to steal their identity.

Senior adults in the West Springfield and Burke areas are the new targets of the latest telephone scams, according to police.

According to a news release from the Fairfax County Police Department, at least a dozen senior adults are reported to be victims of the telephone scams. Residents are receiving calls from a person claiming to be from a utility company, delivery service or sweepstakes service, the release states. The person informs the resident that their service will be disconnected if they don’t pay immediately via phone and the residents then give the payment information to the person over the phone.

The callers are also informing residents that the information is required in order to send new health insurance cards or other important documents to the resident once they have “verified” their information.

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The release further states the callers typically phone residents during the weekday, are both male and female and speak quickly or with an accent, and usually know basic information about the victim such as their name, age, and address.

Police are warning residents to avoid giving out financial information over the phone to anyone before verifying the legitimacy of the company requesting the information.

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Residents who feel they may have been victimized can file a report at the Fairfax County Police Citizens Reporting System.

Additional information about social security fraud can be found on the U.S. Social Security Administration website.


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