HAZEL PARK/MADISON HEIGHTS — Scams take many forms — in-person, online, and over the phone — and knowing the signs of one is the best way to protect yourself and your money.
As con artists get increasingly clever, police are warning residents to remain vigilant. Here are some of the most common scams law enforcement have seen reported lately.
Romance and family scams
Some scams target those looking for love. These usually occur through social media platforms, where the scammer has a fake online identity and reaches out to as many individuals as possible. Once someone replies, they try to form a relationship as soon as possible in order to establish trust, pretending to care about the victim, their conversations and their lives. The scammer will soon say that they want to travel to see them, but that they don’t have money. They then ask for funds to fly to meet them, and make excuses when they never book the flights.
Sometimes the conversation leads to fake children, or a sick child with medical bills or who needs money to pay tuition for school. It’s all to create the illusion that the scammer is a caring parent who only wants what’s…
