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At least five people have fallen prey to scams in Roanoke Rapids within the last month, losing between $5,000 to $10,000, police Chief Bobby Martin said.

An increase of calls has been seen since September, he said. 

And as the holidays near, the police department expects the trend to continue. “They tend to target the elderly. It’s unfortunate some of our elders have been victims of these scammers.”

In a statement today Martin said the police department has seen an increase in the attempts to scam residents in the Roanoke Valley. “We want to make sure everyone is aware that the scammers are calling and trying to get you to purchase cards from Walmart, GameStop, and Ebay. They start the conversation off with you have won something, your account has been compromised and for a certain fee they will fix it for you.”

The scammers say all the would-be victim has to do is go to a local store and purchase a loadable card and take a picture of  the numbers on the back and send it to them. 

They will in turn send you a check for an undisclosed amount for you to deposit and all you have to do is share that information with them. “If you receive a call about your computer being compromised and they tell you to push certain keys it will lock your computer up and that’s when they tell you for a fee they can fix it,” Martin said in the statement.

These are just some of the scams going around right now. “If the person calling you tells you they are calling because your information has been compromised then they should be able to verify all your information without you giving it to them. 

“We encourage everyone not to go and purchase any cards or give out any account information or even personal information. We recommend that you contact law enforcement and speak with them about the situation. Remember, If it sounds too good to be true then it is more than likely a scam.”

Call the police department at 252-533-2810 if you believe you are or have been a victim of a scam.