LEWISTON — World War II veteran Robert Poisson gets letters and frequent phone calls warning that his vehicle warranty has expired. The letters say things such as: “Final notice,” “Extremely urgent” and “Immediate response to this notice required.” The letters say the warranty on his Chevrolet Malibu has expired or is about to expire. It’s […]
scam
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Livermore Falls Advertiser
Fraud Watch: Don’t share too much on social media
If you use Facebook or any social media sites to connect with friends and family, be careful what you post, as well as how much personal information you are sharing, AARP FraudWatch Network cautions. Scammers troll social media sites so they can “profile” their potential victims. For example, if they know the names of your […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Scam alert: If the IRS calls, it’s not the IRS
NORWAY — The phone rang. Barbara Farrar answered, listened, and hung up. “They said, ‘This is the IRS calling,’” said Farrar, 77, a retired clerical worker who recently lost her husband and is the great-grandmother of 34 (at last count.) “They said, ‘We’re calling because you owe money,’ she said. ‘We need to discuss it […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Fraud watch: Guard your child’s ID from theft
Every two seconds, someone’s identity is stolen — and it could be your child’s. From cradle to college, children younger than 18 are 51 times more likely to be victims of identity theft as their parents, according to Carnegie Mellon University’s CYLab. Child identity theft can go undetected for years. When the victims eventually apply […]
Posted inOxford Hills
Norway woman pleads not guilty to water-dumping scam
PARIS — A Norway woman accused of scamming state benefits by returning dumped water bottles has entered a not guilty plea in court. Linda Goodman, 57, faces a single count of unlawful trafficking in SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, a Class D misdemeanor. She is accused of purchasing water with state benefits, emptying the bottles and […]
Posted inBusiness
Central Maine Power warning customers of scammers
AUGUSTA (AP) — Central Maine Power is warning customers of a “surge” of telephone scam attempts. The utility said scammers are calling business and residential customers and saying they either missed a payment or that their payment wasn’t processed properly. Company officials they’ve received hundreds of scam reports that callers are instructing customers to buy […]
Posted inLocal & State
Maine AG warns about IRS scams
AUGUSTA — Callers pretending to be from the IRS are trying to trick Mainers into sending them money, Maine Attorney General Janet Mills warned Monday. The AG’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission have gotten thousands of complaints about one kind of scammer in particular, IRS imposters. It works like this, according to the AG’s […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Rumford police: Counterfeit bills are circulating; residents beware of IRS phone scams
RUMFORD — Police are seeking help from the public following an increase of counterfeit bills being used at area businesses. Additionally, Chief Stacy Carter said Wednesday by email that a bogus Internal Revenue Service claim is making the rounds, trying to separate people from their money. “There has been an increase in the number of […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Woman collects goods for fire victims. Now what?
LEWISTON — Kasie Kolbe is baffled. For more than a week, the local woman has been collecting furniture, clothes and other items to help families displaced in a Birch Street fire late last month. But now, with enough stuff to outfit seven apartments, Kolbe has no idea how to get it to the victims. She’s […]
Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Local & State, The Franklin Journal
Courts warn of scams
United States District Court as well as the Maine Judicial Branch issued warnings Monday regarding two new scams springing up in Maine. In a release from the district courts, citizens are being warned about telephone and email scammers, claiming the recipients will face prosecution for failure to comply with jury duty. People targeted are being […]