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Date: 3/17/2021
EASTHAMPTON – Mayor Nicole LaChapelle is collaborating with the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and the Easthampton Police Department to host a free tax scam webinar to educate residents on April 8.
“There are so many scams out there, and the individual(s) whose mission it is to victimize the public are clever in the way they try to scam you. They often do their research to sound believable in what they are pitching to you. The goal is to reduce the number of residents who fall victim to a scam with some helpful tips and even real-life examples,” said Det. Eric Alexander.
LaChapelle told Reminder Publishing that they send out tax scam notices and communicated with the Council on Aging (COA) in previous years.
“With folks isolated within their homes, especially those who might be older or are very trusting, are approached on the phone or the internet for different opportunities that sound really great, but of course they are too great to be true,” LaChapelle said.
She continued to say that they wanted to work using the capacity of zoom and the internet to get the word out and get the details of what these scam artists are doing and saying so people know what a scam is.
Alexander said before COVID-19, he and Det. Lt. Mark Popielarczyk prepared an Identity Theft presentation to deliver to different senior citizen groups. He shared that the Police Department was contacted by the Office of Consumer Affairs and was asked if they would partner with them in the presentation.
The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs is hosting the presentation, and Easthampton PD and LaChapelle will assist.
The webinar will inform the public on what not to give out over the phone and internet, what government agencies would not be calling you, different ways people can protect themselves, how to recover if you fall victim to a scam, and knowing your rights if someone makes an attempt to scam or does scam you.
Recent scams that they will be going over are lottery, IRS, utility, grandchild, online dating, tech support, gas skimmers, and ATM skimmers.
Alexander believes that the most significant thing to remember is that time is on your side. He wants people to know that if someone contacts you in an attempt to scam you, they often will make you feel like you need to make an immediate decision about something. Alexander said they always tell their audience that it is okay to slow down and think about what they are being asked.
“If someone thinks that they are the victim of a scam or receive something they feel is a scam, they should contact their local police department immediately to report the incident. They will be instructed on the next steps to take to minimize exposing their personal or financial information,” Alexander said.
At the end of the presentation, there will be a live Question & Answer session. Suppose people are not comfortable asking questions during the live webinar or think of a question later. In that case, LaChapelle says to call her office at 529-1470 or the Easthampton Police Department’s non-emergency number at 527-1212.
To learn more or register, visit https://www.mass.gov/event/ocabr-and-the-easthampton-mayors-office-present-how-to-recognize-and-avoid-tax-and-covid or you can call the Mayor’s Office with any questions, comments, or concerns.