Spot red flags to avoid being a victim of scams

SIKESTON — Beware of holiday cheer turning into fear.

As the new year rolls in, scammers increase their efforts to trick unsuspecting victims through real estate, rental, bail money scams and more.

Spotting the red flags of scammers, according to Sgt. Tyler Rowe, public information officer for the Sikeston Department of Public Safety and Sikeston R-6 school resource officer, is crucial for avoiding falling victim to fraudsters.  

“What I always tell people is that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is a scam,” Rowe said.

Many rental or real estate scams will advertise low monthly payments, no credit checks, or guaranteed financing. Rowe frequently said the properties are worth much less than advertised and do not even belong to the person listing them.

“Scammers are finding homes that are for sale or for rent and they are posting it on their own behalf on Facebook,” Rowe said. 

A warning sign of a scam, according to Rowe, is if they instruct individuals to mail them the down payment and then they will send the key.

“You need to actually contact and meet someone face to face or make sure it’s through a rental company,” Rowe said.

Rowe said properties are frequently owned by private owners or managed by companies and emphasized the significance of double-checking this information.

Rowe said bail bond scams are another frequent occurrence at this time of year. 

This scam involves the con artist calling and posing as a relative or an attorney for a relative in order to demand bail money to release the relative from custody.

 “The biggest thing we will see right now during the holiday season is scammers calling family members and informing them of a loved one in jail that needs to be bonded out,” he said.

Rowe said the fraudster will ask for a credit card or personal information over the phone.

“Nobody will call on behalf of someone else and say, ‘Hey, they need to be bonded out,’” Rowe said. “That’s just not going to happen; generally, that person would contact them themselves.”

Prepaid Visa card scams are among the other prevalent scams around this time of year, according to Rowe.

Rowe said scammers will contact the victim and claim that they have won the lottery. They will then instruct the victim to visit a major department store to purchase a prepaid debit card, and load it with a certain amount money. Rowe said then the scammer will tell them they will receive the rest of their money once they send the card to a specified address. 

“That right there is a scam, they’re asking for something before you even get it,” Rowe said. 

Rowe advised anyone who suspects a scam to call their local law enforcement department. 

Residents in Sikeston who believe they have come across a questionable property listing are advised to contact the Community Development Department at (573) 475-3743.