April Fool’s Day is the 1st day of the month. Since I was small, I was taught that on this day harmless acts of jest are supposedly welcome. My earliest recollection was when at the age of five my mother told me it would be funny to ask my kindergarten teacher for some “sky hooks.” Poor Mrs. Schaffer tried so hard to understand what a five-year-old could possibly be calling a ‘sky hook’ and didn’t laugh like mom said she would. Finally, after many attempts to understand, I explained that it was April Fools’ and no hook could be held by the air in the sky. I am glad she had a sense of humor. My former boss wasn’t quite as understanding the April 1st I put up caution tape around the parking lot at 5 a.m. and signs that said, “Closed for parking lot re-striping.” Still, there were many laughs as no one was hurt by parking on the street and walking in that April Fools’ morning.
No day of the year is immune from acts that do cause harm or attempt to deceive a person out of their earnings. April is also the season when many tax scams start to pop up. Last month a scam ran through the area where people were called on the phone and told that our police department had warrants out for them and asked them to pay a fine over the phone or face arrest. We quickly got the word out that it was a SCAM. We would never attempt to serve a warrant over the phone or collect a fine in such a way.
Many quickly saw through this scam, but every day criminals get more and more creative in trying to cheat people. Criminals use the information found online to try to add credibility to such scams. A reference they found online about you, or a friend they saw on your social media adds a familiar detail that may make the scam sound more credible.
A best practice is that anyone asking for money over the phone should be able to provide you with some documentation. Don’t be afraid to ask for details, documents, and/or verification before you pay. There should always be another option to pay. If you know whom you are paying for a service, you know the kind of service you’ll get. If something doesn’t sound right, maybe you shouldn’t take chances. Check email addresses and other details that may appear off. The police, the IRS, your doctors, etc., never ask for payment in Bitcoin or gift cards. Threats of arrest or immediate consequences if you don’t pay before you get off the phone are a sure sign it is a SCAM.
I don’t want to see anyone, particularly our citizens fall victim to scams, fraud, or criminal activity. Some scams seem obvious. Some are harder to detect. Be safe. Be wise. Keep your jokes harmless to all. If someone is injured or defrauded, it isn’t a joke it is a crime.
Mayor Dave Maughan