Petaluma police are warning the community about scams victimizing local seniors after receiving multiple reports in a single day of people being swindled out of more than $315,000.
In an online notice posted Sunday, Aug. 30, the Petaluma Police Department stated, “This week, in a 24-hour period, officers responded to four different calls for service where seniors in our community had been scammed through cryptocurrency, time-share, and gift card scams. The total suspected loss across all incidents was a staggering $315,000-plus.”
In response to the scams, police released a graphic providing advice on how to spot them and avoid them, and are reminding the community to be skeptical and — if contacted by an unknown party requesting money — to confirm first that the request is real.
“It’s important we remind everyone to conduct their due diligence in researching that anyone/any company you are sending money to is for a legitimate purpose,” police said. “Ask questions, check with family members, call your companies directly to confirm. Most scammers rely on pretending that their financial requests must happen immediately. Legitimate organizations will not press you to pay on the spot.”
The department added that Petaluma’s aging demographic is particularly vulnerable to such scams. “With more than 22% of the Petaluma population being made up of folks 65-plus, we are especially likely to see this kind of activity targeting our community members,” police stated.
For others, they advised, “Please check in with your elderly neighbors and loved ones to ensure they don’t become the next victim.”
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