Barbara Bennett, self-proclaimed “scambuster” for the Larimer County Sheriffs Office, talks about a bait and switch scam Wednesday while giving a presentation on scams in Loveland. She said she ordered a porch decoration that was supposed to be much bigger than the tiny one that arrived, which she holds in her hand. She said even a scam expert can be scammed. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)
When you’re worried about being scammed, who are you going to call?
Barbara Bennett hopes you dial her number. Or reach her via email. Or log onto the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office’s scam prevention page.
“I want to prevent people from becoming victims,” said the self-proclaimed “chief scambuster,” coordinator of the department’s crime prevention unit and expert on scams.
Every month, she receives about 80 different contacts with people who have either been scammed or are wondering if a phone call, email or social media contact is suspect. She wants to share information so people will recognize red flags and to prevent a scourge that she said is rapidly spreading.
“It’s mushroomed and grown from a little teeny seed to an explosion of scams of all sorts,” said Bennett, who has worked for the LCSO for 16 years and has been researching scams for eight.
She has seen many different types of scams: People pretending to be the resident’s a grandchild asking for money, known as a “grandparent scam.” Someone claiming they need money to deliver a sweepstakes win. People preying on residents’ desire for a romantic connection. Someone falsely alleging that the resident must pay a court fee immediately or face arrest.
All of these are false and, like all scams, play on emotion, Bennett said.
One of the scams that is hot right now is someone calling targets and impersonating a law enforcement officer, asking for $750 to avoid arrest for missing jury duty. The caller threatens the resident with immediate arrest if they go to law enforcement to clear up the matter, urging them to pay the fine over the phone.
A common scam, Bennett said, again stressing to never pay over the phone.
Another common scam involves posting photos of a home, stolen off the internet, and listing it for rent at a below-market price. People who answer the ad are pressured to send deposit and rent immediately. When they show up at move-in date, they learn that the home is not really for rent. Unwitting and surprised home owners have had multiple “renters” show up.
“We had one home that had five people who got scammed that went to the house to move in,” Bennett said.
Bennett answered one of those ads herself, in the course of her research, and pushed for the person to show her the home. They told her the back door was unlocked and she could just go see it for herself.
Imagine, she said, the consequences that could happen if someone did just show up and frightened a home owner, who could be armed and alarmed at a stranger coming into their home.
Another local resident lost just under $200,000 in a cryptocurrency investment scam. An added layer to crypto scams is that the payment, once made, cannot be traced, Bennett said.
“Two things that are impacting scams that I lose sleep over, one is cryptocurrency because it’s so secure that once you put the money in, it’s gone,” Bennett said. “The other is AI.”
Scammers are finding a gold mine in AI, or artificial intelligence, programs, creating fake pictures and chat bots to entice people to send money for products or for other fraudulent claims, she said. Plus, they may use AI to create a conversation from small video snippets found on social media, adding a layer of authenticity to “grandparent scams.” The caller may sound just like the target’s real grandchild thanks to this new technology, she explained.
“They can extrapolate a voice from social media,” she said.
She wants people to recognize the red flags, and if they need help, reach out to her. She can research potential scams, offer advice and, if someone has been scammed, help them connect with investigators. She maintains a website with information on a multitude of scams, details on what scams are cycling currently and tips to avoid falling victim.
Among her advice is what she calls her “never do” list.”
• Never click a link from an unknown source.
• Never agree to send money via electronic transfer, gift card, cashier’s check or cryptocurrency to an unknown an unverified person.
• Never call a phone number provided by the caller or email.
• Never buy something or agree to rent a home prior to seeing it in person.
Also, she offers community presentations and outreach, and she is willing to step in and research and advocate to prevent residents from falling victim.
“I want to help people to not be a victim,” Bennett said. “I want to get the word out to citizens, to provide a resource.”
Bennett can be reached at bennetbe@larimer.org or 970-682-0597. The website with current scam information and prevention tips is at larimer.gov/sheriff/services/information/frauds-scams.
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