Metro police warning neighbors of growing phone scams targeting people of all ages

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Police and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office say that anyone can be a target for cyber scams in this day and age.

“We’ve heard stories where they’ll pull up Google Earth and pull up your home,” Marietta Police Department public information officer Chuck McPhilamy said.

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The internet is one way that police say telephone con artists gather your information to hook you in.

“See the blue house across the street?’ Alluding to the fact that they’re there – you can get that info anywhere off the internet,” McPhilamy said.

“It sounded so much like her,” neighbor Marguerite Rich said to the Marietta Police Department, explaining how a con artist called her phone trying to get a quick payout.

“They get inside your head. They share info that seems so real that it’s hard to ignore,” McPhilamy said.

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Telephone scams aren’t just a problem in Marietta.

The Duluth Police Department recently posted about one on its Facebook page where a scammer there is using the name of one of its officers.

According to Sgt. Leon Carter, police departments across the Atlanta metro along with the Attorney General’s office are trying to get the word out.

“All of that should be alarming. We’re not going to ask you to make payment over the phone,” McPhilamy said.

McPhilamy told Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin that the scheme often goes something like this – you have a traffic ticket past due or a warrant out for missing jury duty – and they aren’t just targeting older people.

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This Marietta police report shows where a 27-year-old woman was recently ripped off over the phone and forced to send $5,000 in gift cards.

“It’s a gift card for a reason. It’s not called a pay-your-bill card, it’s a gift card. So, when you’re giving that money away, you’re never going to see it again,” McPhilamy said.

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