to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday at 87.Ĭonnect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), (Twitter) or matters. So far, nobody has tried to scam the pup.Ĭontact AARP's fraud line 7 a.m. Berens changed his mom’s profile picture to one of his dog, Ace, a Pembroke Welsh corgi. Try the myth-busting site, or copy some of the messages you’ve received, paste the text in Google, hit “return” and see if it shows up elsewhere. If you’re too embarrassed to talk to a trusted person, your gut may be telling you the person seeking your cash isn’t who he or she claims to be.
If you’re tempted to send money to a stranger - and you shouldn’t - first have a “sanity check” with a friend or relative.Never send money to people you don’t know.If you do play with strangers - and you shouldn’t - don’t share personal information.Don’t play online games with people you don’t know in real life.He cautioned people not to believe something just because it’s on the web. The AARP offered these tips to avoid online scams from digital strategist Brad Berens with the University of Southern California after he became intrigued with Words With Friends scams when his mother encountered a stranger online. The Federal Trade Commission said similar romance scams have blossomed from 2018 when they took people for $143 million to 2020 when people reported $304 million in losses. Investigators in Australia said the game scam fleeced Down Under gamers of $600,000 the same year. In 2019 an Oregon woman lost $137,000 to a Words with Friends scammer. In an AARP article on such scams, Nofziger said the scammers are “masters at making the human connection, and they use it to their advantage."Īlso: The pooch is back! $3,700 Shih Tzu stolen from Fort Myers pet store recovered man charged Amy Nofziger, who directs the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (87, toll-free), says the game scams have been around for two or three years.
The AARP has also issued a warning with scores of examples. "Don't send money to anyone you don't know," said Caitlyn Mumma, a Sheriff's Office public information officer.
The Sheriff's Office issued an alert about the scam and urged residents to take precautions when playing such games. The game, which allows contact and conversation between players, is a variation of crossword puzzles and the Scrabble board game but is played over laptops, desktops or any digital device. More: Fort Myers woman used some of $267k allegedly stolen from practice to pay previous restitution The Sheriff's Office would not say how the scam was operated or identify the victim.īeware of more scams: Online puppy scams aren't unusual, authorities say Cape Coral woman says she lost almost $600 The Lee County Sheriff's Office said it recently investigated one such instance of a romance scam in the county's South District that used the popular Zynga online game Words With Friends.Ī Lee County resident reported being scammed out of $66,000 after befriending a person they were playing. "It" is spelled S-C-A-M and it comes via romance or friendship sparked by the word games you can play on social media. It's not new but people still fall victim. Watch Video: Coronavirus pandemic drives scams targeting PCs and smartphones
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