FAIRMONT — Online thieves are targeting seniors across America to try to access their valuable information and money, and Fairmont is no exception.

Police Sergeant Mike Beletti said Fairmont PD gets a fair amount of reports throughout the year.

“We have a fairly older community,” he said. “That is a group people try to target. The internet is full of information about people. It’s not hard for scammers to find information and use that information against people.”

There are two scams Beletti said he sees most frequently. First is a tech support scam, when a scam or fake link sent through email or put on a website for download allows malware to infect a computer. From there, the scammer presents themselves as the solution.

“A screen says they should call a number,” he said. “They impersonate a call help center, and they get financial information and other information from you.”

Second are romance or friendship scams, when scammers send an unsolicited friend request or message. From there, they concoct a backstory to gain trust and sympathy from a potential victim.

“They claim they are out of the country or an emergency has popped up,” Beletti said. “Since the relationship has been developed, they feel sympathy and send money. It’s never a one-time thing either, they try to get more and more money through their claims.”

Scammers will try to get people to pay in a specific way. Often this is gift cards, as Beletti said once the gift card information is sent the money is gone and cannot be retrieved. However, a new method is being used utilizing cryptocurrency.

“The scammers can try to send you to a Bitcoin machine and have you send cash to people so they can receive Bitcoin funds,” he said. “Again, once that money is gone it’s unlikely to get it back.”

Crypto ATMs are a relatively new invention. They allow money to be deposited in exchange for a cryptocurrency deposit. While this technology may be new, Beletti said scammers have detailed instructions meant to lead anyone through the process of using crypto ATMs or explaining withdrawals.

“We have had scammers direct people to their local banks, and the scammers will tell them what to say to the banks so there is less suspicion.”

Unfortunately, once money is gone Beletti said it is uncommon they can retrieve it.

“We will investigate and try to obtain Internet Protocol addresses to see where the account is located and try to find who that is,” he said. “Unfortunately, many of these scams are happening outside the United States which puts it out of our reach in terms of resources we have available.”

While it is not common in Fairmont, Beletti said police and government impersonation scams are on the rise overall. Scammers will impersonate an official, claiming there is some kind of unpaid ticket or other financial issue. They will threaten people with arrest if money is not sent. Beletti said the police will never ask for money over the phone or threaten arrest.

Phone numbers and email addresses can be faked to look local or from an organization you trust. Beletti said there are four major indicators of a scam, with impersonation of a trusted source being the first.

“Second, they are going to say there is an immediate need, either danger or a reward, people have to act on now,” he said. “Third, scammers are going to ask you to make decisions quickly. They don’t want you to look at anything or talk to others. They may be nice at first, then can get angry. Fourth, they will ask you to pay in a specific way, whether it’s gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other means.”

Beletti said bottom line, if it does not sound right don’t follow through on what is being asked of you.

“Nowadays, if I don’t recognize a number I don’t answer it,” he said. “If it is a legitimate person wanting to call me, they will leave a message.”