The Austin Police Department is urging citizens to be wary of some common scams that have victimized residents, said Captain David McKichan. According to McKichan, these three scams are the most common:

•Cashiers Check Scam – According to McKichan, when selling an item online, use caution if the buyer insists on paying with a cashiers check. Always check to make sure the name on the check matches the name of the person buying, as scammers will use stolen accounts to forge checks. A red flag to look out for is if the amount is more than the agreed price. Scammers will claim the extra amount is to pay someone to pick up the item and will encourage the victim to withdraw those funds and send them to the person responsible for picking it up. If the check bounces, the victim will lose the withdrawn funds. McKichan said to make sure the check clears and has available funds before withdrawing any money or sending your item.

•Bail Money Scam – According to McKichan, this scam is mainly targeted at the elderly. The victim will receive a call from someone claiming to be a grandchild that needs bail money. McKichan said the victim should call a family member or the jail to verify. He also said that if the caller asks the victim to load money onto a loadable card, then the call is a scam since jails do not accept loadable cards for bond payments.

•Inheritance/Lottery Winner Scam – According to McKichan, this scam involves someone the victim met online telling the victim that they have a large sum of money via inheritance or winning the lottery, but need funds to access it. The victim is usually promised money if they help the scammer get access to the funds. McKichan stated this is always a scam, especially if the person is contacting the victim from outside the country.

MckIchan urged residents to contact law enforcement officials should they come across any of these scams.