Greg's Corner

Scammers prey on people fearing eviction

By Greg Collier

In case you weren’t aware, the federal moratorium on housing evictions is set to expire at the end of this month, June 2021. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who are still struggling to pay their rent in the aftermath of the pandemic. This is the exact kind of situation that scammers thrive on, with people who are so desperate for help they’re willing to listen to anyone who claims to be offering help. One such offer saw someone lose what little money they had left.

A woman from Tulsa, Oklahoma received a phone call from someone claiming to help her get federal assistance money to help pay her rent. All the caller needed was the woman’s bank account information. The woman provided her banking information and within minutes her last $400 was gone. Some people will say that it’s obvious that this was a scam. While hindsight is 20/20, just imagine being in this woman’s shoes. She has four children and desperate not to get evicted. In that kind of panicked state of mind, it’s easy to become a victim to scammers.

Scammers don’t care if you’re living paycheck to paycheck or if you have no paycheck coming in. You could only have $5 in your bank account and the scammers will try to take it. If you receive one of these phone calls, just hang up. Please keep in mind that the government really doesn’t reach out to people through unsolicited phone calls. In the majority of cases, you have to go to them. However, if you need rental assistance, there is still a federal program that is offering rental assistance. You can also check with local or regional charities to see if any of them are offering assistance as well.