Greg's Corner

How scammers exploit headlines for profit

By Greg Collier

It doesn’t matter if a newsworthy occurrence is global, national, or hyper-local. If scammers believe they can make money from it, they will pounce on the opportunity. We saw the global and national repercussions of this during the pandemic, but what’s an example of a hyper-local headline?

In West Springfield, Massachusetts, a water main broke, causing the town to be under a boil water order. Boil water orders can be a major inconvenience. Some residents might start getting impatient, and this is where the scammers come in.

According to West Springfield police, scammers are going door to door around town claiming to offer water testing for $150. The scammers also claim that if the home passes the test, it can be removed from the boil water order. So, not only are scammers looking to get inside their victims’ homes, but they’re also putting their victims’ lives in danger if the water is tainted. The order wasn’t even more than a day old before the scammers started coming out of the woodwork.

It almost seems like no one is more tuned into the news like scammers. There’s not a story small enough that they can’t find some way to try to take advantage of someone.

If you find yourself in a similar situation with something like a water boil order, be careful of anyone appearing out of the blue charging for a service you didn’t ask for. Under no circumstance should you let any solicitors into your home. Let your neighbors know if a scammer is going around your neighborhood. Lastly, call your local police at their non-emergency number, so they can be aware of scammers in the area.