Police warn of phone and rental scams

Scammers aren’t stopping and the list of victims keeps growing.

The Salinas Police Department reported Thursday that they received at least 20 reports from victims in the month of July, and got about the same number of inquiries about suspicious phone calls from alleged government agencies.

Police say scammers often represent themselves as employees from the Social Security Administration, Department of the Treasury, and even local police departments. By using an app that mimics official business telephone numbers, the calls appear to be legitimate.

Typically, scammers use scare tactics, claiming you have a warrant or threatening the seizure of your bank account. Victims are then prompted to purchase gift cards to clear their fine.

The Salinas Police Department says it does not call people who have warrants, and does not ask for for money over the phone to bail a person out of jail.

Another scam is getting the attention of police in Marina, where Craigslist rental scams are reappearing again.

The Marina Police Department warns that scammers choose a photo of a house from a legitimate real estate listing and post it to a bogus online add for a cheap price. The scammers request a depost in the form of money cards or gift cards and disappear with the money.

Police recommend renters wait to pay any deposit until someone with keys actually lets you into a property.