Fraud Alert

COVID-19 Scam Alert

The New Hampshire Attorney General's office has issued a press release (PDF) regarding potential scams related to Stimulus Payments. Please review the information and tips on the New Hampshire Attorney General's website for other potential COVID-19 scams.

Gift Card Scams

Please be alert to ongoing scams involving requests for payments involving gift cards or Green Dot cards. The IRS, law enforcement, and any other government agencies do not require payment using gift cards or Green Dot cards. Common scams involve groups claiming to be from the IRS or some other law enforcement agency claiming you need to pay a fine to clear a warrant using gift cards, Green Dot cards, or similar instruments. If you are threatened with arrest or a warrant unless you pay, assume it is a scam and contact the Salem Police Department.

Other Scams

Other common scams involve the use of computers where the user suffers a denial of service and is given a contact number to call. This call leads to an order for gift cards, Green Dot cards, or similar instruments to clean up the computer. The scammers often claim to be from Microsoft or some other private business.

Unfortunately, you also did not win a lottery from overseas that you did not enter and need to purchase gift cards or send cash to clear a bank fee to release your winnings or similar claim.

Remember - all of these claims are false and are an active attempt to steal from you!

Contact Us

If you have questions regarding the validity of a request to purchase gift cards or similar instruments to clear a legal issue, restore your computer, or for some other purpose please contact the Salem Police Department. Please alert the Police Department if, as a vendor, you feel someone is actively purchasing gift cards that are in the process of being scammed.