Community Relations Officer Jim Long and Sgt. Angela Haseman of the Plymouth Police Department talk about some of the scams that criminals use, and what you can do to avoid becoming a victim. Watch the video on YouTube.

Examples of common scams include:

• The grandparent scam: A criminal will call claiming to be a family member in trouble and will ask for money to be sent immediately. To avoid: Verify any such story with other family members prior to sending money.
• The Medicare scam: A scammer will call claiming to be from Medicare, and will request personal information. To avoid: Never give out personal information over the phone. Medicare does not request information via telephone.
• The sweepstakes scam: A victim will receive a letter stating that they won a lottery or sweepstakes that they never entered. To avoid: Odds are you won't win the lottery – especially one you didn't enter. Verify anything that solicits money or information from you.
• The charity scam: A criminal will call and solicit donations for a phony charity, or illegally collect money using the name of an actual charity. To avoid: It's important to initiate all donations yourself. Be sure to do thorough research before giving.
• The utility bill scam: A caller will attempt to trick people into paying them money by threatening to turn off their utility service. To avoid: Residents should hang up and call their utility provider directly to verify billing and payment status.

To report a scam, call the Plymouth Police Department at 763-509-5160 or email police@plymouthmn.gov.