It all started with my noisy clothes dryer … Before I knew it, my lazy Saturday turned into a detective sitcom. The dryer emanated a loud sound, possibly a broken belt. I bought the machine at Sears years ago and not everyone services them. In search of a quick repair, I reached for my Mac and typed “repairman Sears brands.”

I called the first number I saw with a Pittsburgh area code. After a few songs and automated menus, I got connected with a tired voice that said, “Service. How may we help you today?”

Well, it turned out they couldn’t help me today, or Monday, or next week, or the following week. That wasn’t going to work for me. In a moment of desperation, I did the unthinkable and tried one of the toll-free numbers from my search. You know, the ones they warn you about, the ones that promise same-day service and a credit card upfront. Luckily, I didn’t provide my credit card number, but I did make a same-day, appointment for later that morning. Woo-hoo!

MLPD advice on avoiding scams

Before I get into the nitty gritty of my day, let me tell you about some crucial information that I should have heeded. I spoke with Mt. Lebanon Police Department Chief Jason Haberman and Deputy Chief Dan Cuiffi, who shared ways to avoid scams, like the one I encountered.

Networks of scammers work together to appear legitimate. Most scammers will play on your emotions. Once you figure out the truth, they may try to make you feel embarrassed, so you don’t report them or tell a friend. They will at times yell, threaten and use profanity to scare you into paying up. Some work to convince you that a family member or friend is in danger; others may even pretend to be law enforcement.

Chief Haberman and Deputy Chief Cuiffi both stated: Law enforcement will never call you and ask for money. If you receive a call from anyone claiming to be an officer, fireman, the IRS, a utility company, or any other official you did not request a call from: contact 911. Many people hesitate to call 911, fearing you’ll waste their time on something that ‘isn’t really an emergency,’ but this simply isn’t true. Dispatchers will gladly direct your call to someone who can help.

Police are aware of many popular scams. Recently, concert tickets are a huge target — a local woman lost $6,000 when she purchased bogus Taylor Swift tickets for her daughter and friends. During the holidays, scammers love to take money for gifts you purchase online, but never receive.

On social media, many people think of Facebook as a hotbed for scams, but you should watch your LinkedIn account as well. Scammers use personal details from one profile and reach out to their contacts, pretending they know the person and were referred to you by them. Protect your identity online. Do not open emails from suspicious email addresses. Some emails look like they are legit, but when you click on the expanded contact information, you’ll see a strange string of letters and numbers, AKA a huge red flag.

Check the legitimacy of communications by calling your bank, police, or other direct contact. If someone contacts you first, never send them money, a cashier’s check or provide credit card information online or over the phone. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Finally, if you do meet someone from online, whether it’s for a service appointment or to purchase an item, tell someone you know.

I set myself up

Back to my unfortunate situation. He didn’t show up for the 11 a.m. appointment, so I called that toll-free number again. They denied having made the appointment, but said they would send someone over at 5 p.m. I reluctantly agreed.

Less than 10 minutes later my doorbell rang, and my husband opened it to find a young man with a toolbox, so he let him in. He began to work on my dryer, by taking all the nuts and bolts out until he had a mountain full on my washer. He then removed the connector and sat idly, staring into it. I finally realized that he was part of a scam.

He paused from his ‘work’ over and over to text someone, shielding the phone away from me. I was finished. I told him to put the screws, nuts, and bolts back and leave.

While he was still in the house, my phone rang. The caller informed me that the tech found multiple things wrong, and it would cost hundreds to repair. Fortunately, I never gave them my credit card number. I told him I was calling the police and hung up. Then, I chased the kid to his car with my phone camera on, taking photos of a very scared scammer running to his car hiding his face. My husband and a landscaper watched the craziness from my lawn. At 5 p.m. another man called and claimed he was at my house to fix the dryer. I was not home and told him to leave and that I would call the police. He was verbally abusive, unlike the first pretend tech. He yelled profanities and I hung up. My security cameras showed no car, or person, ever entered my driveway, so who knows where he was located.

This time I was lucky  

I realize now how fortunate I was that nothing bad happened. It was frightening, however, that I would do something so foolish. I never thought that I would fall for a scam. I didn’t call 911 at the time because I thought it would be a waste of police time. Chief Haberman again stressed that you should never feel that you’re interrupting or bothering them. The police are there to protect the community. They may be able to use the information to prevent someone else from being scammed or catch the culprit.

Five final reminders to avoid scams:

1. Never let anyone into your house without proper ID.
2. Tell someone you trust if someone reaches out to ask for money or reveal upsetting information.
3. Never give payment or personal information over the phone.
4. Call 911 anytime, whether you need help or just have a question.
5. Do not call toll-free numbers when searching for repairs!