NEWS RELEASE
February 24, 2016
City Warns of Phone Scam Claiming to Assist Landslide Impacted Residents
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-- The City of Colorado Springs has been made aware of a phone scam targeting people in areas known to be impacted by recent landslide activity. The caller claims to be from a government organization offering “secure grant loans”. The caller ID identifies the number as being “unknown”; however the phone calls do not appear to be legitimate and did not originate from the City of Colorado Springs nor the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will only contact property owners who have expressed an interest in participating in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and have provided their contact information to one of these entities. They will not request any type of payment. The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will not contact homeowners directly regarding grant programs.
People receiving these calls should contact the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. To expedite their complaint, victims are encouraged to report it to the FTC rather than contact the police department. The police department will only investigate this type of activity if the victim has actually paid money. If a victim has actually lost money to this scam please report it to CSPD’s non-emergency number at (719) 444-7000 or online at www.coloradosprings.gov. Click on “Public Safety” and then on “Report a Crime”.
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