Add Santa-letter ploy to growing list of scams

APPLETON, Wis. — It has come to this: Santa Claus — the jolly old elf who spreads Christmas cheer to millions of children — is being used for evil purposes by scam artists.

The Better Business Bureau issued a warning recently about an email solicitation promoting a "handwritten letter from Santa to your child" and encouraging recipients to purchase "Santa's special package" for $19.99. Those who provided credit card information to the online solicitors are at risk of losing large sums of money or become victims of identity theft, bureau officials said.

The Santa scam is only one of many ruses making the rounds today. There's also the IRS scam, the utility scam, the charity scam, the collect call scam, the computer repair scam, the home repair scam, the CrimeStoppers scam, the arrest warrant scam and the tree-trimming scam — among many others.

More are on the way, police and consumer protection officials say, assuring that the list of financially devastated victims will grow even longer.

In November, a Menasha man in his 80s paid a heavy price after supposedly winning a new Mercedes Benz. He was told the car would be delivered after he paid fees, taxes and shipping costs.

"He paid the fees and then there were more fees and costs that needed to be addressed, and after all was said and done he was out close to $60,000," said community liaison police Officer Jason Weber. "It's sad."

That's just a sampling of scams. One of the more common rip-offs of late is the IRS scam, in which people are told by a caller that they have a debt or tax issue that needs to be settled or they will be arrested by an IRS agent.

"Several of our residents, me included, received telephone calls ... from someone claiming to be from the IRS and that we owed money," Weber said. "The scam is that they threaten you with arrest if you do not 'settle' your debt with them. How they want you to settle that debt is through a prepaid credit card."

Scams will only grow in numbers — and in intensity. Scam artists are becoming more adept at using technology to find potential victims and reeling them in with clever sales pitches, promises of riches and threats to their well-being and safety.

"Cyber criminals are getting more creative," said Susan Bach, manager of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau's northeast regional office in Appleton. "This is their full-time job — to con you out of your money."

While phone scams and mail scams are still popular, online rip-offs are becoming more prevalent, Bach said.

"Cyber crime is easier because the perpetrators are far away," Bach said. "They become bolder; they know it is difficult to catch them."

Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego, said scam artists have a knack for tailoring their activity to fit circumstances.

That means they run charity scams during the holiday season, when people are most in a giving mood; operate back-to-school scams when students get ready to return to classes; and turn to consumer protection scams when high-profile store security systems have been breached.

"It's sort of like a revolving door," Velasquez said.

She said the toll of identity theft and stolen credit card numbers can be devastating. Falling prey to a scam can cut people off from funds that are used to pay mortgages, car insurance or day-to-day living expenses.

"If you're cut off from your cash flow, it can have a domino effect," she said. "For some people, it can cause financial ruin."

Getting scammed can also cause fear and stress for victims, authorities say.

In mid-November, an elderly woman who lives alone in Menasha was conned out of $200 by a man who said he worked for a power company and needed to cut some tree branches in her backyard.

"He was insistent that she get it taken care of," said Aaron Zemlock of the Menasha Police Department. "After he got the money, he walked out (of her home) and left. She realized something wasn't right and called (police).

"She was very upset about the incident and very scared."

The fact is that scams are here to stay, and criminals will stop at nothing to profit from them, Weber acknowledged.

"These scammers are good at what they do," he said.