The Gorham Police have taken a large amount of scam reports recently. Many have resulted in community members who have been scammed out of large amounts of hard earned money, or part of their life savings.

Common scams include people claiming to be with law enforcement agencies, the IRS, CMP, and others. These subjects sound credible and may even have some personal information (names and phone numbers) which might make the story believable. Often times they may have very broken English and will pressure you to make a snap decision.

Gorham Police are urging residents to check everything out before they act. Look up that friend or family’s phone number yourself. Call them first, or another family member to see what’s happening. More importantly, call the police department and speak to an officer. Do this even if the person who contacted you told you not to.

DO NOT pay! DO NOT wire money, send a check, overnight a money order, or pay with any type of gift card or cash reload card. Anyone who demands payment in these forms is always, always, always a scammer. These payment methods are like giving cash — and they are nearly untraceable, unless you act almost immediately.

If you sent money to a family emergency scammer, contact the company you used to send the money (wire transfer service, bank, gift card company, or cash reload card company) and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible.