MetroCreative

HANCOCK — Little Brothers — Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) said in a release that staff has received reports of a texting scam impersonating the organization.

The text messages, from an unknown source, solicit donations for services provided, the release says.

“All LBFE programs and services are provided free of charge,” the release emphasizes. “These communications are in now way affiliated with the organization.”

Scams are difficult to identify and can happen to anyone, LBFE says. Scammers utilize “spoofing” techniques to trick people into responding by pretending to be an organizer or trusted person.

To protect private information, LBFE advises everyone to not provide any personal or financial information in response to calls, texts or emails.

Lt. David Outinen, with the Hancock City Police Department, concurred.

“People should never give out their banking information or social security numbers,” Outinen said. “I wouldn’t give them anything unless you know who you’re talking to, because they’re pretty convincing sometimes.”

Scam calls are common, Outinen said. Common ones are spoof calls claiming to be from the Social Security office or the Border Patrol.

“We strive for excellence in our programs and services,” Carol Korpela, LBFE executive director said, “which extends to our financial and technological safety.”

Korpela said that LBFE’s first concern is for the wellbeing of those the organization serves, and that of the community.