’Tis the Season for Scams
We must be constantly vigilant of scams—especially at this time of year. The holiday season’s notorious for wrongdoers in our mail, both postal and online. Last Friday, December 6, emails began to be sent to Villagers impersonating our GM, Theresa Ostrander. It was spoof!
This particular scam asked the receiver to spend money such as buying a gift card. Several Villagers reported the spoof email to the GM Office, which initiated a Villages-wide alert and a special release of a Tech Alert FastNews. The team also sent a message to Villages staff. Luckily, these actions helped inform the community and harm was averted.
In case you didn’t see these communications, please review the reminders below that help us avoid falling victim to scams. Please do not respond to email that:
- asks for personal or financial information—especially if you do not know the person or organization.
- comes from an address that is inconsistent. The December 6 email came from theresao.thevillagesgcc@gmail, which does not align to The Villages nomenclature (tostrander@) and comes from outside The Villages domain (the-villages.com).
Take Action
- Place the suspicious mail immediately in your trash!
- With regards to an incident that only impacts The Villages, forward the questionable email to The Villages Help Desk. The GM Office staff will report this to our IT Team.
- Attend the next Public Safety-hosted presentation. For those who attended Public Safety’s Scam and Fraud presentation last month learned tips to protect you and your family. Another is being planned.
- Report the details to:
If you have questions regarding any fraudulent behavior with The Villages, please contact Public Safety at publicsafety@the-villages.com or (408) 239-5246.
