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Don't get scammed this vacation season 05/07/2013 11:54pm • WASHINGTON - The air is getting warmer and the days longer, and that means summer vacation planning is in full swing. Families are searching for nice vacation rentals that are also affordable - but it's important to be aware of scams. Websites such as Craigslist or Backpage are known for bargain Area police warn of 2 telephone scams 04/30/2013 07:21pm • WASHINGTON - Police are warning of two new telephone scams. One involves crooks claiming to work for the police, while the other claims a relative of yours has been hurt in an accident. The first group of scammers has been calling the Manassas, Va., area claiming to work for the city's police d BGE warns of new phone scam 04/14/2013 08:06pm • WASHINGTON - Baltimore Gas and Electric is warning customers about a telephone scam, one that is a new problem for the company. Nearly two dozen customers in the past two weeks have notified the utility about the scam. Spokesperson Rachael Lighty says most of the complaints have come from the Arlington police warn of utility scam 04/04/2013 03:45pm • The Arlington County Police Department is warning of a scam that’s targeting local residents. Fraudsters are calling Arlington residents, claiming to be representatives of a utility company, and demanding money for supposed unpaid bills. From a police press release: Since the beginning of M Police warn of utility scam targeting seniors 03/05/2013 03:50pm • WASHINGTON - A new scam is targeting Fairfax County senior citizens and police are warning residents not to give out personal information over the telephone. In the latest scam, callers pretend to be from a utility company. The callers tell the victim that their service will be disconnected unless Montgomery Co. phone scam preys on family ties 03/04/2013 02:59pm • Hank Silverberg, wtop.com WASHINGTON - At least two people have been bilked out of hundreds of dollars by a phone scam that has been hitting Montgomery County. At least six incidents have occurred in the county since Feb. 20, with two residents falling for the pitch and losing money in the pro Phone scammers targeting Prince George's County 02/23/2013 06:39pm • Jamie Forzato, wtop.com WASHINGTON - A disturbing phone scam that blackmails the victims is targeting residents in Prince George's County. The scammer claims a family member has been hurt in a car accident. The caller threatens to hold the family member hostage until the victim wires them mone New scam comes from D.C., claims to be government agency 02/02/2013 05:38am • WASHINGTON - Unfortunately, consumer scams are nothing new to the D.C. metro area, but one recent scam is claiming to represent a government agency. David Palmer, a D.C. resident, says he received a call from someone claiming to be from the U.S. Grants Office. "They wanted my checking account, Va. officials warn of two new financial scams 01/30/2013 06:09pm • Hank Silverberg, wtop.com WASHINGTON - The crooks are at it again, trying to separate unsuspecting victims from their money with two new scams involving state and local government. The Virginia Department of Taxation and Fairfax County police have issued warnings to residents about the unrel Police warn of inheritance email scam 01/30/2013 04:30pm • WASHINGTON - Police are warning area residents of an inheritance scam that involves fictitious emails supposedly sent from the Fairfax County Police Department. Fairfax County's financial crimes unit has received at least a dozen reports since Jan. 10 of the scam. The scammers are sending unsolici Super Bowl scams not always easy to detect 01/29/2013 10:22am • Kristi King, wtop.com WASHINGTON - If an unsolicited sketchy guy stepped out of a dark alley peddling cheap Super Bowl tickets for great seats, any reasonable person might feel suspicious. But some scams are harder to detect. Nefarious sellers have numbers of ploys. So-called "package deals", fo Watch out for this scam targeting Dominion Power customers 01/10/2013 08:47pm • Hank Silverberg, wtop.com WASHINGTON - Dominion Power is warning customers about a new scam. Here's how it works: Someone calls and claims to work for Dominion Power. The caller wants the Dominion customer to pay his bill immediately with a prepaid debit card, such as a "Green Dot Card," or th Cuccinelli Warns of Holiday Scams 12/19/2012 03:45pm • It’s a season for giving, but apparently some scam artists are instead using the opportunity for taking. The Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office is warning residents to watch out for holiday scams, particularly those involving false charities and phishing. Some groups use n Police warn of phone scam targeting the elderly 11/25/2012 04:27pm • Thomas Warren, wtop.com WASHINGTON - Montgomery County Police are warning people about a telephone scam after responding to five incidents in the Friendship Heights area since October. Police say most of the incidents have involved elderly residents. Victims are called by a suspect who claims to 7 tips to keep your wallet safe this Black Friday 11/21/2012 11:37pm • WASHINGTON - The turkey has been consumed and the naps taken. Your shoes are laced up and you've stretched. Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror and it's time to shop. But you may want to pump the brakes and brush up on what to know before you hit the store. The Consumerist has seven tips to