Bowie police and community services urge caution as frauds target seniors

At the Community Matters meeting, Bowie Police highlighted a fraud‑prevention campaign aimed at older residents after staff noted frequent scam attempts reported on social media.

Sergeant John McMaster presented a pre‑recorded public‑service video outlining common scam tactics: caller‑ID spoofing that impersonates banks or government agencies, pressure to pay via wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards, and requests for one‑time passcodes. The video advised residents to hang up on suspicious callers, verify numbers using official websites, never share passwords or access codes by phone, enable multi‑factor authentication and report fraud to police.

Chief Wayne Preston and communications staff said scams often target seniors and urged family members and caregivers to spread the safety tips. Preston described one recent personal experience in which a caller falsely claimed he had missed jury duty in an attempt to scare him into payment, and he stressed that recovery of wired funds is usually difficult.

The department asked residents to share suspect phone numbers and to use the city’s communication channels for alerts. Sergeant McMaster encouraged residents to report targeting through the police and to use the city’s outreach materials; the communications team highlighted the alert signup at cityofbowie.org/alerts used recently to help locate a missing 91‑year‑old resident.

The presentation closed with practical safeguards (guard personal data, avoid suspicious links, recognize red flags for unusual payment demands) and a request that residents notify officers or social‑service partners if someone appears repeatedly targeted.

The police asked viewers to contact the department if they receive suspicious calls so staff can verify reports; residents may also share video evidence via evidence@cityof.org.