BARTLETT — When Olof Ekbergh of Bartlett received a letter in the mail, purportedly from Bank of America and seeking his private information, he and his wife, Sharyn, got suspicious.
Sure enough, it was a scam.
kAmt<36C89 3C@F89E E96 =6EE6C[ H9:49 H2D D6?E E@ 9:D A@DE @77:46 3@I :? }@CE9 r@?H2J[ :?E@ E96 $F? @77:46D =2DE %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAmQx H2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 ?@3@5J 72==D 7@C :E[Q D2:5 t<36C89]k^Am
kAm%96 =6EE6C[ 52E65 |2J b[ 92D 2? 2FE96?E:4\=@@<:?8 q2?< @7 p>6C:42 =@8@ 2E E96 E@A 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 C6EFC? 255C6DD @7 2 !]~] 3@I :? s6=2H2C6] xE 925 DEC@?8 3FE @77:4:2=\=@@<:?8 H@C5:?8[ :?4=F5:?8 2 E9C62E E@ 5C:== @A6? 2 D276\56A@D:E 3@I :7 t<36C89 5:5?VE C6DA@?5 H:E9 E96 C6BF:C65 :?7@C>2E:@? 3J yF?6 c]k^Am
kAmQsFC:?8 2 C646?E C6G:6H[ H6 7@F?5 H6 2C6 >:DD:?8 @C 92G6 :?4@>A=6E6 :?7@C>2E:@? E92E :D :>A@CE2?E E@ D6CG6 J@F 2?5 J@FC 32?<:?8 ?665D[Q E96 =6EE6C DE2E6D] Q{:<6 2== 7:?2?4:2= :?DE:EFE:@?D[ H6VC6 C6BF:C65 E@ >2:?E2:? 4@>A=6E6 2?5 244FC2E6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 2== @FC 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 >2J 92G6 E@ C6DEC:4E @C 6G6? 4=@D6 244@F?ED[ H9:49 >2J :?4=F56 @A6?:?8 D276EJ 56A@D:E 3@I6D 3J 5C:==:?8 E96 =@4<[ E92E 5@?VE 92G6 E96 C6BF:C65 :?7@C>2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 =6EE6C 4@?E2:?65 244@F?E ?F>36CD E92E 5:5?VE >2E49 2?J C62= 244@F?E 2?5 E96 A9@?6 ?F>36C 5:5?VE 8@ 324< E@ 2?J q2?< @7 p>6C:42 3C2?49[ D2:5 t<36C89[ 255:?8 E92E E96 D42>DE6CD 5:5 >2?286 E@ DA6== 9:D ?2>6 4@CC64E=J]k^Am
kAmx?4=F565 H:E9 E96 =6EE6C H6C6 4@A:6D @7 H92E H6C6 2AA2C6?E=J (\a 2?5 (\gqt} Wr6CE:7:42E6 @7 $E2EFD @7 q6?67:4:2= ~H?6C 7@C &?:E65 $E2E6D %2I (:E99@=5:?8 2?5 #6A@CE:?8 t?E:E:6DX E2I 7@C>D[ H9:49 2D< 7@C $@4:2= $64FC:EJ ?F>36CD 2?5 @E96C A6CD@?2= :?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 =6EE6C 42>6 H:E9 2 C6EFC? 6?G6=@A6 H:E9 2? pC:K@?2 !]~] 3@I]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 D9@H:?8 E96 =6EE6C E@ E96 $F?[ t<36C89 2=D@ D9@H65 :E E@ A@DE2= H@C<6CD 2E E96 }@CE9 r@?H2J 3C2?49[ H9@ >256 4@A:6D] w6 2=D@ ?@E:7:65 E96 r@?H2J !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E[ H9:49 E@=5 9:> E96J 5@?VE 92?5=6 E9@D6 EJA6D @7 :?G6DE:82E:@?D]k^Am
kAmQ%@ >6[ :EVD 2 3:8 4C:>6 E@ 36 D6?5:?8 E2I 7@C>D[Q D2:5 t<36C89] Qx 92G6 2 766=:?8 E92E ?@3@5J :D 8@:?8 E@ 5@ 2?JE9:?8 23@FE E9:D[ 3FE >2J36 3J 8@:?8 E@ E96 =@42= A2A6C[ 6G6? :7 @?6 A6CD@? :? E96 G2==6J C625D E96 2CE:4=6[ x E9:?< H6VG6 5@?6 2 8@@5 E9:?8]Qk^Am
kAm!@DE2= 4C:>6D 2C6 :?G6DE:82E65 3J E96 &]$] !@DE2= x?DA64E:@? $6CG:46]k^Am
kAmQ!@DE2= :?DA64E@CD 32D6 :?G6DE:82E:@?D @7 >2:= 7C2F5 @? E96 ?F>36C[ A2EE6C? 2?5 DF3DE2?46 @7 4@>A=2:?ED C646:G65 7C@> E96 AF3=:4[Q DE2E6D E96 x?DA64E:@? $6CG:46VD H63D:E6]k^Am
kAm!@DE2= x?DA64E:@? !F3=:4 x?7@C>2E:@? ~77:46C t>:=J $A6C2 E@=5 E96 $F?[ Q|2:= 7C2F5 42D6D 2C6 :>A@CE2?E :?G6DE:82E:@?D E92E 96=A AC@E64E A@DE2= 4FDE@>6CD]Q k^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 E92E :? a_`c E96C6 H6C6 eea >2:= 7C2F5 4@?G:4E:@?Dj :? a_`d[ dc_j 2?5 :? a_`e[ ca_]k^Am
kAmQp D:?8=6 2CC6DE 7@C >2:= 7C2F5 :D @7E6? =:?<65 E@ E9@FD2?5D @7 G:4E:>D H9@ 42? DF776C 56G2DE2E:?8 7:?2?4:2= =@DD6D[Q D2:5 $A6C2] Q(6 2=D@ <?@H E92E >2:= 7C2F5 :D 2? F?56C\C6A@CE65 4C:>6]Qk^Am
kAm%96 !@DE2= x?DA64E:@? $6CG:46 D2JD 4@>A=2:?2?ED D9@F=5 <66A 2== @C:8:?2= 5@4F>6?ED C6=2E65 E@ E96:C 42D6]k^Am
kAmQ#6A@CE:?8 @? E2I C67F?5 7C2F5 @C @E96C 7C2F5D :D 2 G2=F23=6 H2J E@ :?7@C> E96 p>6C:42? AF3=:4 @? 9@H E@ <66A 7C@> 72==:?8 G:4E:> E@ E96D6 2?5 @E96C 4@>>@? D42>D[Q D2:5 $A6C2]k^Am
kAm$96 42FE:@?65 E96 AF3=:4 E92E Q:7 2 DFDA:4:@FD @776C[ AC@>@E:@? @C D@=:4:E2E:@? 2CC:G6D E9C@F89 E96 >2:=[ 8:G6 :E E@ J@FC =6EE6C 42CC:6C 2?5 2D< E96> E@ A2DD :E 2=@?8 E@ 2 A@DE2= :?DA64E@C]k^Am
kAmQ*@F 42? 2=D@ 3C:?8 :E E@ J@FC =@42= A@DE @77:46 @C 7@CH2C5 E96 D@=:4:E2E:@? E@ @FC rC:>:?2= x?G6DE:82E:@? $6CG:46 r6?E6C]Qk^Am
kAm%96 255C6DD :Di &]$] !@DE2= x?DA64E:@? $6CG:46 rC:>:?2= x?G6DE:82E:@?D $6CG:46 r6?E6C[ cbb (] w2CC:D@? $E][ #@@> badd[ r9:428@[ x{ e_ehh\badd]k^Am
kAm$A6C2 D2:5 E96 7@==@H:?8 D9@F=5 36 C65 7=28Dik^Am
kAm• w:89\AC6DDFC6 D2=6D E24E:4D[ DF49 2D C6BF:C:?8 AC6\A2J>6?ED :? 42D9]k^Am
kAm• p H2C?:?8 E92E J@FC C6DA@?D6 :D “FC86?E” @C “:E’D J@FC =2DE 492?46 7@C E9:D AC:46]”k^Am
kAm• p C6BF6DE 7@C J@F E@ D:8? 2 3=2?< 7@C>]k^Am
kAm$A6C2 D2:5 A6@A=6 D9@F=5 C625 6G6CJE9:?8 8:G6? @C >2:=65 E@ J@F 3J E96 A6CD@? @C 4@>A2?J D@=:4:E:?8 J@FC >@?6J — :?4=F5:?8 E96 7:?6 AC:?E]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ FC865 A6@A=6 E@ 4964< @FE E96 4@>A2?J H:E9 E96 q6EE6C qFD:?6DD qFC62F[ $E2E6 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= @C pp#!’D uC2F5 u:89E6C r2== r6?E6C W2E g__\ece\aagbX :7 E96J ?665 96=A 56E6C>:?:?8 H96E96C 2? @776C :D =68:E:>2E6 @C ?@E]k^Am
kAm*@F D9@F=5 2=D@ 5@ 2? @?=:?6 D62C49 E@ 4964< @FE @E96CD’ 6IA6C:6?46D H:E9 E96 3FD:?6DD]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 &]$] !@DE2= x?DA64E:@? $6CG:46[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^aEG34FQmE:?JFC=]4@>^aEG34Fk^2m]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.