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NC police agencies warn of T-shirt selling scams

Law enforcement agencies across North Carolina issued a warning about T-shirt scams trying to steal people's personal information.
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MATTHEWS, N.C. — Multiple law enforcement agencies issued warnings this week about T-shirt scams online. 

The Matthews Police Department is among the agencies bringing the new scam to light, telling users to ignore any text messages or emails about a discount on Matthews police T-shirts. 

The scam messages will include a link to take users to a website promoting the shirts at a discount. Matthews police said the link is a phishing scam attempt and encouraged people to not click it. 

Similar scams were reported in Cary, Garner, Roxboro and Dunn in North Carolina. The sheriff's office in Carteret County also posted a warning about the T-shirt scam. 

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SCAM ALERT If you receive a text or email regarding a discount on Matthews Police Department t-shirts, it is a SCAM. ...

Posted by Matthews Police Department on Sunday, July 3, 2022

The Dunn Police Department posted a photo of what the text messages and website associated with the scam look like. 

***SCAM ALERT*** We are aware of a text message that is going around with a link advertising $10 off a Dunn Police...

Posted by City of Dunn Police Department on Saturday, July 2, 2022

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Tips to avoid becoming a victim of a scam:

  • Emotional appeal 
    Any pitch that ratchets up your emotion will inhibit your rational judgment. 

  • Sense of urgency 
    You MUST act now, or else. 

  • Request for unorthodox payment 
    Gift cards, prepaid credit cards, wire transfers, etc. 

  • Explanations that don't ring true 
    If your new “landlord” can’t show you the inside of the house, that could be because they don’t own it. 

  • You won, now pay up 
    It’s not a prize if you have to pay for it. Taxes, fees, shipping, whatever. 

  • Too good to be true 
    That’s because it’s not true. Sorry, your long-lost relative didn’t die, leaving you millions. That car you bought online for a third of its Kelly Blue Book value doesn’t really exist. The son of a billionaire diamond broker didn’t “swipe right” on you and fall instantly in love. That work-at-home job paying you hundreds of dollars an hour for stuffing envelopes isn’t real. 

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