CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Kimberly Smith reached out to me through the Contact Us form on our website after receiving a letter in the mail.
When she opened it, she was instantly skeptical. Before taking any action, she wanted my help figuring out if the letter was legit. We're big on helping viewers protect their money on Good Morning Cleveland.
“Before you pull out your checkbook, debit card, or whatever, stop and check," said Smith. That's exactly what Smith did after receiving a bill from the Cuyahoga County Division of Senior and Adult Services.
“It just said I owed them a certain amount, and I'd be put on a monthly payment plan," said Smith.
Immediately, there were red flags that prompted Smith to pause.
"Just looked like it had been printed out on a sheet of paper, anyone could have made it," said Smith.
With no letterhead or a list of individual charges, Smith was skeptical.
"I watch you every morning, almost every morning, so I know there are a lot of scams out there," said Smith.
Prompting even more concern was the fact that the Cleveland Heights woman currently receives services through the Western Reserve Council on Aging. The letter she received was from the Division of Senior and Adult Services.
"So, it wasn't the name I was familiar with," said Smith.
Familiar with me and my work as a consumer reporter, Smith reached out.
"I found with any of the government agencies you wait on hold a long time, so I thought you'd be a little quicker,” said Smith.
And we were.
"Yes, much quicker," said Smith.
Working with the Cuyahoga County Scam Squad, I learned the letter was, in fact, legit, and someone at the Division of Senior and Adult Services didn't use letterhead.
After bringing it to their attention, case workers notified clients to let them know this wasn't a scam and new letters were sent out.
"It was more official than the first one. It it had all the details, so I could put it to what I received and see yes, those two things go together," said Smith.
Sheryl Harris at the Scam Squad told me it's good that people are looking closely at their mail and taking a beat before making any move.
Smith hopes that by sharing her story with me, it'll help others sharpen their scam detection skills.
"You have a very good program on keeping up with the scams on Channel 5. I appreciate that. You made a difference," said Smith.
The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs encourages people to verify the legitimacy of any unusual or unexpected communication by contacting the organization directly, using a verified phone number.
You can find contact info for county departments at cuyahogacounty.gov.
