Department of
Public Safety
Newsletter
Mott Community College
July 2005
Over My Dead Body: Scam Artists Will Stop At Nothing
Even Dracula might find this
scary: Men posing as funeral
home employees allegedly
stole an 86 year old man’s
body from a Southfield hospital for possible use in an insurance fraud scheme.
Apparently, not even the
dead are safe from con artists. Yes, I knew swindles
and skin games, scams and
flimflams were getting
stranger. A would-be
“psychic” once told me that
all the females in my family
suffered from a curse that
only months of paid-for
prayers and candlelit meetings could remove. I told her
I’d keep the curse.
The Better Business Bureau
of Detroit and Eastern Michigan warns against a number
of other scams, including
fake charities using names
that sound like the names of
real and respected organizations, and con artists who
send people phony bills
stamped “past due.”
The bureau also warns consumers to watch out for
companies that demand upfront fees for repairing poor
credit records or creating
clean new records: there’s no
way these “companies” can
do what they promise.
There’s an office supply
scheme, too. Here’s how it
works: A salesman calls
your company and says he’s
in a bind. Because of an
employee’s mistake, he has
to sell off all of his supplies right
away. He asks you to help him out
by agreeing to purchase some
deeply discounted supplies, but
he’s vague about his location and
can’t send you a catalog.
If you fall for his pitch, you wind
up with goods that cost more than
you expected or merchandise so
shoddy you can’t use it.
Metro Detroiters have been
plagued for years by another telephone scam. A stranger plucks
your name from the telephone
book, calls you and identifies himself as Tom or Teddy or some
other common name. You think
you recognize his voice, and he
plays along, telling you his car has
just been trashed or towed and he
needs some cash. He sends a
stranger to your house to collect
the money and you never hear from
your “old friend” again.
Or you might get a phone call informing you that you’ve just won a
vacation to some sand-and-sea
destination. But your “cruise ship”
turns out to be the first cousin to a
tug boat, and your hotel is so
shabby you gladly splurge on an
upscale room somewhere else.
Or someone might send you a letter
offering to teach you the secret of
gaining instant wealth for just $25.
I already know the secret of instant
wealth; convincing people to pay
you for information that’s available
for nothing.
The pigeon drop, the granddaddy
of all con games, is still around,
too. You know how it works. A
couple of strangers tell you they’ve
found or won a large sum of
money but for some reason
can’t get it immediately.
Then they tell you that if
you put up some good faith
money and collect their
prize, they’ll split the loot
with you. Of course, if you
fall for this setup, you’ll
never see the strangers or
your dollars again.
All the same, this alleged
body stealing scheme
represents a new low.
————SOURCE:
The Detroit News/Betty
DeRamus __________
Follow “take shelter” or "evacuation
orders” in a calm, quick manner.
Civil Defense Warnings will also be
broadcast over the MCC TV System.
The Department of Public Safety
provides many services for the MCC
students, faculty, staff and visitors.
In addition to their availability in
emergency situations, the Department provides non-emergency assistance.
CAMPUS EMERGENCY
Dial……..762-5666 or from any
campus pay phone DIAL #1
…………………..
Mott College Public
Safety Department
The Public Safety Department is responsible for
security and emergency
response at Mott Community College.
The Department is located
in Room 200 of the Facilities Management Building
on the Main Campus and in
Room 1150 of the CurticeMott Building. Staffing is
provided 24 hours a day, 7
days a week by certified
police officers, trained
safety officers and student
officers.
The Public Safety Department patrols the main campus, including the Flint
Cultural Center and
Kearsley Park.
The campus has an emergency Public Address System as well as sirens.
NON-EMERGENCY
Dial……..762-0222 or from any
campus pay phone DIAL #9
——————————
Department of Public Safety
“News Flash”
Campus Watch
The Department of Public
Safety would like to encourage
faculty, staff and students to
utilize department bicycles
Monday through Friday,
7:00 am to 6:00 pm…..Take
part in Community Policing
while you’re enjoying your
ride, by watching and reporting any suspicious activities or
disorderly conduct to our
Campus Police Department.
• Contact Public Safety at
762-0222 to reserve your
bike.