Fraud Protection

The City was notified that there has been an imposter posing as a representative of the City's Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program (SHARP). The caller offered to visit a resident's home to see if the property qualified for the program. These individuals are not employed or affiliated with the City or our partner in SHARP, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. The City does not "cold call" community members offering home inspection services home.  

Below are some general tips to help you avoid scams by phone or email.

• For calls from alleged utility companies or government agencies (federal, state and local):
  • Do not give out any personal information until you have verified the identity of the caller.
  • Always ask the caller for their name, department, and business phone number.
  • Confirm that information by calling the organization at a phone number found on the Internet or through official correspondence such as billing statements.
  • If the caller refuses to provide this information, terminate the call and report the incident to the police immediately.  
• For calls from an alleged grandchild or other family member:  
  • Do not fill in the blanks for the caller. Often, they do not know the name of your loved one, but are relying on you to provide that information.
  • Ask callers to identify themselves. If you do not provide them any information, they will likely hang up.
  • Verify the whereabouts of the alleged caller by contacting other family members - or use a number you already have on file to reach the person they claim to be.
  • Do not use telephone numbers provided by the caller. 
• Never give out personal identifying information, such as bank account or credit card account numbers, to anyone you do not know.  
• Be wary of anyone attempting to collect a debt by telephone or email. 
• Seniors are more susceptible to be victimized in these types of scams, so keep your elderly relatives informed about these incidents.
• Don’t forget to share this important information with family members.

If you feel you have been contacted by someone you believe to be a scam or fraudulent, contact the Newport Beach Police Department by calling the non-emergency dispatch number 949-644-3717. 

Find additional crime prevention tips on the Newport Beach Police Department's website.