The Turlock Police Department and Blue Santa are reminding Turlock residents to remain on alert of potential scams during the holiday season.

Recently, a Turlock resident nearly became a victim of a suspected scam, but they remained alert and took proper steps to ensure the scammers did not succeed.

According to a post on the Turlock Police Department’s Nextdoor page, the Turlock resident received a phone call from a person confirming the resident’s name and asking if someone else was using the resident’s computer.

The resident told the suspect that no one else was using the computer and the suspect said that someone was trying to change the ID of his computer. The suspect told the resident that he needed to give the suspect control of his computer to block attempted change.

After becoming suspicious, the resident asked the suspect for his name and the organization he was with, who responded with his name and said he was with Geek Squad.

The resident said he needed to check with Geek Squad before giving the suspect access to his computer and the suspect immediately cut off the call.

While the resident has a Geek Squad subscription and has used it in the past, he knew that something did not seem right from the beginning.

Following the call, the resident notified the organization that someone is using their name to commit fraud.

Using another organization’s name is a very common scam, according to the Turlock Police Department.

The Turlock Police Department posted the following tips on their Nextdoor page to help citizens avoid becoming a victim of a scam:

• If something does not seem right, chances are it is not.
• Always question callers and never give your personal information to someone unless you are 100 percent certain of who you are talking to.
• If you suspect someone may be trying to scam you, ask for their name and organization, then advise that you will call them back. Research the information and company to confirm they are a legitimate caller.
• Know that scammers will gather information on your prior to calling. They may know where you live, your name, birthday, relative’s name, places you visit, etc. Do not assume they are legitimate based on the information they know about you.
• If someone calls you stating they are with a business, they should have all of your information. They should not ask you for your account number, ID number, etc. If they are calling you, they will have your information already.

For more safety tips, visit the Turlock Police Department Crime Prevention website.