WASHINGTON — Scammers aren’t renowned moralists, and in Montgomery County they’re back with a shameless old trick to cheat people out of their money.

The telephone scams tug at the heartstrings by laying out a phony emergency affecting a loved one.

Jail. An accident. A kidnapping. Some physical injury.

Whatever the fabricated calamity, the victim is unable to speak, of course.

The scammer then proceeds to ask for money via wire transfer, Internet transactions or prepaid cards, the Montgomery County police say.

The scam doesn’t focus on any one area or group of people.

“Before you send anybody any money, you better get in touch with the people that they claim are in trouble,” says Nicole Gamard, a spokeswoman for the county police.

Police say the scam surfaced in Montgomery County early last year, but the fraud calls have increased over the past week.

The calls originate from inside the United States.

You can find more information at backgroundchecks.org.

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