Beware of Phone Scams in Local Areas
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind citizens to be aware of some common scams that are used to attempt to defraud the public. In the last 2 months, Monroe County law enforcement has been contacted more than 90 times related to fraud, with most of them being related to some type of phone scam.
Some of the most common scams reported are threating calls from the IRS, computer technical support calls, fake charity calls, lottery scams, and family members in distress (fake car accident or family member whose allegedly been arrested).
These scammers will often request payment in the form of gift cards, wire transfers, or even sending cash through the mail. If you receive a call and are requested to send money in any of these ways, it is likely a scam.
A few common tips we urge you to remember as it relates to scams.
1. You should never send money to someone unless you are sure you know who they are.
2. Never give out your personal information or social security number to someone who calls you.
3. The IRS and other government agencies will never threaten to arrest you if you don’t make some sort of payment.
4. If you win the lottery, you will not need to “return” or prepay money to get your winnings.
5. If a family member calls and asks you to send money, make sure it is them. Calling them back at a known phone number or checking in with another close family member to make contact with them is strongly encouraged.
If you are a victim of a phone scam, it can be reported to Federal Communication Commission at 1-800-372-8347 or your local law enforcement agency.
Source: WRJC.com
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