Recently Sheriff Jeff Shaver made WEIS radio news aware of a telephone scam that was plaguing our local area. Scammers would call local residents claiming to be from the Marshal Service or Sheriff’s department. The scammer would then tell the individual that there was a warrant for their arrest; however they could avoid being arrested by giving them their banking information or send money through Money gram or Cash App.
Sheriff Shaver said that if you get a call from someone who claims to be from a law enforcement agency and they are asking for money or any personal information don’t engage with them. Simply hang up the phone.
Phone calls are not the only way scammers are trying to take advantage of our local area.I personally received a text message that stated I had an outstanding “toll payment” due and if it was not paid by the due date I would receive more fines and my license would be revoked. This text is an obvious scam and I am going to share with you tips to help you recognize a scam attempt.
What to look for if you receive a text or phone call from someone asking for money
Look at the sender’s information. On the message I received the sender’s email was from Hotmail which if you don’t know Hotmail is a free email service. Anyone can set up an email address on that service and no law agency is going to use a free service to communicate. Another tip would be to use your pointer on your computer screen to hover over an email address before opening it. This way you can see the actual email address.
Most of these scams attempt to make the intended victim take immediate action or face the “consequences”. For example I received my text message on Wednesday February 12th saying if I didn’t pay my “fine” by February 13th then I would receive more fines and my license would be revoked. If you receive any type of communication from someone claiming to be from law enforcement call that agency’s verified phone number and speak with someone to verify that the communication is authentic. Please share these tips with friends and love ones so they are not a victim to these scams
