Law enforcement officials say scams have become a part of everyday life and that citizens can protect themselves by being informed. The general premise of the scam is that someone contacts you by phone, text, email, or sometimes a letter. They claim you have a warrant, your password is compromised, you’re utilities are about to be turned off, your computer has been infected, you have a relative in need of money, you’ve won something, they are raising funds … and several hundred other variations. As nationwide data breaches become more common, these scammers have access to personal information which they use to coerce you – your address, date of birth, partial social security number, partial credit card number, passwords etc. They will use many tactics from being kind and understanding to threatening action against you. Officials say do not confirm or give out any personal information. If you receive a call like this, hang up and contact your local law enforcement. Even if you think they may have a valid claim, you still have the right to hang up. Do not respond to or call back any number they give you. Use the legitimate web page of the agency they claim to represent to contact the agency. Remember, scammers can easily spoof the caller ID information to make it appear they are calling from a legitimate agency. Report all scams to local law enforcement
