Is it a scam?

First and foremost, if you do not recognize the company, bank, service provider, etc., do not provide any personal information, including date of birth, social security number or account information. If, in order to obtain your “prize” you need to purchase any type of gift card or preloaded bank card and provide the numbers on the card to them, it is a SCAM!

Phone Calls: This is probably the number one scam reported to the agency. It typically involves a phone call stating you have won a major prize. The scammer will inform the victim that in order to collect the prize, the victim first needs to provide banking information in order to transfer money. Or the classic, “In order for us to process the winnings, you will need to provide a minimal payment of ‘XXXX’ dollars to continue with the processing of your prize.”

If continued, the scammer will then ask the victim to purchase gift cards to render payment for the processing. If you have not signed up for or participated in any type of lottery, raffle, drawing, etc., odds are it is a scam.

Do not trust a telephone call based solely on the fact it appears to originate as a local number stating to be a bank or business. When in doubt, hang up and call the business back and inquire about the telephone call.

Email and Text Messaging Phishing: If you receive an email or text message stating your package/document/item has been delivered with a link attached and you are not expecting a delivery, do not click the link.

It is a scam!

You and the Law: The Sheriff’s Office, judge, court or any government entity will never contact you stating you have a warrant for your arrest. However, if payment is received, the judgment will be vacated and warrant recalled. Again, payment will typically be asked for in the form of gift cards. It is a scam!

Similarly, we have investigated complaints with scammers calling and claiming to be attorneys representing family members. The scam follows the lines of: “A family member has been arrested, but do not attempt to contact said family member. The judge has sealed the hearing. However, if you provide monies, the family member will be released.”

It is a scam!

Scammers function on the ability to extract information from their victims. If you receive a questionable communication but are unsure about the legitimacy of the call, ask questions without providing personal information or funding sources.

If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency and file a report. Monitor your credit report for unusual activity. If needed, contact your bank or credit union and have accounts turned off.