The LCSO has received many calls recently about a variety of SCAM issues:

USE of LOCAL Names & NUMBERS: The SCAMMERS are making many of their calls appear to come from a local phone number. These creeps randomly pick out a local number and often a local name to show who the call is supposedly from. Actually that local number was improperly used and often results in the local resident receiving many return calls from people wondering who they are or why that number called them. This is very frustrating to the intended victims and especially to the person with the legitimate phone number.

SCAMMERS get PERSONAL: Recently we responded to a report of what was originally a SCAMMER call and the intended female victim did not fall for the original call. The Creeper called back and claimed to be at the intended victims home and was making graphic and vulgar comments on what was about to happen. LCSO responded and helped the person lock the number from their phone. The citizen was never in any danger other than by phone harassment as the original call was generated from outside the USA.

Relentless:  Hundreds of continued attempts for you to give up personal identifiers and/or banking or credit card information with various forms of scams. Some claim to be a family member in a hospital or in jail needing immediate help. Others claim to be wanting to help you lower interest rates on credit cards or other loans, some want to help you fall in love based on a social networking site and take your money, and others are wanting to buy items you have posted on the internet in attempt to con you out of money.

If you have been scammed and are out money or given out your personal identifiers you should notify law enforcement and follow steps to protect yourself which can be found on the LCSO website: www.livcoso.org and click on “Departments” then click on “Crime Prevention TIPS”.

Keep your identity private! Keep your own money! When in doubt don’t do it!

Sheriff Steve Cox