The Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents that scammers are pretending to be workers there in an attempt to rip people off.
Individuals are even using the names of real Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office employees when calling, the TGSO said in a media release. They might have personal information such as your full name, birthdate and other identifying details as they attempt to make the call seem legitimate.
Here is what the scam callers often claim you have:
The callers then demand immediate payment, and they often request money through Bitcoin, gift cards or other nontraditional methods, the Sheriff’s Office said.
But it’s a scam.
“TGSO will NEVER call you to demand payment over the phone, request payment via Bitcoin, gift cards, or wire transfer, or threaten immediate arrest for failure to pay over the phone,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
If you receive a call from scammer like this, don’t send money, hang up immediately and don’t give out any personal or financial information, the SO said.
If you’re not sure if a call is legitimate, contact the Sheriff’s Office directly using its official phone number, the media release said.
The SO can be reached at 325-655-8111.
Sheriff Nick Hanna is urging everyone to check on elderly family members, friends and neighbors often targeted in these scams, the media release said.
Trish Choate is the executive editor for the Abilene Reporter-News, San Angelo Standard-Times and Wichita Falls Times Record News. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@USATodayco.com. Read her recent work here.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office warns of scam calls
Reporting by Trish Choate, San Angelo Standard-Times / San Angelo Standard-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
