Community members are being asked by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office to be cautious when answering the phone after a recent spike in scam callers.
Deputies and officers from the Sheriff's Office and Laramie Police Department have received reports of scam callers claiming to be members of either law enforcement entity.
“(The scam calls) ebbs and flows,” Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans said. “We usually put announcements on our facebook page when the scams really start to ramp up. … We’ve gotten about 10 calls from people in the last few days saying ‘Hey, I got this call, was that you guys?’ or some of them are close to completing the fraud process and say ‘Hey, I’m at the bank getting money for you guys.’ So we have had to say ‘Don’t, it’s a scam.’”
Residents have reported the callers referring to them by name and claimed they had missed a court appearance or jury duty. The caller would state the resident needed to send money by means of a gift card or a warrant would be issued for their arrest. The scammers are known to use a real law enforcement officer's name and parody an actual police agency phone number in an attempt to seem believable.
“The Sheriff’s Office, and really any law enforcement within Albany County, will never ask the public for money,” Appelhans said. “So if residents get a call and they’re asking for your personal information, or they’re trying to get you to go and withdraw money to wire it to them, that is a scam. We don’t do business like that at all, in any way, shape or form.”
It should be noted that no government agency accepts gift cards as a method of payment and the Sheriff's Office will not call to request money in any circumstance.
To avoid becoming a victim of the scam, individuals should never share personal or financial information over the phone or email, be cautious of callers who demand payment and regularly update passwords and privacy settings on social media platforms. Scammers will make their story believable by stalking social media for personal information.
“Right now, it’s predominantly spoofing that Sheriff’s Office, but we have seen it with the Laramie Police Department, as well,” Appelhans said. “We’ve had to tell the public that’s a scam and please don’t give them information.”
According to the Albany County Police Department, should a residents become victim to one of these scammers, they should file a report by calling the Albany County Sheriff’s Office’s Non-emergency line at 307-721-2526
For more information on recent scams or to learn more about avoiding them visit online at consumer.ftc.gov/scams.
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