{"id":4099,"date":"2024-05-23T11:27:36","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T17:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/?page_id=4099"},"modified":"2024-05-23T11:58:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T17:58:18","slug":"scams","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It seems as if we hear about a new scam every day. Thanks to technology and the Internet, it is far easier these days for someone to get you to part with your money or steal your identity.<\/p>\n

This page is dedicated to educating you about the latest scams, and how you can report them.<\/p>\n

Remember\u2014if you thwart a scam artist\u2019s efforts and they are not successful at stealing your money or your identity, then you have successfully avoided being a victim, and there is nothing to report to law enforcement. This page includes links to where to report scams.<\/p>\n

If you HAVE had your money or identity stolen, you should report the crime to law enforcement. Call your local law enforcement agency and visit the Federal Trade Commission website to report the scam.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

The Jury Duty Scam goes something like this: Someone will call, text, or email you to inform you that you have missed jury duty and are now in danger of arrest. The scammers will identify themselves (sometimes using the name of a real law enforcement officer, judge, or court worker) and tell you that you can avoid arrest by paying a fine. Some even go as far as providing a phone number. When you call the number, it is answered by a recording that may say something like, “You’ve reached the Dallas County Sheriff\u2019s Office Sheriff’s Office…”<\/p>\n

If a scammer contacts you, don’t engage with them, and certainly don’t give them any money or personal information if they ask for it.<\/p>\n

The Dallas County Sheriff\u2019s Office, the Dallas County DA\u2019s Office, and the Clerk of Court frequently send scam warnings, reminding residents that warrants are NOT issued for their arrest if they miss jury duty and that they will NOT be told to “pay a fine.”<\/p>\n

If you receive one of these text messages, DO NOT click the link. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

This scam involves fake car sales ads posted on Facebook Marketplace. The scammer creates a fake website, such as “motors-sales.com,” from which they also create fake email addresses, such as “ebay@motors-sales.com.” The seller posts a vehicle they need to sell very quickly for reasons such as a death in the family or military deployment. Typically, the sales price is around $2,000.<\/p>\n

The buyer is instructed to purchase eBay gift cards for around $200.00 each and call the seller and give the gift card numbers over the phone. The buyer is then promised delivery of the vehicle, which never happens.<\/p>\n

Also, keep in mind, IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT IS.\u00a0 You will not be able to buy a $40,000+ truck for $20,000; the truck will turn out to be stolen when you register it.<\/p>\n

Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You should NEVER agree to purchase a gift card & give the information to a stranger.<\/p>\n

You should NEVER purchase something sight unseen.<\/p>\n

Don’t fall for the “sense of urgency” or attempt to play on your emotions.<\/p>\n

When purchasing any vehicle online, ask the seller to meet you at a PCSO substation to complete the transaction.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

The IRS scam has many variations, from instances where callers say the victims owe or are entitled to a huge refund. Some callers will threaten arrest and\/or a driver\u2019s license revocation. Sometimes, these calls are paired with follow-up calls from people saying they are from the local police department or the state motor vehicle department.<\/p>\n

It is important to remember that the IRS never makes phone calls or sends emails about taxes\u2014they only communicate via the U.S. Postal Service.<\/p>\n

If you receive one of these calls, the IRS has created a page specific to this scam and is requesting that victims report the incident on the site so they can investigate.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

Some scammers will call you, claiming to work for Microsoft or another computer company, and try to get you to log into your computer to \u201cfix\u201d your issue. This scam involves tricking you into installing malware or malicious software that can steal your information and identity. Please visit their website to learn about how to avoid being scammed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

There are several scams where individuals posing as Social Security employees call and ask for personal information like your name, Social Security number, and bank account information. The caller alleges that we need this information so we can issue you additional funds or rebates or they allege that because of a computer glitch, your personal information has been lost.<\/p>\n

Another scam used an email designed to look like it came from Social Security. It provided information about the annual cost-of-living adjustment and directed readers to a website designed to look like Social Security\u2019s so people could \u201cupdate their information\u201d\u2014valuable information to identity thieves and criminals.<\/p>\n

Whatever you do, don\u2019t fall victim to a scam. Don\u2019t give out your personal information.<\/p>\n

Social Security and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) take these scams very seriously. They do everything they can to stop the perpetrators and educate the public. To report suspicious activity, please call the OIG Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call the OIG TTY number at 1-866-501-2101.) A Public Fraud Reporting form is also available online at OIG\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

In one version of this scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says it\u2019s Amazon. The message says there\u2019s something wrong with your account. It could be a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can\u2019t fulfill.<\/p>\n

In another twist on the scam, you get a recorded message that says there\u2019s been suspicious activity in your Apple iCloud account. In fact, they say your account may have been breached.<\/p>\n

In both scenarios, the scammers say you can conveniently press 1 to speak with someone, or they give you a phone number to call. Don\u2019t do either. It\u2019s a scam. They\u2019re trying to steal your personal information, like your account password or credit card number.<\/p>\n

If you get an unexpected call or message about a problem with any of your accounts, hang up.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Do not press 1 to speak with customer support<\/li>\n
  • Do not call a phone number they gave you<\/li>\n
  • Do not give out your personal information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    If you think there may actually be a problem with one of your accounts, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

    In this scam, an elderly victim gets a call from someone they think is their grandchild or child. Typically, the scammer just says, “Grandma?” when the victim replies with the family member’s name, “Is that you, Jimmy?” Now that the scammer has the right name, they tell the victim they are in jail and need bail money. Some scammers have even sent a “lawyer” or “courier” to get the cash. Contact law enforcement immediately if you have any relatives who have fallen prey to this scam.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

    This scam involves a “salesperson” soliciting victims to purchase U.S. Treasury bonds through them – something anyone can do on their own on the verified and secure Treasury website (www.treasurydirect.gov). The scammer tells the victims they need their SSNs, copies of their birth certificates, and other personal information. Once the scammer gets all that, they steal the victims’ money and\/or identities. Contact law enforcement immediately if you have any relatives who have fallen prey to this scam.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

    Law enforcement has investigated cases involving groups of people, usually men, who travel through neighborhoods and solicit homeowners to do paving or roofing work. Those unsuspecting victims agree to pay much cash to have a driveway paved, or a roof repaired. The scam artists will do shoddy work (for example, they\u2019ll unload a gravel and dirt mixture onto a driveway) and leave, never to be heard from again.<\/p>\n

    If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this, contact local law enforcement immediately.<\/p>\n

    If someone solicits you to do work, you should always verify their business license through the county or state tax collector and\/or the Better Business Bureau. Doing work without a license and workman\u2019s comp insurance is against the law.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

    Did you know? The Federal Trade Commission is dedicated to educating the public about scams and protecting the public from future scams. Please visit their website for more information about the following types of scams:<\/p>\n

    Imposter scams (someone posing as a business, family friend, or government agency)<\/p>\n

    Prizes, sweepstakes, or lotteries (requests for money or personal information under the pretense of a sweepstakes, gift, prize, or lottery)<\/p>\n

    Romance scams (requests for money under the guise of a romantic relationship)<\/p>\n

    Counterfeit checks (receipt of a counterfeit check during a transaction)<\/p>\n

    The Inspector Attorney General’s Office is committed to going after scammers – call them at 1-800-366-4484.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

    If you get a call from someone you don\u2019t know trying to sell you something you hadn\u2019t planned to buy, say “No thanks.” And, if they pressure you about giving up personal information \u2014 like your credit card or Social Security number \u2014 it\u2019s likely a scam. Hang up and report it to the Federal Trade Commission.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

    The federal government’s National Do Not Call Registry is a free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you get at home. To register your phone number or to get information about the registry, visit 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register. You will get fewer telemarketing calls within 31 days of registering your number. Telephone numbers on the registry will only be removed when disconnected and reassigned or when you choose to remove a number from the registry.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4099","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4099"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4104,"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4099\/revisions\/4104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dallascounty.org\/departments\/sheriff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}