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The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is warning the public about a recent uptick in telephone scam calls targeting residents.
Viewers have reached out to ABC10 to share their stories of being targeted, after our own Monica Woods heard from a friend who said they had received a scam phone call.
The scammers’ ploys have taken many forms. In Monica’s friend’s case, the caller claimed to the victim that his wife and kids were kidnapped, and he needed to send money to free them. The sheriff’s department tells ABC10 other calls include fake arrest warrants. Some viewers said they have received phony calls from the “IRS” regarding back taxes or injured loved ones who need hospital expenses paid, to name a few. In the end, the crooks only want one thing: money.
According to Shaun Hampton with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, they receive reports about these scam calls a few times a day. Hampton says the callers often use “spoofed” telephone numbers to appear legit and they use voiceover IP phones to make themselves harder to track
If you think you might be on the receiving end of a scam call, Hampton suggests making an excuse to get off the phone or ask if you can call back. This works because the scammers a.) don’t want to give you a phone number to reach them and b.) they typically try to keep their victims on the phone throughout the transaction.
“Do not, under any circumstance, provide [the scammers] with any monetary funding of any type," said Hampton.
If you think you’re dealing with a scammer, but you have not given any money, Hampton says you should contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and not law enforcement. The FTC is the agency that handles those claims.
However, if you have been targeted and have actually sent money to the scammer, then contact the nearest sheriff’s department service center and make a report immediately. Click here to find the sheriff's department service center in your area.
According to the sheriff’s department, these scammers don’t necessarily target specific individuals, but usually prey on the elderly or people who they feel would be more apt to comply with their demands, such as families with young children.