Gove County Sheriff's Office is urging residents of Gove County to take notice of several scams that are on the rise.

 

If you receive a phone call from a friend or relative stating they are in jail and need your help, It could be a scam.

First thing you should do is remain calm and try to verify the information is true. If you are not 100% sure the information is true tell the caller it doesn't sound like them, if they tell you they have a cold and that's why, This is a clue. Below is a list of suggestions to follow if you think you are the victim of a scam.

Verify an Emergency

If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a family member or a friend desperate for money:

• Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the person’s identity by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer.
• Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine.
• Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
• Don’t wire money — or send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier.

 

Scammers Use Tricks

They impersonate your loved one convincingly.

It’s surprisingly easy for a scam artist to impersonate someone. Social networking sites make it easier than ever to sleuth out personal and family information. Scammers also could hack into the e-mail account of someone you know. To make their story seem legitimate, they may involve another crook who claims to be an authority figure, like a lawyer or police officer.

They play on your emotions.

Scammers are banking on your love and concern to outweigh your skepticism. In one version of this scam, con artists impersonate grandchildren in distress to trick concerned grandparents into sending money. Sometimes, this is called a “Grandparent Scam.”

They swear you to secrecy.

Con artists may insist that you keep their request for money confidential – to keep you from checking out their story and identifying them as imposters. Victims of this scam often don’t realize they’ve been tricked until days later, when they speak to their actual family member or friend who knows nothing about the “emergency.” By then, the money they sent can't be recovered.

They insist that you wire money right away.

Scammers pressure people into wiring money because it’s like sending cash – once it’s gone, you can’t trace it or get it back. Imposters encourage using money transfer services so they can get your money before you realize you’ve been scammed.

 

 

The second scam that has appeared is the "IRS" scam. residents will receive a call from the a person stating they are from the IRS and tell you they are collecting your back taxes. Please be aware the IRS will not call you to collect. Please do not give out any of your personal information to the caller. The caller will appear to get angry and try to force you into paying your "back due" taxes over the phone. Please know the IRS will never contact you over the phone.