SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says it’s seeing a large increase in phone scams in the area, and they want to help you avoid becoming a victim.
They say a typical scam call begins with someone saying they are from a company or government agency, like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, the IRS, Social Security, a law enforcement Agency, Publishers
Clearing House or a bank.
The scammers may tell you your computer or smartphone was hacked, you have a warrant out for your arrest, you won a prize, your Social Security number was stolen or you owe the IRS money.
But don’t fall for it.
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Often, the scammers will ask you to purchase some type of gift card. In other cases, the scammers will request bank account information and trick you by claiming they will use it to deposit money into your account for various reasons, the sheriff’s department said.
If you receive one of these calls, the sheriff’s department say you should hang up and verify — look up that organization’s true phone number and call them to verify the information you were told.
