Tis the season for scams

With the holiday season underway, may residents may have thoughts of gifts and family gatherings on their minds.

However, residents should also be weary of a number of scams targeting people living in Green River as well.

Earlier this month, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning about a scam that targeted seniors, misleading them into believing their grandchild was facing legal trouble and needed money to pay for bail and attorney fees. Those running the scam, which the sheriff’s office said are associated with a phone number listed in California, research their intended victims to learn information about them prior to calling. A strange or unfamiliar-sounding voice is explained to the victim as the result of an illness. Another person calling the intended victim, often identifying themselves as an attorney for the grandchild, is added to lend an air of credibility to the scam, but residents should remain on guard when they receive such calls.

Those aren’t the only scams circulating either.

According to the Green River Police Department’s police reports, residents are often targeted by phone scams. One reported attempt that occurred Friday involved a resident receiving a automated voicemail message stating their bank accounts would be frozen unless they contacted the IRS immediately and was provided a phone number to call. The resident did not call the number according to the report, opting to contact the Green River Police Department about the call.

Reports from previous weeks involve residents reporting calls from people claiming to be with the Wyoming Lottery Corporation or Publishers Clearing House, claiming the resident won a prize, but needs to pay a fee or tax to have the money released to them. Oftentimes, the requests for payment required the targeted victim to provide the money through a gift card or GreenDot card. According to the Wyoming Lottery Corporation, they wouldn’t contact people to inform them if they won a lottery prize and would not require winners to pay fees toward the release of the winnings.

Residents who feel they’re being targeted in a scam can contact the Green River Police Department or Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office. For scams that occur through the internet, residents can contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is operated jointly by the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center, by visiting http://www.ic3.gov.

 

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