Syracuse, N.Y. - Onondaga County Sheriff’s are warning people theres a phone scam going.
People are receviing calls from someone who claims to be with the County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller says they have a warrant for the arrest of the victim and directs them to make a payment electronically. The caller will then ask the citizen to either drive to a bank or ATM or provide a credit card number to clear up their fines to avoid an arrest.
Police agencies NEVER make these types of calls. They warn everyone to never provide any personal information, credit card number, or any type of “MoneyPak” number to the suspect.
The Sheriff’s Office is offering these tips:
• Do not provide information over the phone. Scammers often ask leading questions to retrieve information. Often, you do not realize that you are giving them valuable information.
• Scammers create a sense of urgency. Ask the caller for detailed information and a contact number. Tell the caller you will call them back. Then attempt to verify the caller’s story by calling the business and or a family member.
• Remember that scammers often use a technique called “spoofing.” Spoofing provides a fictitious number to a Caller ID display.
• Do not send money.
• Most importantly, contact police immediately if you believe you are a victim of a telephone scam