From the desk of Sheriff Bryson Meyers:
As the holidays approach, Sheriff Meyers would like to remind residents of the growing number of fraud schemes that take place in the area. Common fraud schemes currently affecting our community:
๐. ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง & ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ-๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ Scammers pose as law-enforcement officers, court officials, or federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, or U.S. Customs. Key red flags: threats of arrest, demands for immediate payment, requests for gift cards or wire transfers.
๐. ๐๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ & ๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ Criminals use spoofed numbers to appear legitimate. Common versions include: โข โMissed jury dutyโ claims โข โFamily member in jail/hospitalโ emergencies โข Fake bank alerts or package-delivery notifications
๐. ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ & ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ /๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ Fraudsters create fake listings or attempt to overpay and request a refund. Victims are targeted through social-media marketplaces, classifieds, and peer-to-peer selling platforms.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ & ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ Scammers build emotional connections online to manipulate victims into sending money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or personal information.
๐. ๐๐๐๐ก-๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ & ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ซ-๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฆ Victims receive pop-ups or calls claiming their computer is infected. Scammers attempt to gain remote access or charge for fake โrepairs.โ
๐. ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ & ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ Includes cryptocurrency schemes, fake investment opportunities, foreign-lottery scams, and pyramid-style operations promising high returns with low risk.
๐. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ญ Criminals steal personal information to open credit accounts, file false tax returns, or make fraudulent purchases. Breaches often begin with phishing emails, fake log-in pages, or data compromised on unsecured websites.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ & ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐-๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ Unlicensed individuals offer repair or construction services, collect deposits upfront, and fail to complete the work.
๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ :
โข ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐.
โข ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌโ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐.
โข ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ.
โข ๐๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ.