Multiple scams reported hitting area

Residents warned to not give information over phone

The Hill County Sheriff’s Office said local residents are reporting a variety of scams hitting the area, and has warned people not to give information out over the telephone to callers.

One scam reported involves people claiming to represent Verizon Wireless. The callers request information that they then use to access the victim’s Verizon account or open another account using the victim’s information. The scammers then order expensive telephones using the victim’s credentials, the sheriff’s office release said.

People are encouraged to never give passwords or account information out over the phone, even if they claim to be a company representative such as someone working for Verizon. Verizon employees will never ask for account passwords the release said.

People are encouraged to call Verizon directly if they have account inquiries. Verizon also has a fraud department people can contact if they have unusual activity on their account.

Another scam people are reporting to the sheriff’s office, the release said, involves a caller telling the victim they qualify for a government grant. The caller will try to obtain the victim’s credit card information. The scammer tells the victim they will put $4,000 on the victim’s credit card, which is usually done with a bad check that will not pass through any bank. The victim is then told they need to take $4,000 out of their credit card account and send it to an address provided, usually through a money gram or green dot card transaction.

If the victim does not do as requested, they then receive a call from someone claiming to be with the FBI who threatens to have them arrested for theft or fraud.

People are encouraged to never give credit card numbers over the telephone to callers.

Another scam reported involves a scammer calling the victim and telling them their child, grandchild or some other relative is in jail and they need a specific amount of money to get out of jail. People are again encouraged to never give any financial information out to callers. The release recommends people get the name of the jail the caller claims to be involved, hang up and call that jail themselves to ensure they are not being scammed.

Law enforcement and company representatives have regularly advised residents that companies, financial institutions and government agencies will not call to request account information over the telephone and people should never provide their information to callers.

The scams listed above are just some that people are reporting in the area, the release said. People who believe they are the victims of a scam and have lost money due to a scam are encouraged to call their local law enforcement agency for help.