Recently, we received reports that citizens are receiving calls from individuals claiming to be associated with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office and demanding payments for outstanding warrants and/or tickets. They use the names of our current captains and deputies when calling you. Please know that we will never call asking for payments via phone.
Scammers have also been able to spoof numbers, so please fact check by hanging up and calling the direct number yourself.
Scammers use many methods to try to get you to share sensitive information and send money. Here are a few common examples.
Sweepstakes and lottery scams: Scammers will inform you that you have won and will need some sort of payment to obtain the supposed prize.
Medical/health insurance scams: Scammers will pose as a Medicare representatives to get you to share your personal information.
Funeral scams: Scammers will read obituaries and call claiming the deceased had an outstanding debt and try to get the family to settle the debt.
Natural disaster charity scams: Scammers will impersonate a charitable organization and request donations for personal financial gain instead of disaster relief. Some may pose as a repair company and offer quick fixes and request a certain amount of money upfront but do not complete the task after payment.
Phishing scams: Scammers will email and text links, and at first glance, it looks to be from a well-known source, but clicking on the links can corrupt your device and access your personal information.
In order to identify and protect yourself from a scammer, you need to know what to look for. Typically scammers will make you feel like it is an urgent matter and that the money has to be sent immediately. The individual may ask you not to tell anyone, and they may sound or act unprofessional, such as poor grammar or consistent misspellings and typos. The links provided may look suspicious and the email address may not match the business account they provided.
Protect yourself by being extra cautious when dealing with online transactions; never put your banking or credit card information in text or email. Don’t click on unknown or suspicious links. Make sure to fact check phone calls, text and emails with a reliable source. Please don’t send money without being absolutely sure whom you are sending it to.
If you would like to limit the number of robocalls you receive, call 1-888-382-1222 to register your number on the national do not call list or visit DoNotCall.gov
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