Have you received a call, text message, or social media contact from someone that is claiming to be from the government or representing a law enforcement agency? Did they have an authentic-looking email address or phone number? Scammers are frequently impersonating law enforcement or government agencies to scam residents. They can be threatening; leveraging the authority of law enforcement to create a sense of urgency and fear, often threatening victims with immediate legal action if they do not comply with their demands. They can also use a friendly approach, claiming that they need your assistance in an investigation or that they are informing you that your name has been associated with criminal activity.

Scammers may say they’ve confiscated a package with your name on it. It’s filled with money, illegal drugs, or weapons — and you’ll be arrested unless you pay a fine. To avoid being arrested, they might tell you to send cash, deposit money at a Bitcoin ATM, buy Gift Cards and give them the numbers, or send money over a Payment App like Zelle, Cash App, or Venmo.

Even if the caller uses the name of a real officer, has a real number show up on your caller ID, or has information about you (like your address), that’s not a real officer calling. It’s a scammer trying to steal your money. Here’s what to know:
• Real law enforcement officers won’t call to say you’re going to be arrested (or threaten to arrest you if you hang up).
• Real law enforcement officers won’t call to insist that you pay fines by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, or a wire transfer service — and never as a way to buy your way out of a “crime.”
• Real law enforcement officers will not ask you to deliver large amounts of cash to a courier to pay your fines, nor will they send someone over to your home to pick up cash.
• Always remember: For this scam and for all other scams, scammers will always create a sense of urgency and tell you that you need to act now! This is a scammer’s favorite tool and they like it because they know it causes an emotional response to act quickly and because it prevents you from thinking the situation through and from verifying the information before you proceed.

How to Protect Yourself
• Don’t Take Immediate Action: If you receive a communication that causes a strong emotional response, take a deep breath. Hang up or ignore the message. Talk to someone you trust.
• Don’t Send Money: Never pay someone who insists that you pay with a gift card, prepaid debit card, Internet currency or cryptocurrency, wire transfer, money transfer, or by mailing or delivering cash. Scammers use these forms of payment because they are hard to trace.
• Be Skeptical: If you think a real law enforcement officer is trying to reach you, call your local law enforcement using a non-emergency number that you looked up personally to verify. Do not believe scammers who “transfer” your call to another official or who feed you a number as proof. Scammers can create fake numbers and identities. Do not trust your caller ID. Never use contact information that they provide to you – always look it up independently.
• Be Cautious: Be wary of anyone contacting you claiming to be from a government agency or law enforcement, telling you about a problem you don’t recognize. Do not provide your personal information, even if the caller already has some of your information.
• Don’t Trust Provided Links and Information: never click on links or attachments that are provided to you. Never use callback numbers that are provided to you either. Always look up information yourself and initiate contact independently.

Always remember this when you receive a solicitation through text, phone, email, or social media – if it sounds strange, don’t engage!

Visit our website http://www.scamsquadsav.org to check for other scams and alerts. You can also contact the GVSAV Scam Squad by calling 520-351-6715 Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. To report an incident of fraud (money lost to a scam) call 911 or 520-351-4900. You can also visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GVSAV.