Residents were scammed out thousands in Placer County, officials say. One lost nearly $500K
A Placer County resident recently lost nearly half a million dollars to a scammer who impersonated a member of the Sheriff’s Office.
In total, seven victims have lost around $600,000 total to the phone scammers since the beginning of the year, according to Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
Phone calls involved victims sending money to scammers who convinced them they were going to drop arrest warrants, keep their electricity on or even fix their computers infected by a “virus” in exchange. One person, who was led to believe their computer had a virus, was scammed out of $475,000, authorities said in a Facebook post.
Most recently, someone impersonating a deputy convinced a victim to send $18,000 in bitcoin instead of an arrest warrant last week. Another victim lost almost $80,000 to a scammer who convinced him he had to renew his membership for identity theft protection company LifeLock.
Authorities urge people to be vigilant and aware of who is calling them and what they’re being asked to do. It never hurts to hang up during a phone call and research the number and agency online to verify who it is.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are four signs that signal a scam:
They pretend to be from a familiar organization, such as a government agency like the IRS, Medicare or the Social Security Administration or even a charity.
There’s a problem or prize involved.
They pressure to act immediately, threatening personal devices will be corrupted if action isn’t taken.
They demand payment in a specific way, whether through a money transfer company or a gift card.
In the case of a scammer, Placer County Sheriff’s Offices said residents should file an online report in order to inform the department and keep a record of them.
If you’ve been scammed
- Call your credit card company or bank and dispute any suspicious charges.
- Contact local law enforcement.
- Report the scam to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 11:09 AM.