CCSO Warns Community About Phone Scams

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants the community to be aware of telephone scams and know what can be done to avoid falling victim to them.

1) The caller pretends to be a family member, usually a grandchild, and asks for money. The caller asks the victim not tell other relatives because they don’t want to worry the family. The caller may even know the victim’s name, nickname or other information because they have tracked down details about the person through social media websites such as Facebook. The caller asks the victim to send money via Western Union, MoneyGram or some other method. This is a scam. If you believe a family member is in need of financial assistance, call them back at their contact number and verify that they called.

2) The caller claims to be a collection agent or law enforcement officer and demands payment or else a warrant for arrest will be issued. The caller asks for money to be sent as described above, or may request a credit card number over the phone. Do not comply. Law enforcement will never call and ask you to pay money in order to avoid arrest. If you owe a collection company, call them and verify that a representative called to collect money.

3) A caller claims to be a computer technician and says he needs your computer’s IP address to fix your computer. Do not provide this information. If you allow the caller to access your computer, he can obtain much of your personal information and steal your identity. Nobody knows your computer is having issues unless you report an issue first.