OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Ocala Police Department (OPD) has issued a new warning about phone scams.
OPD says phone scams are becoming more common and too often people are getting their personal information or money stolen over the phone.
The department says scammers come up with elaborate yet believable stories. Some of the deceptive tales include:
- Caller claims to be an IRS agent and demands immediate payment of taxes owed
- Caller poses as a representative from a technology company like Microsoft and claims that the victim’s computer has a virus
- Caller pretending your bank account has been compromised and urging you to withdraw money and take it to a bitcoin ATM
- Caller says they are a law enforcement officer and claims that the victim’s loved one was just arrested and needs money to bail out of jail
“Sometimes the caller ID will even appear to be legitimate. But it’s not,” said an OPD detective in a video the department produced.
“These scams are designed to create panic and confusion to ultimately steal money from a victim,” said OPD in a Facebook post. “If an unsolicited caller pressures you to provide personal information or make an immediate payment, there’s a good chance it’s a scam. Hang up!”
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Police say scammers are always finding new ways to trick people out of their money through phone calls, texts, and even pop-ups to your tablet or computer.
OPD encourages you to always report any suspicious activity to the police immediately. They also urge you to inform your family and friends about these phone scams so they too can be aware of these kinds of calls and can protect themselves.