Monroe County Sheriff Warns of Social Media Scam

Lina Portman1 week ago

0 3 minutes read

MONROE — Another online scam is making the rounds, and this time it involves impersonating a local law enforcement agency.

This latest scam was discovered on Facebook, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough reported.

“The scammer posts on social media that he is raising money for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department,” Goodnough said in a press release. “The Monroe County Sheriff's Office will NEVER ask citizens to submit payment over the phone, via social media or solicit a citizen to donate money to our office. The Sheriff's Office will never ask no more payment using gift cards.”

Anyone who has disclosed sensitive banking information or personal information is encouraged to contact Monroe County Central Dispatch at 734-243-7070.

This is an example of what cybersecurity experts call spoofing or phishing. According to the FBI, identity theft occurs when a person hides an email address, sender name, phone number or website URL – often simply by changing a letter, a symbol or number – to resemble a trusted person, agency or organization. Phishing schemes often use impersonation techniques to lure people. These scams are designed to trick people into providing information to criminals that they should not have access to.

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The Federal Trade Commission lists these four signs that a communication is a scam:

1. Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know.

Scammers often claim to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They may use a real name, such as FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some claim to be from a company you know, such as a utility company, a technology company, or even a charity soliciting donations.

They use technology to change the phone number that appears on caller ID, so the name and number you see may not be real.

2. Scammers say there is a problem or a price.

They might say that you have problems with the government, that you owe money, that a family member had an emergency, or that there is a virus on your computer.

Some scammers claim that there is a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify certain information.

Others will lie and say that you won money in a lottery or drawing, but you have to pay a fee to get it.

3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately.

Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you're on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can't look up their story.

They may threaten to arrest you, sue you, revoke your driver's or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to get corrupted.

4. Scammers ask you to pay in a specific way.

They often insist that you can only pay using cryptocurrency, transferring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, using a payment app, or putting money on a gift card, then giving them the numbers on the back of the card.

Some will send you a check – which later turns out to be fake – then ask you to deposit it and send them money.

The FTC offers these tips for avoiding a scam:

• Do not transfer money or use gift cards, cryptocurrencies, or payment apps to pay someone who claims to be in the government. Scammers insist that you can only pay this way, because it's difficult to track this money and just as difficult to get it. he returns. They will take your money and disappear.

• Do not give your financial or personal information to someone who calls, texts, emails, or social media posts you and tells you they are in government. If you think a call or message might be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a number you know is correct. If it's a robocall, don't press any numbers. Pressing numbers could result in more calls.

• Don't trust your caller ID. Your caller ID may display the real phone number or the name of the government agency, such as “Social Security Administration.” But caller ID can be spoofed. It could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world.

• Don't click on links in emails, text messages, or unexpected social media posts. Scammers send emails and messages that appear to come from a government agency, but are designed to steal your money and personal information. Do not click on any links or pass them on to others. Simply delete the message.

— Contact journalist David Panian at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian.

Lina Portman

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