Sheriff's office warns of scams growing in popularity – St. Charles Herald Guide

According to the sheriff's office, there have been numerous reports of scams and identity theft, many of which are related to or related tocryptocurrency, romance, the Federal Trade Commission, police impersonators, social security, utility payments, grandparent intimidation/extortion and others.

The sheriff's office offered several tips on how to avoid falling prey to these scams, as well as things to watch for:

•The caller asks you to buy a gift card or send money (especially overseas) in exchange for a free or more expensive item, a prize, or a large sum of money. Some callers will ask for your banking information to deposit a large sum of money directly into your account after you send money. Keep in mind that you do not need to pay a fee up front to receive a prize.

•The caller, who may claim to be a representative of a federal or local law enforcement agency, will tell you that you are under investigation for a crime and ask you to transfer your assets to a temporary account or send a large sum of money to bail you out. The caller may ask you to provide account information; do not give out your account information over the phone.

• The caller may claim to be a debt collector or claim that your utility bills are past due and request payment over the phone to avoid a service interruption. Verify that you are speaking to the utility company before providing any information.

• The caller may pretend to be a computer specialist and claim that your computer has a problem and ask for payment to make repairs or access your computer remotely. Remote access will allow the caller to access files stored on your computer, add/delete information, and access websites with saved passwords.

• The caller may attempt to steal personal, financial, or account information by getting you to click on a phishing link. A phishing link is a malicious website designed to steal information. Both mobile and desktop devices are susceptible to these scams. These links may appear to come from a legitimate person or company with whom you have a relationship.

• Never give out your Social Security number, credit card number, or banking information over the phone unless you can prove you have a legitimate need to know. Do not give this information to anyone or any company with whom you do not have a trusting relationship.

• Do not send money by mail, overnight delivery or wire transfer (Western Union) to anyone who insists on immediate payment.

•Before entering personal or financial information on a website, type the web address yourself and make sure the URL begins with https (the “s” stands for secure). Use unique passwords for important sites and protect all usernames and passwords. If you suspect a password has been compromised, change it immediately. Update your devices with the latest security software updates.

•A movie star will not contact you and ask you for money to meet them and have a romantic relationship.

• Grandparents, if you receive a phone call informing you that your grandchild has been in a car accident or arrested and immediate payment is needed to protect him or her from harm, call a family member or your grandchild to verify the information. Don't panic and send money.

• Google the phone number that called you. Most of the time, reviews and comments will inform you that the phone number is related to a scam and suggest you not to send money.

You can always call the sheriff's office with any questions or concerns about a scam.

The sheriff's office is asking those whose family members may not have access to social media to share this information with them.