Gainesville, MO. – With scam activity reaching high numbers in the Ozarks once again, many law enforcement agencies appear to be issuing warnings to the public. Many of these report scams have been centered on the border of Missouri and Arkansas.
The Ozark County Sheriff’s Office just issued an announcement on scam reports that have been on the rise in their area. Read below for the full statement.
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In light of recent events, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office wants to alert residents to a rise in phone and internet scams in our area. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to trick unsuspecting individuals into divulging personal information or parting with their hard-earned money.
The most common scams involve a phone call from someone purporting to be a representative from a government agency, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Social Security Administration (SSA). These scammers threaten legal action if the individual doesn’t pay a supposed fine or provide personal information, like their Social Security number.
Another frequent scam involves emails claiming that the recipient has won a sweepstake or lottery, but must pay a fee to claim the prize. There’s also the “tech support” scam, where the caller impersonates a representative from a well-known technology company and offers to fix a non-existent computer problem remotely for a fee.
We want to remind everyone to be cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls or emails. If something sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Please remember that government agencies will never demand payment over the phone or threaten legal action in this manner.
To protect yourself from scams, we advise the following:
– Do not divulge personal information over the phone or internet unless the person on the other end of the line has been verified to be trustworthy.
– Never make any payment or wire transfer before verifying the situation with an official, trustworthy organization.
– Be cautious with emails and attachments. Do not click on a link without ensuring and verifying the authenticity of the email.
– Be skeptical of unsolicited calls or emails promising large sums of money or threatening legal consequences.
– If you receive an instant message from anyone on social media trying to solicit information or assist you in receiving a “free” online grant, report the fake profile to the social media platform immediately. Do not offer any information to the possible fake profile.
Our primary concern is for everyone in our community to stay safe and protect their personal information. If you have any doubts about the validity of a call or email, please contact the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
For more information or to report suspicious activity, please contact the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office at 417-679-4633.
If you suspect you might be a victim of an internet or phone scam where your social security number has been compromised, you may contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. We also advise contacting your financial institutions to alert them of any possible risks or compromises to your accounts so they can monitor for fraudulent activity.
Stay safe, Ozark County.
Sheriff Cass Martin
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