DARE COUNTY, N.C. – If you’ve received threatening calls claiming you owe money and asking for payment over the phone, you aren’t the only one.
The Dare County Sheriff’s Office has received several reports of citizens receiving scam phone calls.
Often the caller claims people owe money – they may say that you have outstanding warrants, or claim that the IRS requires your social security number and money from you. Sometimes they ask you to pay via credit card or prepaid card and send the money electronically.
The Sheriff’s Office has some tips when it comes to scam calls:
- The police will never ask for payment over the phone.
- Do not believe your caller I.D. Scammers can fake caller I.D. numbers using a process called “spoofing.”
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Spot impostors that claim to be from a government entity or charitable organization. Do not give out personal information and do not pay with a credit card over the phone.
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Hang up on robocalls.
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Do not make wire or electronic money transfers to an unknown person.
