Watch Out: Here's How Phone Scammers Target Your Money

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office is investigating several reports of telephone scams in the area and wanted citizens to know the following:

>> It is very important that citizens are aware that a law enforcement agency will never contact them by phone to request payment of any type, especially using a pre-paid debit card or Green Dot MoneyPak. Calls of this nature should be considered suspicious and they should not follow instructions to make a payment over the phone with a Green Dot MoneyPak.

The sheriff’s office said in a press release that scammers begin with identifying themselves as being a lieutenant or sergeant with the department and then claim you have missed a jury summons and an arrest warrant has been issued. The caller then says you can get out of trouble by paying a fine over the phone using a pre-paid debit card. If you purchase a card and give the caller the 14-digit code, “the chances of recovering your money are very slim,” the sheriff’s office said.

More from the office’s press release:

“These phone scammers are very skilled at what they do. They usually have extensive knowledge of the law enforcement agency they are impersonating and often provide a phone number where they can be reached. They sometimes use the names of staff members who actually work for the agency they are impersonating. They often have personal information about the victim they are targeting, which also lends them credibility.

“These phone scams are not being perpetuated in Gwinnett County alone. Law enforcement agencies throughout the country are receiving similar reports. Although it doesn’t appear that senior citizens are being targeted, it does seem that they are more likely to believe the call is legitimate. Many seniors are law abiding citizens who have limited knowledge of law enforcement procedures, so they may be more likely to believe a convincing caller.”

If you have been a victim of a phone scam in Gwinnett County call the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services Division at 770-619-6655 to make a report.