Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Reports Social Security Scam in Western Colorado
Whether you've been a victim of a scam in the past or not, you don't want to become the next victim, and we don't want you to be. That is why we always like to pass along information about scams that are affecting people here in Western Colorado. And this time we are hearing from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office that there is a new Social Security Scam that is targeting people on the Western Slope.
I'll be honest, I fell for a stupid scam one time from a call saying they were from Wells Fargo (my bank), long story short I thought it would never happen to me and it did. I'm saying this just to remind you that it could happen to anyone.
Details on this new specific Social Security Scam in Colorado:
The caller pretends to be a law enforcement officer and says a crime has been committed using your social security number and you now have a warrant out for your arrest. They say that they believe you weren't involved in the crime but need your bank account information. The scammers even say your money isn't safe and to withdraw all of it and load it onto a gift card. This seems easy to realize but when you receive a random call saying you have a warrant it's easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed and pass along important information.
Watch out for these Red Flags with this particular Social Security Scam:
If any caller threatens you, demands payment, requires cash, gift cards, or pre-paid debit cards those are all scam techniques. Law enforcement will NEVER demand payment or ask for anything to be paid in a gift card. If you get a call like this hang up immediately and don't give out personal information.
If you want to know more about this scam click here.