The Ozark County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to a rise in phone and internet scams in the area.
According to a release from Sheriff Cass Martin, scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to trick unsuspecting individuals into divulging personal information or parting with money.
The most common scam is said to 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). The scammers are said to threaten legal action if an individual does not pay a certain fine or provide personal information, such as a social security number.
Another scam involves emails claiming the recipient has won a sweepstake or lottery but must pay a fee to claim the prize, or a “tech-support” scam in which the caller impersonates a representative from a ‘well-known’ technology company and offers to fix a nonexistent computer problem remotely, for a fee.
The sheriff’s office is reminding the public to be cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls or emails. Government agencies will not demand payment over the phone or threaten legal action in this manner.
Martin states there are a number of ways to be protected from the scams including:
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 payments or wire transfers before verifying the situation with an official organization;
Be cautious with emails and attachments, do not click on links without ensuring the authenticity of the email;
Be skeptical of unsolicited calls or emails promising large sums of money or threatening legal consequences;
Do not offer any information to possible fake profiles on social media.
For more information or to report suspicious activity, contact the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office at (417)679-4633.
If there is suspicion of a social security number being compromised, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.
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