DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio – Phone scams have become increasingly common, with scammers finding new and creative ways to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. Recently, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) has received reports of scammers posing as members of the department, attempting to extort money from people by claiming they have active warrants.
The DSCO made a Facebook Post earlier today advising the scammers are using the names Lt. Graham and Capt. Boyd to convince people that they are legitimate law enforcement officials. The scammers then demand that the victims pay thousands of dollars or Bitcoins to avoid being arrested.
According to Tracy Whited, the Public Information Officer at the DCSO, there have not been any arrests or prosecutions made in connection with these scams. “Due to burner phones and scams originating from other countries, there’s only so much we can track,” she said.
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To protect yourself from these types of scams, the DCSO recommends hanging up if you receive a call from someone claiming to be a member of law enforcement and demanding money. The DCSO also advises that they never call individuals to request money for anything and that they do not have Lt. Graham or Capt. Boyd on their staff.
The DCSO also suggests that individuals remind their elderly loved ones never to give out information or money to anyone over the phone that they do not know. Whited notes that the elderly are often key targets of these types of scams.
“The scam schemes are endless, it seems,” Whited said. “We probably do scam posts at least once a month on social media.”
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Phone scams are becoming increasingly common, and scammers are finding new and creative ways to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. To protect yourself, it is important to be vigilant and never give out information or money to anyone over the phone that you do not know. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call the DCSO at 740-833-2800 to confirm whether the call is legitimate.