News – Sheridan Media
The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to a new scam that involves a text and Amazon accounts.
Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Boot Hill and Sergeant Devearux Johnson appeared on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse program to alert the public to the scam.
According to Johnson, potential victims of the scam will receive a phone call or a text falsely alerting them to a possible security breach.
Sgt. D. Johnson
According to Jonhson, the scammers then take steps to ensure that the victim feels as if they have security and their best interest in mind.
Sgt. D. Johnson
The scammers then transfer the victim’s line to another actor, who impersonates a federal US marshal. At this stage, the victim is told that they will be issued a new Social Security Number by the false marshal, but to do so, the victim must purchase gift cards from several different stores and read the numbers of those cards over the phone.
Sgt. D. Johnson
Scammers use the gift cards from department stores as a way to transfer funds for a number of reasons. According to Hill, gift cards are nearly impossible to track once the number is read over the phone.
Johnson informed listeners that no law enforcement agencies, federal, state or local will ever call or text citizens to threaten or request payment. Johnson recommends hanging up the phone and notifying the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
The scam appears to have struck residents in the eastern US earlier this year. In October, the Federal Bureau of Investigation filed a report in Washington D.C., stating the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the FBI are working to alert the public of several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers, or other law enforcement officials.
Notify the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office if you feel that either yourself or a loved one have been a victim of a scam at 307-672-3455.
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Last modified: December 22, 2022