Phone scams are on the rise in the past 24 hours countywide.
Between law enforcement centers in Pella and Knoxville, 15 reports of phone scams have been reported since yesterday morning. According to call logs, the scammers are posing as IRS or government officials in an attempt to receive money from potential victims.
As reported last week, the Pella Police Department received information about scammers also using the Pella Police Department’s regular business phone number on caller IDs and posing as law enforcement officers, a technique called “spoofing.”
“The scam artist or the perpetrator will actually send a phone call from another destination, but in doing so, they’re able to make it appear that the call through caller ID originated here at the Pella Police Department, and that gives them a measure of credibility that we don’t appreciate,” he says.
Recently, residents have also been receiving telephone calls appearing to be coming from Marion County Public Health Department that they did not generate. The caller states that he is from the US Marshall’s office and is quite threatening in tone, threatening immediate arrest. This phone call is not from Marion County Public Health Department, staff says.
If their number shows up, call back to see if someone from their programs has tried to make contact.
Residents are reminded to never give personal or financial information out over the phone to callers they don’t recognize, and to double check the other party on the line is who they are. Scammers will often create a sense of urgency in all of the calls, threatening arrest if a victim won’t pay the fraudulent bill immediately.
Any attempts of scams should be reported to area law enforcement.