Imposters and scammers have forever changed our daily lives, obviously not for the better. Each week, I receive hundreds and hundreds of emails, text messages, and through the social media apps that I use, many of which are warning us to “be aware.” Other emails that end up on my spam or “junk mail” folder are intentional emails that are trying to lure me, and ultimately all of us, into buying something or falling for a “fundraising scheme” to get away with my hard earned money....OUR hardearned money.
Case in point, last week one particular email stood out to me, and while it doesn’t directly impact me, or us, because the warning was issued to residents in Lancaster County (Lincoln), it doesn’t, however, mean that it can’t one day affect us in Clay County.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department issued a warning as follows: “there has been an increase in government imposter scams in Lancaster County, especially those impersonating local law enforcement offices or court officials.”
The warning goes on to share: “These scammers may claim there is a warrant out for your arrest and that you will go to jail if you do not pay immediately. They may say they are from the local court and you owe a penalty for missing jury duty. A scammer might give you their title, employee ID, or badge number to sound official. They also might have information about you, like your name or home address. If you receive a message like this, hang up.”
Scams have gotten so real that it’s no wonder people are scammed out of thousands and thousands of dollars.
Computers are “hacked” and causing major grief for businesses. It’s never-ending and can, and will only get worse. So I bring this to you this week just to wake us all up a little, ME included, that we’re targeted each and every day.
Heck, just Monday alone, I received seven phone calls on my cell from numbers I don’t recognize, and two of the voicemails that were left of the seven calls were related to me buying into a housing development as an investor, and that I could make millions...just call us back.
I recall as a kid racing my sisters to answer the family phone that hung on the wall in our home in Shelton. It was a daily event to see who could get to the phone first, never knowing who it was going to be, but never worrying about it being a scam set up. It was a family friend, a personal friend or a family member calling to check in. Those days are gone, now I wish I could just get rid of my cell phone.
Be safe and careful with phone numbers you don’t recognize. If you don’t know the number, don’t answer.
