A handful of scams have been circulating throughout Johnson County, posing as different government bodies in an attempt to extract money from recipients.
The scam comes in many forms, such as a call that you're late to your court date or a text that you have outstanding traffic violations. Each scam claims to be from the government.
The scammers use the fear from these messages or calls to lure recipients into sending them money, usually through electronic banking or cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, according to Jack Weese, Deputy for the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.
“What we've learned is [the scammers] try fear and intimidation, they're gonna try and scare you that you're either going to be arrested, prosecuted, fined, whatever,” Weese said. “Obviously, it revolves around money, they’re going to want money in the end.”
Weese warns that it’s highly unlikely actual law enforcement will reach out via text or cellphone, usually opting for traditional mail.
“We're never going to text you,” Weese said. “We’re not going to accept any type of bail or payment or anything via Bitcoin. Not gonna happen. That's not how we operate. If you have a warrant out for your arrest, one of our officers will come out to you, and have a face-to-face discussion.”
According to an Instagram poll of 180 people, 44% of respondents have received illegitimate court notice messages.
Freshman Sara Garry is one of the students who have received a fraudulent message.
Garry received a text claiming she was being called to court for committing a traffic violation, but she knew the text was illegitimate since she’s not legally able to drive.
Weese says that some of the calls can appear to be from trusted people from the community, such as the sheriff. He encourages people to research the phone numbers if they are suspicious that the message is illegitimate.
The Johnson County sheriff’s office has been combating these scams by informing the community.
“We go out to different community entities, different events, different organizations, and we try [to] educate the best we can to prevent people from ever even becoming a [scam] victim,” Weese said. “Trying to be proactive, instead of reactive.”
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