With the rise in artificial intelligence, the popularity of social media, and overall increased reliance on technology, consumers may experience unfortunate issues. The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office released a public warning on Oct. 14, informing citizens of a recent increase in phone scams.
Sheriff James Mendrick, Undersheriff Eddie Moore, and DuPage County sheriff’s deputies alerted residents to current suspicious activity surrounding phone calls impersonating local law enforcement. These calls consisted of false claims to the victim, stating they were “under investigation or have an outstanding warrant and are threatened with arrest unless they pay a fine immediately,” according to the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.
Scammers often pretend to be important companies or law enforcement, using names and positions of real employees, forged information and documents, and demanding money and personal details. A release from Alexandria (Va.) Sheriff’s Office calls this practice “spoofing” — manipulating caller ID to make the scam seem local — and emphasizes that “no legitimate law-enforcement agency will ever call and demand money“. In hopes of a successful outcome, these scammers use tactics such as the ones stated in the public warning to scare residents and urge them to act out of fear.
“I assume everything is a scam unless I can prove otherwise,” West Chicago police officer Mike Levato said. “If a company you have an account with emails you or calls you, never give any personal information out.”
Along with details of these scammers, the statement also included tips for locals to protect themselves and prevent any scams. Calling the DuPage County Sheriff’s office to confirm these accusations, hanging up on suspicious calls, and abstaining from sending any money or information over a phone call were advised.
“Don’t click on links sent in emails. For example, if you get an email from Amazon referencing your accounts, delete the email and log into your account separately,” Levato said. “Anything that the company would email you about would also be in your online account. Verify the information is accurate before doing anything about it.”
Although this issue is local, similar scams are being reported nationwide, according to both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. The FTC warns that impostors may claim they’ve confiscated a package in your name containing illegal items and threaten arrest unless a “fine” is paid via Bitcoin ATM, Zelle, Cash App, or Venmo. Additionally, scams on social media target teens, such as through Instagram direct messages.
“I [got] a message on Instagram from a girl at school asking me to help her restore her account. I was trying to be nice and I did,” an anonymous source at West Chicago Community High School said. “After three minutes of waiting, I [got] a message on my personal email saying that my password on my account had been changed. I got very nervous and quickly opened the app and saw that I had no access to it.”
