I have recently been made aware of another new scam to hit the area.
Residents are reporting they are receiving phone calls stating they are about to have their property foreclosed, they are receiving this message on their answering machine. They are then given a number to call back to satisfy the order of foreclosure.
Several residents have stated they knew it was a scam and did not respond, however, we have had one person who then received a call from an individual following up on the automated call. The individual stated the resident owed back taxes on the property and unless immediate payment was made, the property would no longer belong to them and they would be evicted immediately.
The caller wanted bank account information to obtain a payment and also wanted a social security number for verification. At that point this resident knew it was a scam and hung up the phone. The number given to call back on this scam was a California phone number.
As always, we appreciate residents informing us of these scams so we can pass along to the rest of the county. Remember, never give out any personal information over the phone or computer! – Sheriff John Merchant
