You may have heard a story on the news, received a phone call or email, or, worse, had a loved one fall victim to an online or telephone scam. Every day across the country, millions of people are targeted by scam artists trying to take their money.

The Jacksonville Police Department is well aware of these types of scams. Each year we receive dozens of phone calls from concerned citizens who want to know if there is anything the police department can do about them. Within the last week, JVPD received two calls from residents, one in which a male caller saying he was from Publishers Clearinghouse and claiming the resident had won $800,000. A unique twist to the call was when the male asked the resident to stay on the phone while driving to Wal Mart.

The resident hung- up on the caller at that point. We believe the end result would have been the male asking the resident to wire money from Wal Mart to pay for the “taxes” on the winnings prior to receiving the $800,000. Another resident reported receiving three voicemails on her phone from different phone numbers but with the same recording saying to call back with her credit card information to reserve her hotel room. Fortunately, she didn’t make the call.

These scam artists are usually located outside of the United States and can change their phone number using readily available software to appear as though they are calling from a local area code. They send out authentic looking emails that appear to be from your bank asking you to click on a link that takes you to a website that looks identical to your own banks website. When you use that link and provide your account information and password, they then have access to your accounts and can withdraw your money.

If you receive a phone call or email from someone claiming to be with your local bank, do not give them any personal information such as passwords, account numbers, etc. Instead, find an old statement and call the number listed on the statement to find out if the person who called you is legitimate. Most financial institutions will not ask for your personal information over the phone.

Also keep in mind that if you win a large sum of money, you are usually contacted by a representative in person with valid credentials that can be easily verified.

Unfortunately, local law enforcement doesn’t have the resources to track these people down, and if we did, they often fall outside of the United States legal jurisdiction. However, if you ever fall victim to one of these clever scam artists you can contact your local police department to file a fraud report. As always, we are here to assist you in every way we can.

Jacksonville Police Department
David P. Towe, Chief of Police
225 S Third Street
Jacksonville, Oregon
541-899-7100