Phone scammers at it again, HCSO warns

Humboldt County, Ca., (KIEM) The Humboldt County Sheriff Office has a warning for county residents. Phone scammers are at it again.

Unfortunately, the Sheriff’s Office has been receiving multiple reports this week of IRS and Social Security Scam calls.

Here’s how it works, the scammers claim to be with the IRS or Social Security and ask you to confirm personal information in hopes you would just that. If you keep getting unwanted calls that you believe are scam driven, you could always do a reverse phone lookup to see the owner of that number this way you’ll also have an identity to report to an authority.

The Sheriff’s Office came up with a list to help you spot of those pesky scammers:

  1. Spot impostors
    scammers often pretend to be, government official, a family member, a charity, or a company with which you do business. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request
  2. Do online searches
    type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “irs call.”
  3. Don’t believe your caller id
    the name and number you see aren’t always real.
  4. Talk to someone
  5. Don’t rely on personal information
    access to information is easier than ever. Don’t trust a scammer who is able to provide your personal information.

You can also sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s Scam Alerts at ftc.gov/scams.   

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