Law enforcement agencies across the nation say the incidence of telephone and internet scams is steadily growing in both numbers and sophistication. Mary Pilkanis a financial crimes detective with the Leon County Sheriff's Office, says scammers even impersonate her agency's deputies by text and phone calls in what are often successful efforts to separate victims from their money.
"'You've missed jury duty' is the most common one. Other ones that we've received is 'your loved one has been arrested' and they can get a bond right away. And then they send you to the ATM or bank to take out as much money as you can. And they will send you to a crypto currency machine. These ATMs are widely available in Leon County and across the country."
Another tack used by fraudsters is sending messages to victims that are nearly indistinguishable from legitimate calls or emails from financial institutions. Allen Burkes, director of risk management for Tallahassee's First Commerce Credit Union, says those who respond can find their bank accounts drained in an instant.
"Imagine a grandmother losing her life savings to an imposter impersonating her bank. Or hard working young professional realizing suddenly that their financial future is in jeopardy due to a suspicious phone call or text message. "
On March 26th in the main downtown library, Leon County is offering a free half-day program on how to detect and protect against thieves who use computers instead of guns. The link below provides more information and free registration.
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019c9fd32a0f7916bd2f9a4a584ce235
