The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says scam calls are reaching residents, and a call that sounds official may not be.
The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi has warned the public about scam phone calls reaching people in the county. The warning was reported by BreezyNews.com. If an unknown caller says they are an official and wants something from you quickly, treat it as a possible trick.
The sheriff's office put out a public warning that scam calls are reaching local residents. The material we have is brief. It does not say how many people were called, what the callers said, or whether anyone lost money.
Scam calls often pose as officials. The goal is to scare people into acting fast, before they have time to think or check. A caller who sounds serious and sure of themselves can still be after your money or personal details. Local police rarely ask for payment or personal details over the phone.
Anyone with a phone in Attala County could get one of these calls. Older adults and people who pick up calls from unknown numbers are most at risk. If you do not live in the county, the same advice holds for you too. Official-sounding scare calls are not tied to one place.
The alert box above lists the steps. The short version: do not give in to pressure, check the caller through a number you look up yourself, and tell the sheriff's office and your family if you get a suspicious call.
The sheriff's office has not shared, in the material we have, who is behind the calls or what story they use. Watch for any follow-up from the office with more detail.
If a caller who sounds official demands money or personal details, hang up and call back using a number you found yourself.
Scammers are posing as Texas sheriff's officers and claiming you missed jury duty. Caller ID can show a real police number even when the call is fake.
Read more: Fake jury duty calls spoof a real Texas sheriff's phone numberFake PayPal emails and texts, some posing as a security report, try to get you to tap a link and type your login. Checking your account directly avoids the trap.
Read more: Got a fake PayPal message? Skip its link and check your account yourselfPolice in Bhubaneswar say scammers are pasting fake QR stickers on shop counters and sending fake loan, fine and gas messages to empty bank accounts.
Read more: Fake QR stickers and loan offers are draining bank accounts
