The Owensboro Police Department is urging folks in the area to be aware of three separate phone scams.  It appears that residents in the community have been targeted recently and authorities want to make sure you protect yourself from falling victim.

Peter Bernik/Thinkstock
Peter Bernik/Thinkstock
loading...

It appears, based on a wave of recent complaints to OPD, that there are three separate scams in play.

#1-  Some scammers are claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service. The scammers claim that their targeted victims that they owes taxes and will be arrested if they do not pay.

#2- Another set of scammers claim to be with the local Sheriff’s Office and state that they have a warrant for the target’s arrest and they must pay in order to avoid going to jail.

In both circumstances above, the scammer is asking that the intended victim to  purchase either and iTunes gift cards or Green Dot cards and provide the card number for payment over the phone. PLEASE NOTE!!!  Once you purchase these cards and provide the caller with the card number, your money is gone before authorities can help.

#3- A third type of scam (and this one has been reported in the WBKR listening area before) is the caller who claims to be with Publisher’s Clearing
House. The scammer tells the target that they have won prize money, but in
order to claim the prize the target must send money. The scammer typically asks
for the money to be wired through Western Union. They may also ask for your
personal banking information over the phone.

A general note from the Owensboro Police Department: No matter whom the caller is claiming to be, please DO NOT send money or provide personal information to ANYONE that you do not know. The IRS or Sheriff’s Office will NOT call to threaten anyone over the phone or ask for money. These calls are scams!

If you or a member of your family receives a call like one of these examples,
simply hang up. Do not become a victim of a scam.

More From WBKR-FM