Scammers pose as Hood River County Sherriff's Office representatives
by Cole Goodwin
In January the Hood River County Sheriff's Office issued a warning to local residents about a scam that has been occurring in the area. According to reports, scammers are posing as representatives of the Sheriff's Office and are using various tactics to trick people into giving them money or personal information.
Some scammers are even using the names of actual Hood River County Sheriff's Office employees or using a spoofing system to make it appear as if the calls are coming from the Sheriff's Office. The scammers are reportedly calling residents and telling them that they owe fines or have active arrest warrants, and that they need to make a payment over the phone to avoid being arrested.
The Hood River County Sheriff's Office is reminding residents that they do not call ahead of time to provide “a heads-up” regarding an active arrest warrant. Additionally, they do not “collect fines in lieu of making an arrest.”
“We can't stress this enough, but no legitimate entity will ever ask you to make your payment by purchasing gift cards and providing the numbers over the phone,” read the HRCSO press release.
If you have been scammed or suspect you are being scammed by people posing as HRCSO:
If you receive a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from the Hood River County Sheriff's Office, do not provide them with any personal information or payment over the phone. Instead, advise the caller that you will call them back, hang up, and call the Hood River County Dispatch non-emergency line at 541-386-2711 to verify the legitimacy of the call.
Anyone who has fallen victim to them to report it to their local law enforcement agency immediately.
HRCSO would like to remind the Hood River residents that they should stay vigilant and to always be cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls.
How common is this kind of scam?
An infographic from the FTC shows data concerning government imposter related fraud in the USA.
According to the Federal Trade Commission government imposter scams were a top fraud type from 2014- 2021. In 2022 there were 191,079 fraud reports made to the FTC, of which 2,211 reports of police, sheriff, or FBI scams. This type of fraud made up 1.157% of scams in 2022, and resulted in a total loss of $14.14 million nationwide.
The top three types of government imposter scams reported nation wide in 2022:
Imposter Reports
Social Security Administration 35,727
Health & Human Services/Medicare 28,668
U.S. Customs and Border Protection 14,283
How to protect yourself and your community from scammers
Know the Warning Signs
Below are common warning signs of fraud and scammers from the Oregon Department of Justice:
An image describing six warning signs of a scam. 1. Scammers contact you “out of the blue.” 2. Scammers clain there is an “emergency.” 3. Scammers ask for your personal information. 4. Scammers want you to wire money or purchase pre-paid debit or gift cards. 5.Scammers tell you to keep it a secret. 6. Scammers make it sound too good to be true.
Other signs include:
The use of high-pressure sales tactics, and creating a sense of urgency.
Requests you use unconventional payment methods.
Requests that you “confirm your personal information.”
Use of threats if you don’t comply.
Claims that you have a virus on your computer or requests remote access to your computer. or phone.
Enroll in the Do-Not-Call List
Enrolling your phone number in the Do-Not-Call List can help you reduce calls from telemarketers and scammers. The list is free, but be sure to review the terms and policies as some solicitation calls are exempt from this protection under Oregon law.
Enroll for free in the federal do-not-call list at www.donotcall.gov.
Join the Scam Alert Network
Get up-to-the minute information about scams, frauds and other threats to consumers by signing up for email alerts from Oregon Scam Alert.
Attend a Scam Jam
These educational programs from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Oregon offer advice about scams and schemes such as insurance and investment fraud, online and door-to-door scams, identity theft, and other scams targeting older consumers. The event is free but registration is required. The nest event is scheduled for April 25th, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at OMSI in Portland, OR. Scam Jams are free, but seating is limiteds so registration is required.
Register here.
Request a Free Fraud Prevention Training for your Community
The Oregon DOJ offers comprehensive trainings to fight fraud.
Report Fraud to the Federal Trade Commission
Help protect others from falling into the same trap by reporting fraud at ReportFraud.ftx.gov. The FTC collects data on fraud and shares it with other agencies to aid in investigations.
Scams affect people of all ages
People of all ages, genders, and ethnicities experience fraud however data shows that fraud affects every generation a little differently. People ages 30-39 are both scammed while online shopping, through miscellaneous investments, business imposters, government imposters, and romance scams. But while younger ages are most likely to be contacted by scammers on social media, people ages 70+ are most likely to be scammed by phone calls.
An infographic from the FTC shows how fraud affects different age groups in the USA.
For more information on scams, or to file a complaint, contact the Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call 1-877-9392.
