Law enforcement see scammers use new ways to get consumers
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Law enforcement agencies have been seeing a rise in scams.
Area Police Departments and Sheriff’s Offices try to get the word out to help residents stay ahead of the scammers, but some people still fall prey to the schemes.
The Starkville Police Department said scammers are finding more ways to convince people to give up their money or their personal information.
“You are going to see spoof numbers, fake emails, they are going to use official-sounding language and pose as trusted organizations, including those of law enforcement or banking institutions,” Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard said.
It can come from an email, text message, or even a phone call.
The person on the other end of that line could cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars – or they could be ready to steal your personal information.
Wardella Bradford found out the hard way that you can even get scammed by someone you may know.
“It was terrible, it was more so not so much as the $250, it was more so that you are bold enough to do this to people that you know,” Wardella Bradford said.
The Federal Trade Commission reports that consumers lost nearly $3 billion from imposter scams in 2024.
The 2nd highest loss amount of money reported in the U.S.
Starkville Police said advances in technology have made it possible for con men to work quicker, which means victims need to act more quickly once they realize what’s happened.
“A point I really want to hit on is the importance of being able to act quickly, notifying the financial institutions, credit bureaus then your local law enforcement,” Ballard said. “We work very well with our federal counterparts to include the Federal Trade Commission and representatives of the Federal Bureau Investigation. But these scams are becoming very common.”
Law enforcement said now, more than ever, people need to be cautious and guard themselves and their information..
“Be very aware,” Bradford said. “Just because someone knows you or you know them does not mean they don’t want your money. That doesn’t mean they won’t make a fool out of you and doesn’t mean they won’t scam you. Because hey I think I’m one of the smarter ones and it happened to me.”
“We also recognize, many times people are embarrassed so the reporting rates are going to be low,” Ballard said. “We suspect that the statistics for this is much higher than so don’t be embarrassed. these are professional con artists and they are very good at what they do for the most part. Especially if you are running into sophisticated types of scams.”
SPD is one of many law enforcement agencies warning people through Facebook and other online outlets about scams to watch out for.
