YCSO: Beware of fraud scams
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - With the county's recent phone scams, scammers are getting more creative by using fear tactics and legitimate phone numbers.
Sergeant Edgar Guerra with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office says residents are picking up the phone to local numbers.
"It's no longer the case where you receive a phone call from another country or from another part of the United States. That automatically raised red flags," Sgt. Guerra said. "Nowadays, the scammers may utilize a local numbers from your area, and use businesses and names of individuals that actually exist."
The most recent scam involves the scammer saying the caller's grandchild is either in jail or was involved in a car accident. Victims of the fraud either wire money to the scammer or are asked to send funds via UPS to an address in New York.
Other scams involve utility bills forcing a shut off if money isn't paid, failure to show up for jury duty, lottery scams or Amazon cell phone purchases.
Sgt. Guerra says it's important to research the company who the scammer claims to be with in order to avoid becoming a victim to the scam. He reminds residents to verify all companies before transferring money or giving out personal information.
