Submitted by the Pasco Sheriff’s office
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office receives reports of many different scams throughout the year.
Suspects are using these scams to extort citizens and turn them into victims. Because of this, we want to share frequent scams we see for this month’s newsletter to make sure that you and your family are aware and prevent victimization in our community.
Vaccine Scam
The pandemic has made this past year challenging. Unfortunately, this has not stopped criminals from capitalizing on people’s fears. A common scam being seen across the country is phone calls to reserve vaccines.
Victims receive phone calls advising they can reserve their COVID-19 vaccine by providing either a credit card number or social security number. These fraudsters are impersonating Centers for Disease Control (CDC) personnel and government officials.
This scam has been occurring since last spring and we may see an increase in these calls as vaccines continue being distributed. We ask that you do not provide any personal information to these individuals as it may be a scammer. Follow only credible sources of information regarding COVID-19 updates.
Church Scam
Victims of this scam are contacted by an unknown subject claiming to be a pastor or church employee. The scammer will make contact through email or phone call and inform the church member to not call the number back, as it would disturb a prayer session. The caller will then ask the victim to purchase gift cards and share the information for the cards by taking a photograph and sending it to them.
If you receive any communication from someone claiming to be affiliated with a church, please reach out to the church office directly and verify this request. Do not share financial information or gift card information via email, phone or text messages.
Threats Via Text Scam
Scammers are sending text messages to random numbers informing the recipient they have been instructed to cause harm to them. The subject offers the victim the chance to prove how important their life is by allowing them to pay instead of being harmed.