THE CHIEF'S VIEW

If you follow any police department on social media, you will see countless warnings regarding scams.
Scams come in all shapes and sizes and often target a specific audience. Sometimes it may be the elderly, while other times it may be the younger person who is tech savvy and does a lot of online shopping. While at other times the scam may be directed at people who are struggling financially or have legal problems.
Regardless of the type of scam, all of them have one or two things in common; they are designed to play on your fear or somehow reward you in a way that you have not earned.
The best advice I can give you is to not panic or to trick yourself into thinking you have won a lottery that you never entered or are in the will of a billionaire relative you have never met. The best thing to do is hang up the phone immediately. Don’t try to play games with these people. They have experience and are well-trained and rehearsed in manipulation. You can’t outcon a con man.
If you are worried that you are in trouble or need to take care of a problem, then do your homework. Look up the number of whomever or whatever you are dealing with and contact them directly. Tax issues? Call the IRS yourself. Credit issues? Call your card company directly. Legal issues? Call the court system or local police department. Better yet, walk into their building and talk to someone in person.
Scams are complex but they can be easily defeated by remaining calm and hanging up the phone.