TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Police Department has seen an increase in online and phone scams targeting the Central Texas community.
Police say scammers are using tactics like the Microsoft scam, IRS Tax scam, Social Security/Medicare scam and Law Enforcement scam to trick people into giving them personal information or money.
A 6 News viewer told us they received a call claiming to be from the Bell County Sheriff's Department saying the viewer had failed to appear for a court appearance and would be arrested if they didn't pay the scammer several thousand dollars.
The viewer told 6 News the scammer used real names of Bell County deputies and judges.
The Bell County Sheriff's Department also reshared Temple PD's warning about scams.
Temple PD is urging residents to follow these steps to ensure their safety:
- Never give out financial or personal information over the phone unless you can verify the person's identity.
- Don't trust unsolicited calls. Verify by contacting your bank or service provider directly.
- Stay informed by checking for recent scam alerts on IRS.gov, FBI.gov, identitytheft.gov and secretservice.gov.
The Temple Police Department is asking anyone who suspects a scam to contact them immediately at 254-298-5500.
More on KCENTV:
Read more on KCENTV.COM