06/05/2024
The Henderson County, IL Sheriff's Office has received numerous complaints in regards to citizens being scammed. The following are some of the most common scams and crimes that the Sheriff’s office encounters.
• Artificial intelligence scams. Scammers are using Al to clone voices, posing as friends or family. A phone call will sound like a loved one in trouble, requesting money urgently.
• Romance scams. Be wary of any romantic interests or new friends asking you to send them money, especially if you've never met in person.
Never send money to anyone you don't know well, met online or have never met in person.
• Tech support scams. Don't fall for pop-up messages on your computer or phone saying there's a problem. Don't give remote access to your computer or pay any fees. Also, beware of fake emails that seem to be an invoice for something you didn't order or a fake receipt for something you didn't pay for, meant to get you to click for more information.
• Familiar bank or company impersonations. Scammers will pretend to be from a reputable company to warn you about problems with your account or order. They'll try to trick the consumer into sharing personal or financial information. Don't pick up phone calls from numbers you don't recognize or answer unsolicited texts.
• Government or law-enforcement impersonations. Scammers will pose as representatives from the IRS, Social Security or law enforcement, demanding immediate payments or threatening law-enforcement action. The government will not call you to demand urgent action or threaten you. In most instances, government officials will contact you by mail if there is a problem.
• Investment scams. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Gift card scams. No legitament business or entity will demand you to make payment with a gift card.
