FARMINGTON, Utah — As technology advances, scams do so as well. Whether being caught up in a scam on the computer or phone, viewers have reached out to us with concerns about the many fraud schemes they've seen. The key is to be aware of the red flags beforehand.
These scams seem to be just about anywhere, and unfortunately, they can happen to anyone.
“[Scam operators are] calling and trying to say that they’re representing our office. One thing people need to know is that we will never call. We will never call your house and say you need to bring us money," said Davis County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Andrew Oblad.
The scam Oblad was talking about was nothing new to him, but it was for Mandy Hamblin and her friend.
"We got a call from a phone, not spam, it was a burner phone, so it was legit. So we answered it, and they want money to bail your loved one out of jail," Hamblin explained.
Tips to avoid a vacation scam before hitting the road:
Hamblin added that when a friend of hers was booked into the Davis County jail, the scam call came quickly. Those on the other end of the call wanted $1,800 to get the person out with an ankle monitor program. While the Davis County Sheriff’s Office has an ankle monitor program, it is court-ordered and never requires direct payment from families.
“If you have a question about if someone is calling them, this doesn’t sound legit. They can hang up, call our non-emergency number, dispatch, they can talk to somebody, they can come in, we have people come in to our customer service windows," Oblad shared.
What are the red flags to look out for?
It could be a phone number that isn’t recognizable, or someone asking for payments on different phone apps and pressuring you to pay quickly. Luckily, Hamblin was aware of those signs.
“Hang up and call the person they’re saying they’re from. Ask them. That’s what we did, and we found out it’s not even true," she said.
The Davis County Jail has a warning about situations just like this one.
“If they do get scammed, we’ll do everything we can to help them," said Oblad. "We’re not happy about it; it’s just bad actors taking advantage of good people."
Those in vulnerable spots leave themselves open to scams.
“Considering you’re trying to come up with all this money to bail out of jail, and they’re calling your loved ones saying, 'Let's get them out right now.' Of course, you’re going to give that money to them," said Hamblin, "and you’re scammed."
