Klamath County, Oregon – The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is advising residents to remain vigilant as the number of fraudulent calls continues to rise in a new effort to combat the rise of phone scams. Recently, the Sheriff’s Office has received a steady stream of reports from residents who have either fallen victim to these scams or simply avoided them because they knew better.

To obtain personal and financial information over the phone, scammers impersonate law enforcement officials, including police officers and supervisors. Clever use of caller identification systems to spoof valid phone numbers lends a certain legitimacy to their dishonesty. They often try to create urgency and fear by claiming the victim has fines to pay or has failed to appear for jury duty.

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The sheriff’s office stressed that it never asks for financial information over the phone to pay outstanding fines or warrants. Callers who receive such calls are advised to hang up immediately and notify police. Two alert residents reported attempted scams on a single day last week alone, but recognized the scam and called the sheriff’s office instead of answering the callers.

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The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office issues alerts regularly and has had good results from the increased public awareness that helps prevent many potential scams. They stress the importance of being skeptical of unsolicited calls asking for personal information or money, regardless of how credible the caller appears.

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The Sheriff’s Office advises anyone interested in learning more about how to protect themselves from telephone scammers to visit reputable websites where detailed guidelines and advice are readily available to strengthen defenses against these scam schemes. Verifying suspicious calls with the legitimate authorities who claim to have made the contact will help citizens remain vigilant and make their safety a top priority.