The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) is alerting citizens to an increase in telephone scam attempts after the law enforcement agency fielded complaints in relation to the calls in question.
“A scammer impersonates an employee of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office and claims that the victim has outstanding warrants,” the department said in a Sept. 5 Facebook post.
Per the WCSO, anyone who receives such a call is strongly urged not to give the suspected scammer their credit card number, bank account information or any other potentially sensitive information.
The agency also warned the public to refrain from acquiescing the caller.
“If you receive a call asking you to send money via wire transfer or prepaid debit card, do not do so,” it said on Facebook. “Don't go to any location that the caller asked you to go. Do not be swayed by pressure to act immediately.”
The WCSO additionally urged residents to not engage in dialogue with the scammers since they’re likely to record the conversation.
“Williamson County Sheriff's Office will never solicit money over the phone. In the event that you receive one of these calls, you should hang up and contact law enforcement immediately,” the post read.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said on its website that aside from simply hanging up, people should consider using call-blocking or call-labeling.
It additionally warns that Caller ID can’t be fully trusted as scammers tend to use spoof numbers with a person’s area code in an effort to make taking the call easier.
The Do Not Call Registry is available to anyone who doesn’t want to be contacted by telemarketers.