There has been an influx of calls regarding potential scams and frauds occurring in Jasper County. Typically, the scammers (who are typically outside of US jurisdiction) will ask you to make a payment via a pre-paid debit or credit card or gift cards such as Google Play, eBay, or by sending checks or money orders.
The following are the most scams that are reported to this office:
- You have a warrant or a fine that needs to be paid
- You owe the IRS money and they are demanding payment
- You have won the lottery or a prize and need to pay the taxes
The individuals that are conducting the scams are very intelligent and perform research. Some of the callers sound legitimate.
If you are contacted by a scammer and are uncertain if the call is legitimate, hang up, and call the company or organization that they are representing direct.
If you have been contacted by someone claiming to be from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office notifying you that you have a warrant for your arrest; it is a SCAM. We never ask anyone to to get pre-paid credit cards/gift cards or to pay for a warrant or fine over the phone.
If someone contacts you and the prize or gift sounds too good to be true, it is most likely a SCAM.
Please visit the following US Government Site regarding the top scams:
https://www.usa.gov/common-scams-frauds
If you have been scammed, you can make a report at the following site:
https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds