Don’t answer that phone!

Or, at least, don’t fall for the scams that seem to be hitting the area.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department announced: “Over the course of the last nine months, presumably due to more people being home because of Covid19, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and surrounding law enforcement agencies, have seen a dramatic increase in phone based scams in which the perpetrators demand payment in the form of gift cards. These scams are carried out by the perpetrators assuming the identity of law enforcement, the IRS, US Marshalls, DEA, Xcel Energy, Microsoft, and even your own family members. The common piece that ties all of these scams together is the perpetrator demanding payment in the form of gift cards. These gift cards may be for Target, iTunes, Steam, Amazon, Visa, or any other card that is easily purchased at your local stores. Often times, the perpetrator will request to stay on the phone with you while the purchase of these gift cards are being made. They will then demand you read them the card number and PIN located on the back. This allows them to use the cards for online transactions or they will manufacture fraudulent gift cards with this information embedded onto them.

“These perpetrators target the core of our humanity by exploiting our fears. No legitimate company or organization will ever ask for payment in the form of gift cards. We strongly urge anyone who receives a call like this to hang up immediately, attempt to validate the claim they are making, and report the call to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office or your local police department. ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.’ Help us stop this multi-billion dollar criminal operation. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Detective Nick Sullivan at 651-430-7884.”