Beware Of This Latest Broome County Scam Call

We live in a world where we are increasingly becoming suspicious of every phone call, e-mail, text, or even letter we receive in the mail from someone or someplace we are unfamiliar with.

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At least that's the way I feel. Just before writing this article, I received a voicemail at work from a business I had never heard of. The caller stated that he wanted to further discuss the marketing playbook that I had recently downloaded.

What download would that be? I don't remember it. So, I searched for the name of the company, and the search came up from somewhere in India. Needless to say, I will not be returning that call.

And speaking (or writing) about phone scams, here's one you should be aware of. According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, scammers are once again making calls to Broome County residents impersonating Sheriff's deputies and detectives.

These scammers are attempting to fool residents with the intention of soliciting money or gift cards. If you receive such a call, do not provide credit card or other payment information over the phone to anyone claiming to be law enforcement.

In this case, according to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, these scammers are telling residents that they have missed a court appearance, threatened with warrants for arrest, or thousands of dollars in fines.

Here's a reg flag - the scammer tells the victim that they are on a recorded line and not to tell anyone of the call. The longer the victim stays on the line, the scammer will ask for payment from a credit card or other means.

The best thing to do is to hang up on the scammer. Never share any credit card information over the phone. Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar notes:

Don’t be fooled, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office will never ask for credit card information or any form of payment over the phone. If you believe you’ve received a scam phone call, please contact the Sheriff’s Office so a report can be filed.

If you receive such a call, hang up immediately and contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office at 607-778-1911. Be safe, and don't lose your hard-earned money to a scammer.