City of Plainview Sees a Spike in Scam Calls Threatening Violence
As Thanksgiving is only a few days away and we enter the holiday season there seems to be an increase in scam calls compared to the rest of the year. Throughout the year scammers will target many different groups of people such as the elderly, young, and many others including news reporters, such as myself. I personally had someone pretending to be a lawyer and asking to be paid a fine or I would be rushed to prison, I Googled the name to find instant scam.
The Plainview Police Department recently stated that they are currently getting multiple reports of telephone scams around this time but there is something different. These scams are also including threats of violence against people as the scammers demand money in exchange for kidnapped family members or take the blame for incidents that have happened in other cities to make themselves seem dangerous.
Do not worry in the slightest as the Plainview Police Department has issued some advice on what to do when receiving one of these phone calls.
"• Document the phone number the call came from (telephone lines can be cloned or copied to seem legitimate).
• DO NOT provide personal information such as Social Security Number, State Identification Number, or Address.
• DO NOT provide financial information such as bank account number, bank routing number, or credit card number.
• DO NOT agree to send payment in any form.
• Make appropriate calls or methods of contact to confirm the whereabouts and safety of individuals who the caller claims to be injured or taken.
• Contact the City of Plainview Police Department at (806) 296-1182 to report the incident."
This advice is to also be taken by residents if the scam calls move from Plainview to Lubbock or any surrounding counties this holiday season. Along with taking these precautions most cell phones services offer a way to block and report scam text messages and calls for the company to investigate further. Anyone that has experienced a scam call is advised to report it to their local police department and remember if it seems like a scam then it probably is.