POLK COUNTY, Iowa — The Polk County Sheriff's Office is warning people about a new phone scam that's been making the rounds. In this new scam, the scammers try to use the names of real officials within the sheriff's office to extort money from victims.
The scammers also use software that "spoofs" your caller ID so it looks like the call is actually coming from a Polk County number.
The scammers try to extort money by claiming you need to wire them money to avoid arrest, or to cancel a warrant.
"We don't operate that way. Law enforcement doesn’t call people and say, 'To avoid warrant or to avoid arrest, pay us money,'" said Sgt. Ryan Evans of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
If you receive a call that makes requests for money to avoid arrest simply hang up on the caller.
"It scares people, so to avoid that...they pay the money," said Evans.
Another red flag that indicates the call is fake: the caller asks for payment in prepaid credit cards or gift cards.
Cybersecurity experts advise to always be skeptical of anyone asking for money or personal information. "These people are very, very good. If you are at all in doubt, just don’t do it, or reach out to someone you trust and get their opinion," said Doug Jacobson, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University.