Douglas County Sheriff warns of scam demanding payment by pre-paid credit cards

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Another telephone scam is being reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) and they want to make sure residents, especially the senior population, are informed.

This latest scam is much like others in the past. Unidentified callers are telling the person answering the phone they have a warrant issued from the FBI. The scammer is seeking large sums of money, generally $2,000 to $,5000, be sent via the mail in the form of pre-paid gift cards.

A fast thinking and caring employee of the local Target retail store realized the soon to be victim was falling for a scam when they attempted to buy $5000 in pre-paid gift cards. The Target employee halted the transaction and notified DCSO.

The sheriff’s office is asking all retailers who sell pre-paid cards to conduct awareness training and help the community protect one another.

These telephone scams are not new, yet they continue because they work. Every year DCSO receives dozens of reports for these scams. Once the pre-paid card is purchased and mailed out, law enforcement has very little ability to assist in recovering the loss. During tax season the fake IRS scam is prevalent.

The public needs to be aware, no government agency will call you and demand money via pre-paid gift cards or pre-paid credit cards. Law enforcement will never demand money over the phone and all “warrants” are handled in person via the normal judicial process. Please visit www.usa.gov/common-scams-frauds for additional information on how to protect yourself and your family from falling victim to the ever-growing arena of digital crime.