By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA – The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about fraudulent phone calls after discovering that scammers have been spoofing the department’s phone numbers.
In a Facebook post, the Sheriff’s Office said its phone numbers have been duplicated and are being used by individuals making calls while appearing to come from the department.
Officials are urging anyone who receives a call claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office and suspects it may be fraudulent to hang up immediately.
Residents can verify whether the Sheriff’s Office actually attempted to contact them by calling the Law Enforcement Center at 515-332-2471 or the LEC cell phone at 515-269-3630.
The Sheriff’s Office cautioned that the scammers can be convincing and is encouraging residents to take precautions to avoid becoming victims.
Phone number spoofing occurs when someone disguises the phone number appearing on caller ID to make a call look like it is coming from a legitimate person or organization.
Anyone who is unsure whether a call is legitimate should hang up and contact the Sheriff’s Office directly using one of its verified phone numbers.