MASON CITY – Police in Mason City are warning of s number of on-going scams going on in there area.
Recently, several area residents have received surprise phone calls stating that the recipient missed jury duty and the caller (who claims to be a deputy or US Marshall) will issue a warrant for the recipient’s arrest unless they immediately pay so much money immediately. Scammers tend to prefer requiring pre-paid gift card payment or electronic wire transfer. Occasionally, they will instruct recipients to send cash in an expedited method.
Scam phone calls and emails occur all the time. People need to be wary of unsolicited calls and emails from total strangers. Once you wire or send money, the liklihood of recovery is unlikely if you send money to a stranger.
Scam callers can purchase or program their phone number to show local area codes. Scammers typically try to convince the recipient that there is some type of urgency and that money must be sent without delay or else bad things will happen.
Popular scams in our area: Grandparent Scams Jury-Duty Scams IRS Scams (usually heat up from Jan-May every year) Utility CompanyShut-Off Scams.
The Federal Trade Commission has a few web pages dedicated to spotting scam calls and emails on their website. Visit this website for more information about scam trends.