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Scam phone calls plaguing citizens, Mason City police say

MASON CITY - Police in Mason City are alerting citizens to a various attempts by scammers to dupe unsuspecting phone users into gicing up their hard-earned cash.
Mason City police headquarters

MASON CITY – Police in Mason City are alerting citizens to a various attempts by scammers to dupe unsuspecting phone users into gicing up their hard-earned cash.

According to a bulletin from police:

We continue to receive reports from local residents about a wide variety of scam phone calls. These fraudsters may allege to be employees of local utility companies; physicians; law enforcement; collection agencies; legal firms, etc. Some of the scammers will spoof their phone numbers to make it appear as if the call is originating from a local phone number.

The scammers usually try to convey urgency – a loved one will die if they can’t get life-saving surgery; someone will be imprisoned or arrested; your bank account will be drained / frozen; online dating apps; your computer will be hacked, etc unless you immediately pay the caller a sum on money through an electronic payment option. Typically, these e-pay options involve gift cards / pre- loaded credit cards; bit coin, or some type of e-payment. Once you transmit the e-payment or provide the scammer the card # and pin #, they can transfer the money remotely. The transaction is untraceable and the victim is out the money.

Besides conveying a short amount of time to comply with the caller’s demands, the scammers typically instruct the recipient not to discuss this with anyone else or else bad things could happen. Many times, the scammers try to keep the recipient on the phone until the victim completes the electronic transaction of funds.

If you receive one of these calls unexpectedly. Write down their name and phone number. THEN HANG UP. Contact the local-related entity by looking up their phone number (Don’t trust the number the scam caller tells you to call. Look it up independently!). Legitimate businesses do not operate this way. You should always be able to get a receipt for money paid. If the caller is legitimate, it should also be easy to corroborate their claims by contacting a local entity.

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