Chief Owens warns of scams

The Colorado City Police Department, in an effort to preserve the safety and security of the citizens of Colorado City, would like all citizens to be aware of an increase in the number of phone, mail and e-mail scams reported to the Colorado City Police Department.

Anyone receiving a phone call from an unknown number or number you do not recognize is encouraged not to answer the call, rather allow the call to go to a voice recording. Should the call need to be returned, the calling party should leave a name and number so the call may be returned. Several instances have been reported where the caller states that a loan has been applied for, or a credit card company needs to “verify information”. Never give any personal information, including driver’s license numbers, social security number, PIN (personal identification numbers), or debit/credit card numbers to anyone over the phone.

If a check is received in the mail, verify that the check is legitimate. Many times a letter is enclosed stating you have won a cash prize. The letter states that you must cash the check and return a certain amount as “good faith” or “processing fee” before your winnings can be claimed. Should you cash the check, you can be held liable to your bank for the funds.

If you receive a request for payment and do not recognize the charge or the company payment is to be paid to, contact the company in question and ask for a detailed statement showing when and where the charge was made, and for what product. At times bills are sent by mistake, or could indicate that you are a victim of identity theft.
E-mail scams generally follow the same lines as mail scams. An e-mail claims you have won a prize and need to contact a person to obtain information about claiming your winnings. They may ask you to provide identifying information such as your social security number to “verify” who you are. Generally, setting in your mailbox filter can “flag” these messages as “phishing scams”.

Again, the Colorado City Police Department encourages all citizens of Colorado City and Mitchell County to never provide personal identifying information to anyone who you do not readily recognize as a legitimate business. Should you suspect something as suspicious or a possible scam, please contact the Colorado City Police Department or Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office and report the incident.

Many times these scams are generated from foreign countries, outside of the United State’s jurisdiction for prosecution, however you may keep yourself, or someone else, from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft.