Another Scam Hits Area, ‘Spoofing’ Franklin County Sheriff
Another spoofign scheme (Getty images)
Spoofing means pretending to be something you are not, usually associated these days with fraud.
Another phone scam using Franklin County Sheriff’s number
Recently, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department says they’ve gotten a number of alerts from citizens in the region saying they got a call from a person or persons claiming they owe fines to the county. The callers are demanding payments to clear outstanding warrants.
The number on caller ID shows it’s from the Sheriff’s Department
Spoofing allows a caller to substitute a different number that will show up on the victim or recipient’s caller ID. In these cases, the number shows it’s the main line for the Franklin County Sheriff’s office.
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) says do not answer any call that appears suspicious, or is unknown; if the call is spoofed to look like it’s legitimate but you have doubts, hang up. If you wish, you can call the ‘real’ entity that shows up on your caller ID and let them know somebody is spoofing using their number.
The FCSO says no law enforcement agency will ever contact people in this way, demand payment for fines, or threaten jail–ever.
Believe it or not, there are apps online that allow you to spoof numbers
It is a federal felony to spoof someone using another number, for the purposes of harm or fraud. But, since that is hard to prove in our modern tech world, it’s rarely…