Sergeant in Economic Crimes Unit stresses people need to be vigilant, given how convincing scammers can be
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has produced a two-part episode for its 10-8 TV channel on YouTube in an effort to help educate the public about how to spot scams, Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman has announced.
The agency’s Economic Crimes Unit (ECU) collaborated with the Community Affairs Bureau to provide the public with important information regarding the types of scams that are happening in the area, a news release explains. Among the topics covered in the episodes are “how to know when you are being scammed, the best ways to avoid scams, and what to do if you think you have been the victim of a scam,” the release adds.
“We live in a target-rich environment,” ECU Sgt. Jason Friday says in the release. “Anyone can become a victim. These scammers are very convincing and use human emotions to manipulate citizens and ultimately take their money!”
In the release, Friday reminds the public “that fear, urgency, and romance can all play a part in the scammers’ ploys.” Friday “suggests that we all take the time to look for red flags signaling something may be a scam. Red flags could be as simple as a request for an unusual form of payment, such as a gift card or cryptocurrency.”
“Education is key to helping prevent our citizens from falling for these scams,” Sheriff Hoffman added in the release. “We are working to expose these criminals and help you to spot the red flags before you fall for a scam!”
The links to the 10-8 TV episodes on the Sheriff’s Office’s YouTube channel follow:
- Part 1 —https://youtu.be/cEhO4ZIsucU
- Part 2 —https://youtu.be/aCCME9m5u8c