The Polk County Sheriff’s Office along with Polk Substance Abuse Program conducted a pill drop and information session on current scams for the residents of LaurelHurst.

Residents were informed of the benefits of disposing of out-of-date pills and pharmaceuticals that they no longer need.

In addition, investigators with Polk County Sheriff’s Office spoke on several popular scams that are taking advantage of residents in Polk County and nationwide. These scams generally target, but are not limited to, the elderly.

Current scams that have been reported by Polk County citizens are:

Residents being contacted by phone by someone stating that they have won the lottery (in fact they never even played the lottery) and now all they have to do is send a certain amount of money to cover the taxes on the winnings. They ask for you to Western Union them the money or get some form of prepaid card as well as ask to meet you at your home. Do not send any money or allow them to come to your home regardless of what they say or may threaten.

Residents have been contacted by phone stating a family member has been arrested and bail money needs to be sent to secure the release of their relative. These calls generally will state they are in jail in other countries. Law enforcement will not contact by phone for bail. Your family member or the person you know will be the one who contacts you.

There are numerous reports of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) calling and stating that you are delinquent and owe back taxes. When you refuse or dispute the caller, they begin telling you that if you do not pay them right then they will come to your house and you will be taken to jail. The IRS will never contact you by phone. You will receive any correspondence from the IRS by mail.

With computer scams, residents are asked by email by someone portraying to be your bank, that you send your bank and personal information to them to update your records. Do not send any information or even respond to the emails. Your bank will not contact you directly by email requesting you provide them with any information.

Polk County residents are asked to be diligent in stopping ongoing and future scams by staying informed and sharing information about scams they encounter.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is in the process of scheduling open forum meetings in the various communities to inform citizens of current crime trends that are ongoing. Citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in an exchange of information.

– Submitted by BJ Bayne