Scam Artists Posing as Special Agents
Scam alerts tend to come in bunches. Yesterday there was a blog written by B-100's Wes Jordan about Water Company employees being impersonated by scam artists. This time it's the Iowa Department of Public Safety warning the public of a scam where persons are impersonating DPS personnel from the Division of Criminal Investigation. I don't like any scammers but when you start impersonating law enforcement, and or public safety personnel, it makes me even angrier. These are the people we trust!
Apparently some Iowans have been receiving calls from people posing as special agents with the Criminal Investigation Division of DPS. They say they're investigating a lawsuit. If you've received one of these calls contact local law enforcement and the Iowa Attorney General's hotline at (515) 281-5926 or (888) 777-4590.
Here's some tips you can use to avoid falling for fraudulent calls from the Iowa Department of Public Safety:
- If someone claims they are collecting money on behalf of DPS, hang up.
- DPS will never ask for immediate payment via prepaid debit cards.
- Don't give out or confirm any personal information or financial information to anyone who calls.
If you receive a scam call you don't need to report it, however, if you've lost money to a scam artist you should report that to your local police or sheriff's office. Don't let embarrassment stop you from reporting a scam that cost you money. Scam artists are pros who are working hard to rip you off. You reporting them might give law enforcement the break they need to put someone behind bars.