Have you heard of impersonation scams also known as imposter scams?

These scammers pretend to be someone else. They impersonate an agency you trust so you will disclose information or send money.

Scammers have been “spoofing” their phone numbers. They make their caller ID show up as the local police department.

These criminals went so far as to use real officer names and badge numbers. This lends credibility to their scheme.

They even look up public social media posts of their victims to be able to tell more convincing lies. Once they have fooled their targets, they ask for money via prepaid cards.

They claim the money is to pay fines or to resolve other legal or criminal matters.

Acting US Attorney Rhett DeHart provided these tips for avoiding these scams.

1. Make social media accounts private.

2. Accept NO social media messages from strangers. Be wary of phone calls from unfamiliar numbers.

3. Never give any personal info, including bank info, to anyone over the phone.

Government agencies won’t ask for money over the phone or via prepaid cards.

If you believe you were targeted by an impersonation scam, what should you do?

1. Hang up. Ignore their instructions.

2. Notify local police, the FBI at IC3.gov and with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov .

3. Warn your friends so they can be on high alert. Share this article.