WARNING! The Latest Scam Festering in Southern Idaho

Let’s hope none of us are this gullible.  The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning on one of the latest scams plaguing southern Idaho.

Most of us realize that these calls can be verified by simply contacting the courts or law enforcement after receiving the initial contact, but sometimes there are nuggets of truth that raise doubts about their veracity.  Generally, if you ask the scammer a few questions, including a callback number, the guy on the other end will go away.

The caller ID you get isn’t accurate.  A computer program generates it.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence, or AI for short, can create a voice that can sound like a friend or family member.  A friend got one of these calls from a voice that claimed to be his grandson.  The voice claimed to be locked up in a Mexican jail and needed money to get out.  My friend simply asked how the grandson got to Mexico and was arrested in a matter of hours, since they had seen each other earlier in the day.  The scammer ended the call.

A traditional scam this time of year is the guy who approaches you about winterizing a home.  He asks for money up front, then never returns.  But those cons have more risk for the criminal, since it requires someone to show up in person.

These Guys are Working Overseas and Outside the Reach of the Law

Modern technology now makes it easier for the outlaws to make a call from thousands of miles away, and then convince you to wire money or provide your bank account number.  Then they empty the till before you even notice.