Amarillo Residents Beware; Recent Rise in Scammer Activity

All summer long, we've watched as scammers have stepped up their game. They've been targeting Amarillo and Texas panhandle residents via email, text messages, phone calls, and even old-school snail mail. In a recent alert issued by Randall County Sheriff's Office, they say they're a large increase in the number of calls they're getting regarding scams.

How To Know You're Being Scammed In Amarillo And Surrounding Area

A lot of these scams involve a phone call. The phone call supposedly comes from someone in law enforcement, or as in some cases, they've even gone so far as to claim to be a judge. They tell you that you have warrants out or that you've missed jury duty, and you need to pony up a lot of dough to get out of trouble.

What you need to know is that law enforcement will not call you and demand payment. The big tell-tale sign that you're being scammed is the insane payment methods they want you to use. Law enforcement will not demand payment via:

• Venmo, Cash App, or Paypal
• Money Transfer
• Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc)
• Gift Cards
• Apple Pay

If the person on the other end of the call demands payment like this, hang up if you haven't already.

What To Do If You Suspect A Scammer Is Contacting You

If you think that someone is trying to scam you, there are some things you can do to help protect yourself and get some clarification on what is happening.

First, hang up and call the law enforcement office they claim to be from. If there is anything you need to take care of, a real law enforcement agency can help you out. This is the easiest way to, one, report the incident and two, make sure there's nothing you need to take care of.

Scammers are working harder than ever at separating you from your hard-earned money. Don't make it easy for them. Protect your info, and your money, and hang up.