PLACER COUNTY, Calif (KTXL) — Since January, seven people in Placer County were victims of fraud and lost nearly a combined $600,000 to scammers, according to officials.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said scammers have been calling people impersonating as a deputy or an employee from another local agency or company.
Officials said the most recent case occurred last week when a victim sent $18,000 in bitcoin to a scammer who pretended to be a deputy on the call.
Another case involved two victims sending thousands of dollars to scammers after believing their computer was infected with a virus. One of those victims lost $475,000 and the other was scammed out of $4,500, officials said.
According to authorities, another victim lost around $80,000 after being told he needed to renew his LifeLock membership. Officials said the victim was scammed out of his money after the suspect accessed his account.
To avoid being defrauded, officials urge the public to be aware of who is calling and think about what’s being asked of you. Officials also say that a deputy or an employee from another agency won’t ask for money in any form in exchange for dropping an arrest warrant, keeping electricity on or fixing an infected computer.
“Even if you don’t think it’s a scam, it’s okay to hang up and research the agency/company’s number yourself to confirm what the…
