Walker Area Businesses Affected by Phone Scams

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is saying that that scam calls have been made recently directed at and affecting area businesses in the Walker area.

According to a press release, a caller with no ID contacts Walker businesses and identifies themselves as from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. The caller gives the individual a case number and informs them to only call the cell phone number and not to mention the phone call to anyone else.

The phishing scam tries to have the worker take cash from the business and invest it into a scheme to settle a “fraud report” through either a pre-paid card or Western Union transfer. The fraud would often continue with the caller sending money to business employees through “cash apps” or smart phones. Most money sent through methods such as gift cards and apps is difficult to refund, suggesting that’s why almost all scammers request cash through those methods.

Through an initial investigation, it’s believed the the calls are tracked to a foreign country. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office states that themselves or any other law enforcement would never call people to ask to provide finances to them under any threat of arrest. If there is any question of identification legitimacy with a caller, the sheriff’s office advises to hang up and contact the local sheriff’s office immediately.

While spoofing identities through calls is becoming more common, Sheriff Tom Burch reminds people to always be suspicious of callers that request money, any personal information such as Social Security numbers or account passwords, or claim to represent a company or government agency.