The Williamsport Bureau of Police, along with other law enforcement agencies, has received numerous reports of phone scams currently affecting area residents. These scams include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Jury Duty Scam: A caller claims to be a member of the U.S. Marshal’s Office and states that the victim failed to appear for federal jury duty. The caller then directs the victim to sign into an online account (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc.) in an attempt to compromise and take control of the account.
• Unpaid Fines Scam: A caller claims to be a member of the County Sheriff’s Office and states that the victim has unpaid fines. The caller then instructs the victim to purchase gift cards or make another unusual form of payment to “resolve” the supposed fines.

If you receive a call from someone claiming to be law enforcement who requests banking information, credit card numbers, access to online accounts, or payment via gift cards, it is ALWAYS a scam. Law enforcement will NEVER ask for access to personal online accounts over the phone, and will NEVER notify you by phone of unpaid fines or demand payment using gift cards or other nontraditional methods.

If you receive one of these calls, hang up immediately. If you wish to verify the legitimacy of a call, independently locate the official phone number for the agency and contact them directly. Do not use any contact information provided by the caller.

Steps to Take if You Receive a Scam Call:

• Report the phone number to your phone carrier as a scam and block the number. Many carriers and smartphones (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) allow this directly through their phone apps.
• If you believe any of your accounts may have been compromised, change your passwords immediately and enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) where available.
• Scammers frequently target elderly residents. Please check on elderly relatives or neighbors to ensure they have not been victimized.

Phone scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or via phone at 1-877-382-4357, and report Caller ID spoofing at 1-888-225-5322.