Larimer County Sheriff's Office provides heads-up on frauds and scams

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive information from citizens about frauds and scams. In an effort to keep you informed, here is a list of the most recent incidents reported.

• IRS scams – Unsolicited telephone calls and emails from someone claiming you owe the Internal Revenue Service money are scams. The IRS will send information via U.S. mail if they need to contact you. The IRS provides useful information regarding these scams at http://1.usa.gov/1gI0yUS.

• U.S. Treasury scams – Unsolicited telephone calls and emails from someone claiming to work for the U.S. Department of the Treasury are scams. Under no circumstance should you send money, reply to or click on a link in an unsolicited email before you have verified it is legitimate. Useful information is available at http://1.usa.gov/1thblXt.

• Craigslist scams – Scammers offer to pay more for an item with a cashier’s check or money order and then have you wire some of the extra money back to them. Scammers advertise property for lease using information and pictures of someone else’s rental property. Craigslist provides information regarding scams at http://bit.ly/XBSVcf.

• Microsoft Windows scams – Unsolicited telephone calls from someone claiming to work for a division of Microsoft Windows stating your system is at risk is a scam. Do not allow them to access your computer remotely. Microsoft Safety and Security Center information is available at http://bit.ly/18Fumda.

• Banking scams – Contact your banking institution directly before taking any action requested of you in an email. These scams often include emails stating there has been fraudulent activity on your account and instruct you the click a link to update your personal information.

Unfortunately, many of these scams originate outside of the United States and effective investigations are not possible. If you believe you are a victim of any fraud or scam, you may contact your local law enforcement agency for guidance. Useful information regarding current frauds and scams is available at http://larimersheriff.org/site-page/frauds-and-scams.

Information is also available from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This link allows you to sign up for alerts regarding current scams: https://www.us-cert.gov/.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in partnership with the National While Collar Crime Center (NW3C), the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation offers information about internet crime schemes and prevention tips at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.