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YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene this week issued a press release alerting the community of telephone scams, including ploys that drag his office into the fray.
The release states: "In one recent instance, a Canfield resident reported having received a call "spoofing" the main number of the Sheriff's Office. The victim said the suspect claimed to be a Sheriff's employee who had a federal District Court warrant for their arrest."
The victim reported that they received a text message showing a realistic likeness of a court document, while the caller demanded the victim stay on the line until they arrived at a local Bitcoin kiosk, and transferred thousands of dollars into an account.
Greene's office said residents will never receive calls warning them of warrants. Nor will authorities ever demand money, gift cards or bitcoin over the phone or demand residents remain on the line until transactions have been completed.
The Sheriff's office recommends that residents:
•Hang up on unexpected requests, especially those demanding money.
•Do not respond or reply to provided contact information — it's likely to be fake.
•Avoid clicking links in random email or text messages.
•Refuse irregular payment demands, such as bitcoin or gift cards.
•Never send money to someone you have not met face-to-face.
The press release states that phone numbers used and given in these scams usually are not traceable numbers.
"Other than educating the public about these situations, there is little law enforcement can do after you've been victimized," the release states. "Please be aware and do not permit these scammers to prey on our community."
Scammers have been particularly active this year. Boardman police provide daily reports to news outlets, and present the best source for examples. Residents in the township have lost tens of thousands of dollars to scams recently. Thieves employ schemes ranging from stolen and altered checks to impersonating banks, technology companies and law enforcement.
Earlier this year, two Boardman residents lost more than $22,000 in separate scams. One woman lost more than $16,000 after a caller posing as a 7 17 Credit Union representative convinced her to provide access to her account. Another lost about $6,000 after someone claiming to represent Microsoft convinced her that her phone had been compromised and instructed her to purchase gift cards.
In April, an older Boardman couple narrowly avoided losing $8,500 in a so-called grandparent scam. A caller posing as their grandson claimed he had been jailed after a traffic accident, while another person posing as an attorney instructed the couple to prepare cash for a courier. Their daughter arrived as they were waiting for the money to be collected and intervened.
Other recent cases have involved callers impersonating law enforcement officers and telecommunications companies, stolen SNAP benefits, compromised bank and credit card accounts and checks stolen from the mail and altered. In one particularly costly 2024 case, a Boardman couple reported more than $69,000 stolen through unauthorized bank transfers.