Earlier this week, the Youngstown Police Department sent out a warning that someone was making scam phone calls, attempting to have citizens pay fines over the phone.

According to the notice, the calls would look real because of the phone number that was used as it would correlate with the Youngstown Police Department or the agency that they were claiming to call from. They would ask citizens to do a plethora of things, such as paying a fine, purchasing a gift card or requesting personal information.

When it comes to calls like this, we say never believe them. Ask as many questions as you can and get as much information as you can.

Scam calls are nothing new, however, and they can severely harm someone in several different ways depending on the information the caller gets. Normally, it’s personal information — bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers — or anything where they can make a financial gain.

According to Federal Trade Commission data, consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. While $4.6 billion was lost to investment scams — which was higher than any other category — the second-highest reported loss amount came from impostor scams, with losses of nearly $2.7 billion reported. So it can truly happen to anyone, but Capt. Jason Simon, head of the detective division of the Youngstown Police Department, offered a few pieces of advice to avoid falling for these types of scams.

In YPD’s news release, Simon suggested telling the person that you will call them back at the agency that they are calling from. However, so citizens know who they are speaking with, ask the person for their name before hanging up.

Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova also addressed similar issues in late February during a presentation at the Davis Family YMCA on various phone and internet scams that target many older people.

She discussed several different types of scams. One of the scams she discussed was impostor scams, in which callers try to trick people into giving them money to join a business venture. Along those lines, they can spoof area codes and phone numbers, making it appear that they’re originating locally.

She suggested always asking for a name, conduct a bit of research and do a Google search as well. Garner as much information as you can. You can even discuss it with a friend, family member or lawyer as well.

When it comes to suspicious calls, we always suggest being vigilant. Don’t be pressured into deciding on any type of financial commitment or giving away any personal identifying information; that’s where trouble arises.