Holiday scammers target victims through phone calls; porch thefts also on the rise

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is asking the community to be cautious when it comes to giving people their personal information over the phone.

They say scammers often use spoof call apps to disguise their name and phone number, and they portray themselves to be a government employee.

In some cases, they may even claim to be with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

If you get a call from someone claiming to with the department, asking you for money to clear an outstanding warrant or ticket, this is a tell-tale sign you’re getting scammed.

The Sheriff’s Office says they’ll never ask you to pay for any fees over phone.

They say they’ve seen mostly middle-aged people and seniors targeted in these crimes.

Sometimes scammers will even ask them to provide their credit card information through phishing links.

"Sometimes, they may even be on the phone with you at the same time when they send you that link," says Sergeant Deborah Mynatt with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. "When you click it, not only are you going into a channel of inputting your personal information, but it can also infiltrate the phone or computer system you clicked from."

The sheriff's office says porch scams typically increase over the holidays, too. They've responded to about a dozen over the past few weeks, and are currently investigating video footage from some of the houses that were hit.

Officials with the Sheriff's Office suggest getting a P.O. box or requesting a signature at delivery in order to protect your packages.

If you are thinking about getting surveillance cameras for your home, the most effective ones are those with motion detectors, especially since home burglaries increase during the holidays, too.

The sheriff's office says in many cases they've seen, criminals gain access to the home through an unlocked front door.