Collection Scam

DATE & TIME: 09-16-2019 @ 12:00 pm

LOCATION: Rockford Area

OFFENSE: Collection Scam

CASE #: 2019-4975

A Rockford area resident called a Gage County Sheriff’s Office investigator to report she received suspicious calls from a man claiming to be from “Legal Department 24/30” and he was trying to collect $2,000.00 for some magazines she had ordered over a decade ago. He wanted her to give her bank and credit card account numbers to him, which she refused to do.

She called the sheriff’s office and her attorneys and she was told by each to not make any payments and to not provide her financial information to him. The investigator advised her to strictly follow her attorney’s advice and if he called back to advise him to not call her again and go through her attorneys.

She did not lose any money or provide any personal or confidential information, although she reported he had quite a large amount of personal information on her and her relatives and associates.

In order to avoid being victimized by scammers, do not provide information to unknown persons over the phone, by e-mail, mail, or in person. If you legitimately owe a debt, you will be served a legal summons by a deputy or an employee of the Gage County Sheriff’s Office. Outside of a court order, you will not be required to make any immediate payment.

Contact your local police department to report a scam or call the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and ask to speak with an investigator.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310