BARRON, Wis. (WJMC) — Various scams have defrauded local residents out of nearly 50 thousand dollars over the past few months.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said scam calls change daily, but take several common themes.
The “Computer Virus Scam” has you pay in BitCoin or gift cards to fix computer problems. The “Grandparent Scam” claims a grandchild needs bail money or a tow truck, paid via a gift card. The “Publishers Clearing House” scam says you have won a prize but need to pay a fee or tax first. Rental or property scams ask for a deposit or down payment, often without seeing the property first. Picture or extortion scams claim to release explicit photos of you unless you pay a fee.
Many of the scams use threats and demand payments in gift cards or BitCoin. Just hang up if they seem suspicious.
The sheriff said the scams originate from outside the US, so once the funds are sent, they are transferred to other banks, making it impossible to track or recover.