Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) Fraud Investigations Officer Ron Norfleet said that there are a multitude of scams and in most cases, the victims cannot recover their money.

Norfleet, who has been investigating fraud in Yavapai County for four years, said the leading scam right now has to do with jury duty. For example, someone claims to be a law enforcement official and tells victims that because they didn’t show up for jury duty, they will go to jail unless they pay a certain amount of money. He said this scam, like most scams, can occur by phone, text or social media.

“Ignore it. If you never had a summons, it’s a red flag,” he said. “It doesn’t work that way. You would get a letter from the court.”

Norfleet explained that the scammers make it look like it the message comes from law enforcement, but he said this never would happen, as those who do not show up for jury duty would be contacted by the courts.

Norfleet said the different types of scams are endless. “We don’t know the amount. These guys stay ahead of us.”

Another common scam occurs when grandparents are contacted and told that their grandchild is in some type of trouble and needs a certain amount of cash. Norfleet’s first advice for this and other scams is if you don’t recognize the phone number or message sender, then don’t answer it. “Don’t engage these folks, whether it’s by mail or text.” He advises grandparents to reach out to the grandchild as soon as possible if they get one of these communications.

Recently, someone in Yavapai County lost $12,000 in a “grandparent scam,” responding to what they thought was a call from a grandchild in danger and needing immediate financial help with a wire transfer. Norfleet said artificial intelligence is helping criminals more easily convince their victims by reproducing a voice that sounds like the person supposedly in trouble.

“Hang up and call that relative directly to see if they really are in trouble,” he said.

Norfleet urges people to slow down and think when they get phone calls, texts or social media messages asking for money or information. “No matter how dramatic the story is, you don’t need to do something right now. Slow down, take your time, think about it, and investigate it for yourself,” he said.

Seniors used to be the most targeted group for scammers, and while they remain among the top groups, AI has made it easier for scammers to target all groups. Scammers talk people into giving out personal information like their credit card numbers or bank accounts and then use them. Other scammers talk people into giving them money directly.

Norfleet warned against the use of Bitcoin, the so-called “electronic money.” He recalls a local case where someone lost $40,000 in a Bitcoin deposit.

“Those type of payments cannot be traced. You will never get your money back,” he said.

Other current scams involve lottery jackpots, home repairs, computer tech support, online romance and phony payments to someone acting as a representative of the IRS or other governmental agencies.

“Many times, they will want you to go to the store and buy gift cards to use for payment. And they will even tell you law enforcement and your bank are the ones working against you. Don’t fall for it,” he said. “Don’t automatically trust the caller ID on your phone. Scammers have the technology to use local numbers and names of law enforcement agencies.”

Norfleet said many who fall victim are reluctant to report it because they feel embarrassed. “One man told me about losing $17,000 in a scam. He was crying and he felt so ashamed.”

Norfleet believes scammers hit women and men equally. “Just don’t give out any info. There’s no such thing as being too careful.”

Norfleet, who hails from Texas, was a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry before switching to law enforcement. Today, he speaks to groups like the Senior Referral Network about fraud, how to recognize it and prevent it. QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

For more information, to schedule a fraud prevention presentation, or to report suspicious activity, call 928-771-3299.

Courtesy Photo: Officer Ron Norfleet talks to seniors about fraud.