"Anybody you don't know that's calling asking for your money or for your information that's a red flag," Sergeant Harris said.
He says other red flags include asking you to send money through Western Union, saying your computer has a virus and saying they’re from the IRS, looking to collect.
He says there’s are easy steps to keep yourself protected.
"You never give them money,” Sergeant Harris said. “You never give them information and you don't confirm anything. So the bottom line is if you don't know who it is you give them nothing."
And don't give in even if they keep calling.
"They're very forceful, they don't stop,” Detective Sergeant Greg Harris said. “They may call you repeatedly over several days until they get what they want."
Organizations like the AARP and Better Business Bureau have resources you can use to help stay protected. They provide scam alerts and fraud maps (links to which you can find at the bottom of this article). The AARP also provides workshops that can help you recognize scams and know what to do to avoid them.
It can be challenging, because there are a lot of different ones.
"With tax season around the corner, the IRS scams are going to start,” Sergeant Harris said. “Quite honestly they never stop."
Sergeant Harris says if you get a call like that to just hang up.
"The IRS does not call and try to strong arm money from anyone," Sergeant Harris said.
We asked our Facebook users what other scams they've experienced.
One told us about a scam where the caller asks a yes or no question like "can you hear me?"
They want you to say yes so they can record it and use it to sign you up for products and services.
If you think a scammer already has your information you can file a police report. Make sure to call your bank and credit card companies as well. Also, check your accounts daily to make sure there aren’t any unexpected withdrawals.
Other scams going around are the Microsoft scam, where somebody calls telling you they’re from Microsoft and your computer has a virus. They’ll try to take remote control of your computer.
Here are some helpful resources to find what scams are going on in your area:
AARP Fraud Mapcan help you find reports of scams in your area.
The AARP also has other resources like workshops and a fraud phone line you can call. You can also sign up for fraud alerts.
Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker
The Better Business Bureau releases scam alerts to help you stay aware of what to watch out for:
http://www.bbb.org/council/news-events/lists/bbb-scam-alerts/
