There are a few different scams going on that police are warning about. In Sangamon County, the Sheriff’s Office wants the public to be aware of telephone scams where the caller claims to be “Sgt Smith” with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and claims the victim has a warrant out for their arrest or that they have a family member under arrest and needs money to get them out.  Sheriff Jack Campbell assures the public no one from the Sheriff’s Office would ever request or demand money over the phone under any circumstances.  

The Taylorville Police Department is letting residents know that TPD has been contacting individuals concerning the National Night Out event in August and will work on requesting donations next month.  Police say they will make a post when that is happening, however, if anyone calls you claiming they are a part of the Police Department, call them directly to verify.  If you have any questions for TPD, call 217-824-2211.

Lastly, the FBI is warning of scams where the caller pretends to be or is with a relative of the victim and demands money, saying that the victim's relative is either been kidnapped or in an accident, or another ordeal. If you receive such a call, you should verify the identity and location of the child or grandchild claiming to be in trouble. You should hang up and call another family member who can confirm your child or grandchild's whereabouts. Try calling them at the telephone number through which you normally reach him or her. Stay calm and avoid acting out of a sense of urgency. Do not wire money unless you have verified with an independent third party that your child or grandchild is truly in trouble.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) outlines different phone scams and how to better protect yourself by visiting https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/phone-scams.