Scammers are increasingly targeting residents claiming to be from government agencies, tech support services, or reputable businesses. They may pressure you to provide personal information, grant remote access to your devices, send cash or cryptocurrency, or purchase gift cards, often using high-pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency.

Their stories might involve non-existent legal issues, unpaid bills, unauthorized charges, extortion, or emergencies that require immediate payment. It's important to remember that cryptocurrency transactions are often irreversible. Once you send cryptocurrency to a scammer, it is unlikely that you will be able to recover your funds. Moreover, scammers usually operate anonymously, making it nearly impossible to trace. If someone asks you to send them money, always verify their identity and the reason for the request before sending any funds. If you cannot confirm its legitimacy, treat it as a potential scam. 

Remember that no legitimate organization will ask to be paid with gift cards over the phone or online or ask you to click on text links to download software on your cellphone. If it seems odd, suspicious, or too good to be true, it probably is. We encourage you to discuss scams and scam safety with any friends or family, especially those you feel may be at higher risk of being successfully targeted.

As always, you can contact the Palm Beach Police Department at 561-838-5454 with any scam concerns or if you become a victim. More information on current scams can be found at the FTC's Scam Awareness website at https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams. More information on spam text messages can be viewed here, https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages.