With the rise of the internet has come a new generation of scam artists who the same things crooks have been after since time began: ways to fraudulently rob consumers of their money.
Potential scams by way of emails, phone calls or texts are reported regularly to law enforcement – and in Oklahoma, to the Attorney General’s office. Its Consumer Protection operation deals with a wide variety of potential scams, says Stephanie Powers, Assistant Attorney General for Consumer Protections.
Many types of scams target senior citizens, she mentions. A particular danger these days are scams involving Bitcoin and other forms of crypto. Requests to take money out of a person’s bank account and put it into a crypto account “should raise a big red flag,” she says. Scams involving romance are also prevalent.
Scam artists now have another, possibly more sinister, weapon at their disposal that makes warding them off harder: artificial intelligence, or AI. Powers says that among other things, AI can mimic a human voice so well that it can sound like a real person. A potential victim might be fooled by the voice, thinking it’s a relative, supposedly in jail or facing some kind of financial difficulty.
Recently, scam artists have employed a new tactic: contacting people through email or text about unpaid fines or tolls, or sending messages claiming that arrest warrants are out against the would-be victim.
“We’re seeing a lot of texts that appear to be from law enforcement or courts that are fictitious,” Powers mentions. “People need to know that law enforcement does not send out texts.”
Anyone who receives such a message and doubts its authenticity can check the Oklahoma Supreme Court Network website to see if there’s a legitimate issue. If an email, text, website or even a phone call appears dubious, her advice is simple and direct: “Don’t click on it. Don’t click, and don’t reply to anything.”
Another potential scam situation? Supposed roofers who offer a free inspection. This problem is exacerbated, she says, during Oklahoma’s more storm-prone months. Don’t be fooled.
“Any unsolicited calls you should be aware of,” Powers says. “A lot of [these people] will try to get cash out of you, then disappear.”
Would-be victims of any kind of scam or fraudulent activity can report suspicious activity to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, either by calling or using a report form on the office’s website.
“We have consumer reps here that they can talk to,” she says. “They can report any criminal activity to our law enforcement agents.”
The Attorney General employs six agents, three prosecutors and two consumer representatives who deal with fraud and are available to help ward off a potential scam and pursue criminals through legal means. Anyone who finds themselves in the middle of a potential scam should contact the Attorney General’s office immediately, Powers says. She also urges people to check their bank statements regularly, and to check their credit reports each year.
She also recommends that property owners sign up for alerts through their county clerk’s office, whereby an alert would be triggered by any type of activity regarding their property. In central Oklahoma, county clerks in Canadian and Oklahoma counties offer alert sign-ups.
For More Information
Oklahoma Attorney General
405-521-3921
oklahoma.gov/oag
Oklahoma Supreme Court Network
405-556-9400
oscn.net
