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Phone scams are on the rise in Mecosta County

Alan Levine
/
Openverse

A new wave of phone scams is hitting Mecosta County.

A written release from the sheriff’s department said the most popular scams claim that a PayPal account is frozen, an Amazon order is on its way, or that your credit card is locked.

For example, the Amazon scam would list items worth a lot of money and say they’re scheduled for delivery the next day, the release said. It would ask you to hang up if you’re satisfied… or press a number on your phone and click a link to be connected with an Amazon employee.

They are “very convincing, but they’re scams,” the release said.

Unless you personally contacted a representative, officials said you should hang up and not respond. You should check Amazon and other websites afterwards to make sure your accounts are still secure, they said.

Ben Jodway is an intern, serving as a reporter for WCMU Public Media and the Pioneer in Big Rapids. He has covered Indigenous communities and political extremism in Michigan.