SCAM ALERT

Fayette County Sheriff's office has allegedly received a number of calls regarding scam phone calls from persons claiming to be with Medicare, the IRS, or other agencies and wanted to address the issue. Many of these groups will operate outside of the country where little can be done to stop or take actions against them. The scammers could try and claim they need your personal information, money wired, or to buy gift cards for them.

The Fayette County Sheriff's office recommends these tips for protecting yourself:
1. Do not answer any calls you do not recognize the number of. You can check messages to see who called and if you need to return a call back.

2. Do not give personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely certain you know who you are speaking with.

3.If someone calls you claiming to represent the IRS, Medicare, etc. and you think the call may be legitimate, get off the phone and call the agency yourself.

4.Don't make payments by gift card, prepaid card, or wire transfer, these methods are often used by scammers as they are hard to trace.

5.If you can, use call blocking mobile app to screen your calls. Ask your phone service provider if they offer any blocking tools.