VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Scammers are taking thousands of dollars from people in Virginia Beach.
In the last 10 days, three people have come into the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office saying they’ve handed over between $2,500 and $9,000, and that’s just the people who have reported they’ve been scammed.
"The young lady yesterday was like $4,500," said Chief Deputy Tina Mapes with the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office.
She said the criminals are sending texts and making phone calls using the names of real deputies and sending fake court summonses.
"For somebody who doesn’t know the things to look for, it is very scary," she said. "It's frightening. It’s so easy to fall for when people are trying to do the right thing."
They direct the victim to transfer the money through the instructions on a flier and once the people “check in” at the Sheriff’s Office, the money is gone and the scammers have hung up the phone.
"People are spoofing some of our numbers here at the jail, so it looks official," she said. "We’re never gonna ask you for money. Anything from Coinstar, gift cards, Bitcoin, we’re never gonna call you or text you and ask you for money."
This scam mirrors one 13News Now told you about in Chesapeake last summer: the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office said in just one day they received more than 40 calls about a scam where people were pretending to be deputies, and at least two residents have reported giving the scammer $15,000.
One woman who handed over the money in that scam said for those questioning why she and others handed over the money, they don't know how believable it is.
"'Why didn't you hang up?' Because I was told if I hung up, there would be a squad car at my doorstep within 15 minutes. 'Why didn't you drive somewhere?' They told me I was being followed. 'Why didn't you call your husband?' Because I was told my phone was pinged," she told 13News Now earlier this year.
Caleb Davey, an economic crime detective with the Virginia Beach Police Department, said they are trying to stay ahead of scammers.
"As soon as we kind of figure out what scams are out there, they’re inventing new scams and new ways to come after people," he said.
Data from the Federal Trade Commission shows nationwide, people lost more than 10-billion dollars to fraud last year. That marks a 14% increase from 2022.
Davey said they work with the FBI to track down scammers and try to get the money back.
"If it was a wire transfer, if it falls within about a 72 hour period, there's a chance that we can work with the FBI to put a freeze on the money that was transferred," said Davey.
Not all scams look alike, but he said if someone is telling you you’ve won something or are in trouble, but want money before you reap the benefits, hang up.
If you do fall for the scam, report it to police right away.
"This is happening to people all over, you’re not alone, if you fall victim, it’s okay. But we need to know because the only way that we can help you or to become aware of a scam that maybe we haven't heard of, or to be able to say yes, this is something we're seeing is for you to come and let us know," he said.
The biggest clue to just hang up is law enforcement will never ask for money over the phone.
If you’re unsure, hang up and independently look up and dial the number to call back and confirm. If it is a legitimate call, the Sheriff's Office won't punish you for double-checking.
"Do your homework before you respond and no one is going to fault you for that, especially now that we know that there's so many scams, we would rather you call and verify with us before you do anything."
If you've been scammed, call the Virginia Beach Police Department's Economic Crime Unit at 757-385-8101. Bring bank statements with the fraudulent charges, front and back copies of checks, any communication with the scammers, and a copy of your credit card report.
Some other common scams include the Dominion Energy scam where they claim they will shut off your electricity in 24 hours if you do not pay the "past-due" amount, as well as the "Grandparents Scam"-- an imposter will claim call in the middle of the night sounding distressed and claiming to be your grandchild. They'll say they've gotten into an accident or had a run in with police and need money.