Residents in Fountain Hills report they are receiving scam or fraudulent phone calls at an alarming rate, with frequency occurring within minutes of each other or up to several times a day.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says they are receiving reports that in some cases callers are identifying themselves as MCSO employees.

In many cases the victim is told they are delinquent in payment of a fine, missed jury duty or have a warrant for a missed court date. The caller states that immediate action must be taken or arrest is imminent. This often scares the victim into a panic and makes them easy prey for the scammer.

Technology has also made it easier for scammers to make their pitch more convincing by using the real name of a police officer or official, and having enough personal information to convince the victim the call is real.

MCSO has some important information to remember for those who receive such a call.

*MCSO (or court or any law enforcement agency) will not ask for payment with pre-paid cards, money orders or cash.

*MCSO will not meet someone in person to take any form of payment.

*Suspects are using fictional and sometimes real MCSO staff names.

*Suspects are telling victims to call a number with a pre-recorded message claiming to be MCSO.

Anyone who receives a suspicious or suspect phone call from a number they do not recognize and the caller is identifying themselves as MCSO staff should never provide personal information to an unknown caller.

Such a call can be reported to the MCSO non-emergency number at 602-876-1011.

MCSO Capt. Hank Brandimarte, commander for District 7 based in Fountain Hills, said people are vulnerable because they are generally generous.

“There is a lot of misinformation that people are willing to believe,” Brandimarte said. “It is becoming harder to separate fact from fiction.”

There are scams involving banks as a way to obtain personal information. Scammers have become sophisticated enough to have a caller ID show the victim’s bank.

One should tell the caller they are verifying the call and hang up. A legitimate caller should not object to someone calling back on a verifiable bank number to confirm the call.

But the best rule is still to never give out personal information over the phone.

A 2017 survey indicates that one in 10 American adults were victims of a scam during the previous 12 months, losing on average $430. That is a total of $9.5 billion overall – a 56 percent increase over 2015.

Experts say that increase can be attributed to scammers’ access to mobile phone numbers, robo-dialing and number-finding technology.

Scams with people posing as utility company employees are also on the increase in recent years. Verify if someone comes to the door claiming to be with the water or power company.

When someone suspects a scam they can report it to the Federal Trade Commission online at ftc.gov.