The Erie County Sheriff's Department is warning of more phone scams.
This time, the scammers are claiming to be law enforcement officers or representatives of the lottery. In the first scam, Undersheriff Mark Wipperman says they're portraying themselves as officers who are trying to settle a law enforcement matter.
"These phone scammers are very aggressive. They ask for personal information like credit card numbers," Wipperman said. "They allege they need to deduct immediate funds to pay up outstanding parking debt or other law enforcement judgments. "
Wipperman says the Sheriff's Department never attempts to resolve criminal matters through phone calls.
In the second scam, the callers claim they're from the lottery and that they're ready to pay out the winnings. But first, they need cash to pay taxes. In one such case, Wipperman says a North Collins woman was bilked out of 19-thousand dollars. He says the scammers are persistent.
"They don't take an immediate no as an answer," Wipperman said. "They keep going. That's why we say just hang up the phone."
The bottom line, says Wipperman, don't share personal information with a stranger over the phone.