Full Notification

Today the police department received information about a Facebook scam that has been circulating throughout the community. Residents have reported receiving Facebook instant message requests from a subject with the last name of Leonard. Leonard initiates conversation about a federal government empowerment program. Before long, Leonard is offering to send you a large sum of money in exchange for a promise to return a small portion back to Leonard to cover processing fees. Leonard then requests personal information from you to include banking or credit information.

This is a common Internet scam. The Marshalltown Police Department reminds residents to never give out personal information to anyone over the Internet, email, telephone etc. unless you have initiated these transactions and you are 100% sure you know who you are communicating with. Legitimate businesses or government representatives would never contact you unsolicited and initiate these types of conversations or make requests for personal information in this manner. If it sounds too good to be true, it is always too good to be true.

Social media sites are a great way to recreate and communicate with friends and family. Social media sites are also a common hunting ground for scammers, con-artists and thieves. You must remain cautious and skeptical anytime you receive unsolicited information or requests for personal information, even if these requests come from family members or friends. It is not unusual for identity thieves and hackers to hijack email or social media accounts and impersonate someone you know. Be careful about the computer links and videos you open. Viral videos, free giveaway offers, or offers to see who has been viewing your social media profile can sometimes be attractive and tempting. That is why these types of emails and offers are commonly used by Internet criminals to transmit viruses or steal your identity.

Again, use caution whenever you receive unsolicited offers or requests for information. Protect yourself, your Internet user profiles, passwords and your private information at all times. If you believe you have had your identity stolen, or you have lost financial resources due to a fraud or scam, contact the police and report these crimes. When you receive unwanted messages on your social media sites, report these scammers to the respective site and block the scammer from contacting you again. Do not communicate with people you do not know. Do not accept friend requests from people you do not know. Identity theft and Internet fraud are the fastest growing crimes in the world. They can often be impossible to investigate. The best defense is to use caution and common sense to avoid falling into these traps.