Henrico Police urge citizens not to fall for Social Security scams

Henrico Police officials are warning county residents not to fall for a Social Security-related scam that has claimed some local victims recently.

Fraud victims have suffered a financial loss as part of the scam, in which a suspect makes a call claiming their Social Security number has been linked to drug trafficking and money laundering. The suspect requests victims to remove all their money from their bank accounts so the funds will not be tied up in any criminal investigation.

In previous instances, victims have been instructed to use gift cards and cryptocurrency to transfer their money. The suspected representative claims a local law enforcement agency member will contact them to receive the funds for safekeeping or transfer the money.

The victims then receive a call from an 804 area code with a 501-prefix, which may seem legitimate since the county government uses the same prefix.

The suspect's goal is to gain the credibility of Henrico County or the Henrico County Police Division. These calls have been reported to take as long as four hours, according to police, and claim to be from a law enforcement member. Some victims have been threatened with arrest of complex legal procedures if they do not comply.

Henrico Police officials are reminding citizens not to give out personal or financial information by phone. Henrico Police will never ask to transfer money on your behalf, demand any payments from you or require payment by cash, gift card, wire transfer or pre-paid cards.

Police advise citizens to work with their banking institutions to make sure they have increased safety measures on all accounts.

If you area have suffered a financial loss through this scam or another, contact your local law enforcement agency. You may report Social Security scams online at https://oig.ssa.gov.