Scammers targeting Denton area residents, police say

The Denton Police Department warned area residents this week of a new phone scam that detectives have seen multiple reports of recently.

The scammers are calling people and falsely identifying themselves as popular technology repair companies, claiming that the victim’s electronic devices have been compromised. The scammers then prompt the victims to urgently make payments or give access to their bank accounts to pay for repairs.

“We want to remind everyone that often a scammer’s best weapon is urgency,” the department said in a statement. “Scammers almost always make situations seem emergent, and begin to pressure or even berate victims if they are not quick to give up information. No legitimate computer company, bank, police officer, court employee, etc. is going to call you and pressure you into providing your financial or identifying information.”

Another major red flag is if someone asks for gift card payments. When in doubt, hang up and contact your local police department.