Oklahoma Sheriff Issues Warning About Internet Scams

The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is warning people to not fall victim to Internet scams. There are several red flags you should watch out for as you go through your email's inbox each day. For instance, when an email ask you for personal or financial information or request that you follow a link to confirm account details, it's more than likely a scam.

Cleveland County Sheriff Joe Lester said you shouldn't reply to those types of emails. In fact, Lester said these are just a couple of tactics that thieves use to "phish" for information over the Internet. Once thieves, have a name, social security number, bank account or credit card number, they can steal an identity and create quite a mess for the victim.

"We've had several of these scams pop up in Cleveland County within the past two weeks," Lester said. "I urge anyone who believes they may be a victim of identity theft to call police. The sooner you report it, the better chance we have of catching the thieves."

Lester adds that a credible business won't ever send its customers an email asking for personal or financial information. Anyone who feels they have become a victim of similar scam should call police immediately and report the crime.