Hancock Police warn of scam

An area business and one its employees were the victim of a scam recently. Hancock Police say that the call appeared to the victims to come from its department and alleged there was a necessary audit being conducted.

The caller had the employee purchase gift cards while remaining on the phone with the scammer. The caller was then able to immediately withdraw the funds. The Hancock Police Department says spoofing of phone numbers is becoming more common. Combining that with research that is done prior to calling target businesses, recent fraud attempts are more sophisticated than in the past.

The department warns that any caller asking you to wire funds or purchase gift cards should be viewed as suspicious, and you should never reveal personal information.