Fraud scams have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, as technological advancements have made it easier for crooks to prey on your money.
Indian River County resident Herve Gagnon is one of many residents who have been victimized by tech-savvy criminals.
“When they’re after my money, I was concerned,” he told CBS12 News. “I had to cancel my credit card, pain in the butt, you know?”
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) is also upping its efforts to provide resources to the community to combat those financial crimes.
“In the last few years, the scam system has just absolutely exploded. With the prevalence of AI now, the scams are getting even more sophisticated,” said Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers. “Technology has really enabled these scammers from around the globe to reach out and commit crimes right here in Indian River County.”
The sheriff’s office has created a new online system, where victims can submit fraud or identity theft reports directly to the Economic Crimes Unit online, or even from your phone, with the push of a few buttons.
The sheriff says it allows deputies to build more detailed cases faster than traditional paper reports, and also has another benefit for deputies.
“Our motive was to get those case reports in, to get as much information, allowing the victims to be able to send us stuff online, but also along the way, alleviate those patrol deputies from having to take those reports,” Flowers remarked.
County residents say they’re happy to see law enforcement stepping up their game against sophisticated scammers.
“I think it is a helpful tool, and I think that most of these scams are now being aimed at senior citizens, who aren’t necessarily technologically sophisticated,” said Indian River County resident Sylvester Papalardo. “If they can make it real simple, I think it’s going to help a lot.”
Sheriff Flowers hopes this online tool gains popularity, though traditional in-person reporting is not going anywhere for those who don’t want to deal with technology at all.
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