FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 12, 2016 Contact: Kraig Troxell, Public Information Officer, 703-771-5278 Kraig.Troxell@loudoun.gov Alex Kowalski, Public Information Officer, 703-777-0625 Aleksandra.Kowalski@loudoun.gov LCSO #CrimePreventionMonth – You Can Protect Yourself! Loudoun County, VA –The month of October is National Crime Prevention month and the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is challenging the entire community to make crime prevention a priority. LCSO strongly believes that citizen involvement in crime prevention can and has played a vital role in helping many communities stay safe. The National Crime Prevention Council designated October as Crime Prevention Month in 1984. The month-long campaign reinforces the fact that awareness and prevention pays off by keeping communities safer. As part of an ongoing effort to inform the community on the latest crime trends, the agency will post tips each Wednesday on social media and through press releases related to four specific categories. This week will focus on personal safety. Most people think they're too smart to fall for a scam. Con artists rob all kinds of people and it’s not always easy to spot con artists who mastermind scams or frauds. They're smart, persuasive, and aggressive when they invade your home by telephone and mail, or come to your door. Just remember... if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. “The suspects prey on a person’s fears by often using the appearance of authority and by threatening arrest,” said Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman. “ Here are 5 tips to protect yourself from becoming a victim of scams: (1) Never give a caller your credit card, phone card, Social Security, or bank account number over the phone. It's illegal for telemarketers to ask for these numbers to verify a prize or gift. (2) Don’t wire money, provide debit or credit card numbers or money card numbers to someone you don’t know. (3) Listen carefully to the name of a charity requesting money. Fraudulent charities often use names that sound like a reputable, well-known organization such as the American Cancer Association (instead of the American Cancer Society). Ask for a financial report before you donate; a reputable charity will always send you one. (4) Government agencies and utility companies will not contact you demanding immediate payment by money cards. (5) Residents are also reminded that law enforcement will never ask for money in lieu of an arrest, and residents are encouraged to contact the Loudoun Sheriff’s non-emergency number at 703-777-1021 to verify a caller claiming to be from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. If you are a resident of Loudoun County and believe you were a victim of a scam, please contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s at 703-777-1021 or file a report online at http://sheriff.loudoun.gov/reportonline. Scams are occurring with great frequency and take various forms. Please visit the website http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/ for further information on the variety of consumer scams that are taking place. As part of National Crime Prevention Month, over the course of the next two weeks the LCSO will focus on Home Security and Child Safety. Take the proper measures to protect yourself from crime watch and use #CrimePreventionMonth to re-tweet and share our posts on social media. ###