Clarksville Police warning residents of scammers this holiday season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Tis the season for holiday giving and scammers taking advantage of the generosity of others.

Clarksville Police in Indiana are warning residents to be mindful of holiday scams this season.

The department has already seen a 40% increase in holiday scams this year compared to last year, Clarksville Police Chief Mark Palmer said in a news release Wednesday.

Palmer said scammers are making direct calls or text messages instead of using email or social media. Due to new technology, Palmer said scammers are using local area codes to call from, making it harder for people to know if it's a spam call. Scammers are asking for bank information, credit card numbers or asking residents to purchase prepaid Visa gift cards.

“Once you give them access to a credit card, even if you’re only saying I’m going to donate $10, you’re basically giving them a blank check," Palmer said. "Next thing you know, $10 turns into $10,000, and we’re seeing that quite a bit.”

Palmer said scammers are doing their research, often using local and reputable charities like Wounded Veterans or Clarksville's "Shop with a Cop" program as a cover.

“We’ve seen scammers claiming to represent local police and fire departments, charitable organizations, even scammers willing to take advantage of tragic situations such as the Old National Bank shooting in downtown Louisville," he said.

If you are contacted, do your research and call the organization directly before donating. Clarksville residents who are contacted by a suspected scammer are asked to call the Clarksville Police Department's Non-Emergency line at 812-288-7151 to file a report.