Some recent reports of scam victims have prompted Redding Police to remind everyone that law enforcement agencies do not -ever, under any circumstances- call anybody to say they need to pay bail money immediately over the phone. Recently calls have been received locally from con artists saying they’re a distant relative or attorney, telling the victim that a relative is in jail needing bail money. Scam calls sound very official and convincing, often including personal information about members of the household. That information is easily gleaned from publicly-accessible social media pages. The victim is ordered to transfer money via Western Union or Green Dot or some other untraceable service. Thousands of Americans have fallen for such scams, and have been cheated out of a lot of money. These scams often target the elderly. People should be wary when they see someone trying to purchase pre-paid cards with high dollar values. They should be warned that they’re being ripped off. Information on what to do if a scam is suspected can be found at fraud.org.