We are getting calls on our CCSO “Call Before You Pay” fraud hotline about a rental car scam. The caller has the name and the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number. The scammer tells the victim that their identity was used to rent a car in South Texas (usually El Paso ), and that the vehicle was used in a crime and drugs were found in the trunk. The scammer asks the victim for their full Social Security number and further advises the victim that unless they can post an immediate bond of $2,500 that they will be named as defendants in the crime.
If you receive a call like this detectives say you should hang up immediately.
For assistance with any suspicious encounter involving a request for money or personal information, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s “Call Before You Pay” fraud hotline at 239.252. CALL (2255). The hotline is staffed by a CCSO detective in the Financial Crimes Bureau between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
