Authorities Warn Of Scam Calls

Authorities are warning the public of a scam.

According to Black Hawk County sheriff's officials, several area residents have reported receiving telephone calls from "Major Walker". The man tells the person who answers the phone that there is an an arrest warrant out for him or her and that he can take care of it for a fee.

The telephone number given by the caller goes to voice mail, but identifies the agency as "Black Hawk County Sheriff".

Anyone who receives a call similar to the one described, should ignore it. No one at the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office would ask for a fee in lieu of any arrest, authorities said.

The scam is call is the second one reported by local authorities in recent weeks.

On May 22, Waterloo police warned the public of rental scams using Craigslist and Rent.com. According to police, scammers are posting real rental properties listed on other websites and adjusting the contact information to the scammer's or creating fake rental properties. The scammer then will ask for a deposit to secure the rental by either Cash App or Western Union.

Police said the public should be aware that Cash App and Western Union are commonly used by scammers. They warned anyone who utilizes the two services should do so with extreme caution.

Waterloo police offered some tips to avoid being scammed:

• Research the rental property on the Black Hawk County Real Estate Site online.
• Drive by the site.
• Ask the Landlord for a tour of the property. Be cautious, if a tour can't be obtained.
• Property owners are asked to watermark posted photos to make it more difficult for scammers to copy the postings.
• When making a transaction with an unfamiliar person or business, if they are pushy it is simply best to walk away.
• Rental scam victims should contact their local law enforcement agency.