CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Bee County Chief Deputy Ronnie Jones tells KZTV there's been an increase in scams and thieves are after more than just money.
"They just invent new ways to scam people of your identity, reputation and social standing." said Jones.
The Bee County Sheriff’s Office is aware of multiple Facebook scam pages targeting Beeville residents.
Like Beeville, Texas a group created by Red Fish Media Group, claiming to advertise goods, services, and talent.
There’s also, Beeville TX and Surrounded Areas Resale Group. Posting pictures of charity cases.
"What you have is hackers creating these sites,” explained Jones. “Posting something sensational to get people to share the site or join the group. Once you do that, they attempt to hack your account.”
Jones said he's seen more complaints coming from community members.
Kaylee Castleberry lives in Bee County and knows people who have been scammed out of their money using different tactics.
"People are more vulnerable because they are more trusting. Especially because they know everyone in this town, and they assume the crime rate is low,” Castleberry said.
Now, Castleberry looks out for any red flags.
"We’ve seen things that we see look way too good to be true. That's a clear sign that something isn't right and it more than likely a scam,” Castleberry said.
To protect yourself from a Facebook scam site, Chief Deputy Jones advises people in any community to do their research. If you come across a scam, he suggests contacting your local police department.
