Cody Residents Cautioned to “Beware the Mayor” on Instagram
Written by Andrew-Rossi on January 11, 2022
Scammers are using Instagram and the persona of Cody Mayor Matt Hall as their latest way to convince residents to relinquish their personal information.
The City of Cody has dispatched a warning to locals – beware of “the mayor” on Instagram. Or, at least, beware of the scammer posing as the mayor, trying to get your information.
On Monday, Jan. 10, the City of Cody published a warning on the city website and its social media pages. Unfortunately, there’s yet another scam in the area, this one targeting victims thru their social media profiles.
Mayor Hall has a personal Instagram account – mayor_matt_hall – like many Cody residents. However, he is not offering money in exchange for anyone’s information.
Numerous phone scams are circulating thru Cody and Park County – some that have the attention of the F.B.I. – but they always have telltale signs of false pretenses.
The F.B.I. Denver Division is warning Colorado and Wyoming residents about a phone scam primarily targeting successful women with “lucrative careers.” Scammers pose as local law enforcement officials asking them for payment to clear warrants or fines. Some scammers have even asked women to conduct “strip searches” and send photos or videos of the search.
The Park County Sheriff’s Office and the Cody and Powell Police Departments released a poster to “Stop the Scam.” Several questions are listed – things everyone should ask themselves to determine if it’s a caller or a scammer.
Courtesy Park County Sheriff’s Office
All the questions stem from two main concepts – what a caller is doing and what they’re asking (or threatening) you to do.
Did the caller:
- Contact you out of the blue?
- Request money, gift cards, checks, or cash?
- Ask personal questions or ask for personal information?
- Ask for a donation?
- Tell you someone’s life or well-being is at stake.
- And, perhaps most important, did the caller tell you not to tell anyone else?
The next step is questioning their methods – how they try to separate you from your money.
Is the caller:
- Talking very fast and not letting you speak?
- Being vague or secretive?
- Demanding immediate action?
- Threatening you with arrest or consequences?
- Claiming you won a contest, you didn’t – or don’t remember – entering
- Also – does it sound too good to be true? Because chances are it is.
All City of Cody business should be conducted thru official city resources – like City Hall and their websites. Not Instagram.
Furthermore, gift cards and green dot cards are never accepted to pay a city fine or warrant. No legitimate city or county entity will request payment in those forms.
Park County residents should report all scams to any local law enforcement agency. That way, the right people will know the latest scams and be alert to keep others safe.
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