Scammers continue to target Mt. Pleasant and Henry County residents

MT. PLEASANT — Authorities in Mt. Pleasant and Henry County are warning residents of an increase in scams targeting the area, specifically text and phone call scams. Local officials and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office urge the public to stay vigilant and take proactive steps to protect themselves.

On Jan. 14, Henry County Sheriff’s Office warned residents about a potential phone scam reported by the Clerk of Courts. This scam involved several citizens receiving calls from who they believed to be the Henry County Sheriff’s Office stating that they had missed jury duty.

“The caller told the citizen that they were in trouble for missing jury duty and must deposit a fine, via telephone, to avoid being arrested,” a press release from HCSO stated. “This is not the case, and the Henry County Sheriff's Office does not solicit fines via telephone for missing jury duty. If you receive this type of call, please consider it to be a scam and do NOT send money. Report the call to your local law enforcement.”

A similarly official appearing scam went out to Mt. Pleasant Municipal Utilities customers only a few days later. According to a post to the Municipal Utilities Facebook page, customers received calls from someone pretending to be from MPMU claiming that the caller would turn off the customer’s power immediately unless they made immediate payment, “often demanding payment through prepaid cards or wire transfers and creating a sense of urgency to prevent [the caller] from verifying the call’s legitimacy.”

MPMU stated that trying to trick people into paying fake overdue bills to avoid service disruption is a common scam tactic.

“Please be aware Mt. Pleasant Utilities will not take payments over the phone for security purposes and do not give out any personal information to these scammers,” MPMU stated. “If you have any questions please contact our office at 319-385-2121.”

Henry County Sheriff’s Office went to social media yet again Wednesday, Jan. 22 to warn residents against scams as they showed an image of a text message scam that came into the office’s tip line. This particular scam asked the recipient to follow a link and log into their Amazon account due to suspicious activity.

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"If you receive a scam call, text, email, etc. (but were not successfully scammed), you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov," the office posted. "Do NOT open any links. Ignore it and report it for investigation."

During a recent visit to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird touched on the topic of scams like these and offered resources to The Fellowship Cup Director Ken Brown to share with the public.

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Bird’s office oversees the Iowa Fraud Fighters program which offers education to the public concerning scams through speaking engagements and easily accessible materials.

Additionally, Bird emphasized that her office seeks to support victims of scams and those worried about being scammed.

“When you hear about grandparent scams, our office can help with that and other types of scams," Bird said. "We have investigators who can assist, and sometimes we are able to recover money or prevent someone from sending their money in the first place."

Bird highlighted the emotional toll of scams, sharing that victims often lose significant sums of money.

"People come up to me and tell me about what happened to them or their family members.,” she said. “It's really sad. Once someone is scammed, they often get targeted again."

Bird urged residents to reach out to law enforcement when in doubt.

"Our local law enforcement really knows what's going on. They can tell you if something is a scam," she said.

In one instance, Bird’s office was able to prevent an individual from losing $16,000 to a scam involving a fraudulent Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes.

"We were able to stop the money order at the post office and return it to the victim," Bird explained.

Common Scams and How to Stay Safe

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office warns against several prevalent scams, including, but not limited to some of the following:

Grandparent Scams: Scammers impersonate grandchildren needing emergency financial assistance. This is not a new scam. The Attorney General’s Office has warned Iowans about this scam since at least 2008.

Corporate Transparency Act Scams: Fraudulent websites request payments for fake registrations.

Online Shopping Scams: Fake websites and sellers trick buyers into sending money for non-existent products.

Enrollment Scams: When it is time to renew or enroll in Medicare, Medicaid or other government health plans, scammers might call, email, or even visit the homes of potential victims to try to enroll them in false or inappropriate coverage and collect persona financial information.

False Billing Scams: Like the scam recently seen by Mt. Pleasant Municipal Utilities, scammers will sometimes contact individuals about late bills. Other forms of this scam include charging services, procedures or products consumers did not receive to Medicare.

Fake IRS Calls: Much like the calls some received from scammers posing as Henry County Sheriff’s Office, some will pose as the IRS and threaten to file suit against the victim for owed taxes or threaten to send the police to the residence if they do not pay.

Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams: Like the scam Bird said her office helped someone avoid with a fake Publisher’s Clearing House, these scams prey on people hoping to win. Some will ask for an entry fee to a sweepstakes or contest. Others seek advance payment of taxes or fees before they promise to send a prize that then never arrives or a check that bounces.

According to Iowa Fraud Fighters, the Attorney Generals’ mantra is: Stop, Think and Call. Don’t make quick decisions based on emotions. Ask for the offer in writing and sleep on it. Think it over and talk it over with someone you trust.

To avoid falling victim, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office recommends the following precautions:

Be skeptical of unsolicited contact. Do not click on links in unexpected emails or texts.

Never wire money to strangers. Transactions via wire transfer or prepaid cards are often irreversible.

Verify through official channels. Contact companies directly via their official websites or phone numbers.

Monitor financial accounts regularly. Look for unauthorized transactions and act quickly if something seems suspicious.

Report scams immediately. Victims should contact local law enforcement and report fraud to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office or the Federal Trade Commission.

Next Steps for Victims

Victims of scams should report incidents to:

Community members are encouraged to share scam awareness tips with their friends and family, particularly older adults who are often targeted.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com