Top 4 scams in Sedgwick County for the week of Sept. 2

A jury duty scam circulating the Wichita area seems to have died down, but a new contempt of court scam appeared last week. In this scam, a person calls and claims that the consumer is being held in contempt of court with a warrant and fines. If you receive a similar call, contact the Sedgwick County Consumer Protection Division, 316-660-3653.

Out of a total 42 reports to the Sedgwick County Consumer Protection Division last week, many were reoccurring scams common in the Wichita area. Here’s a list of the scams reported to the Consumer Protection Division from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2 and the number of people reporting the scams:

7 — IRS scams: A scammer calls and claims the individual owes the IRS money. Advice: IRS typically does not contact consumers by phone.

2 — Microsoft help desk scam: Consumer was contacted by someone claiming to be from Microsoft trying to obtain access to their PC. Advice: Do not give out personal information or access to your computer unless you initiated the call or interaction.

1 — Past debt scam: A scammer calls and poses as a debt collector. Advice: Call the lender or debt collector directly using the number listed on your bill.

1 — Jury duty scam: A man with a southern accent is reportedly using a Wichita phone number to call people and tell them he has a warrant for their arrest for missed jury duty. He then tells them to pay $500 per warrant to avoid arrest. Advice: Phone numbers for county agencies begin with 316-660. The scam number did not begin with a county exchange.

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Top 4 scams in Sedgwick County for the week of Sept. 2."