Living in Prescott
Scams Going Around Prescott Right Now
We hear about scams before almost anyone, because we’re who Prescott calls after the weird pop-up. This page is the running list of what’s circulating locally. Bookmark it, and share it with the neighbor who almost called that 800 number. Last updated August 2026.
The fake virus warning (still #1)
A browsing session suddenly fills with alarms: flashing red, warning sirens, a robotic voice, a number to call “Microsoft support.” It looks like your computer is infected, but what you’re looking at is a webpage doing what webpages do.
The rule: Microsoft, Apple and your bank never put a phone number in a pop-up. Don’t call it. Close the browser (force-close it if needed, or hold the power button as a last resort). If you did call and let someone connect to your computer, unplug it from the internet and call us. That machine needs a real cleaning, and any passwords used recently need changing. Please don’t be embarrassed; you’d be startled how many sharp people this catches. The scripts are professionally written.
The bank text that isn’t
“Did you authorize a $480 charge at Walmart? Reply NO or call…” The number is the scammer’s, and the helpful agent who answers will “secure your account” by walking you out of your money.
Never use a number a text gives you. Call the number on the back of your card. That habit alone defeats the entire category, and a real bank will never be offended that you hung up and called back through the front door.
The Medicare / SSA season
Prescott’s demographics make it a favorite target for “your Medicare card needs updating” and “your Social Security number has been suspended” calls. Both agencies communicate by mail and neither suspends numbers by phone. Hang up mid-sentence; it’s allowed.
The grandkid emergency
The call comes late at night. “Grandma? I’m in trouble, don’t tell Mom.” What follows is an urgent, secret request for money. Modern versions sometimes borrow a real voice from social media clips. Family defense: agree on a code word this week, and treat any urgent secret money request as fake until verified by calling the person back on their known number.
The universal tell
Every scam above shares one skeleton: manufactured urgency + a secret + an untraceable payment. Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto ATMs, cash in an envelope. No legitimate business or agency on earth takes payment in Target cards. The moment those words appear, the conversation is over.
If something already happened
- Payments: call your bank or card issuer now. Speed matters more than anything.
- Passwords: change email and banking first, with MFA on.
- The computer, if anyone connected to it: call us before using it for anything sensitive.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov (reports are how the patterns get chased).
Ultimate members: the DNS filtering on your network blocks most of these pages before they load, and the security team sees what slips through. That’s the entire pitch, honestly. It’s this page, automated.