The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 24 urged Carpinteria residents to be alert for a variety of scams that typically spike during the holidays and tax season. Deputy Bridal Pereira described schemes that pressure victims to act immediately and use unusual payment methods, such as gift cards or Western Union transfers.

Pereira told the City Council and community members that grandparent scams often involve a caller claiming to be a relative in distress and urging immediate payment. She described government-impersonation calls that threaten arrest or loss of benefits to extract PINs or Social Security numbers and said scammers frequently spoof familiar numbers to make texts or calls appear legitimate.

"Don't click on any links that you don't know," Pereira said, adding that requests for personal information, unusual payment methods and high-pressure tactics are common red flags. She recommended that anyone who believes they have been targeted first verify the caller and then report the incident to law enforcement. "The FBI has their... the website is ic3.gov," she said, as a portal for reporting internet-enabled fraud.

Pereira gave local examples, including 16 check-washing cases reported between Carpinteria and Montecito and incidents in which victims wired tens of thousands of dollars after responding to fraudulent messages. She said some scammers operate from outside the U.S., complicating arrests and prosecutions, and encouraged residents to contact the Sheriff's Office for help identifying suspicious calls.

Council members and residents followed the presentation with questions about arrest rates and available hotlines; Pereira acknowledged investigative challenges but praised community members who seek verification before sending money. The Sheriff's Office urged people to collect payment and communication details when reporting to help investigators and to reach out to the department when uncertain.