LEWIS COUNTY, Mo.- The Lewis County Sheriff’s Department says that a Lewis County resident was recently scammed by telephone. The resident was contacted and informed that her Social Security number had been hacked. Several different scammers spoke to her by telephone. The last scammer, posing as a DEA Agent, informed her she was being investigated for drug trafficking and money laundering, and that she needed to go to her local bank to withdraw funds. The scammer then advised her they needed to "legalize" the cash by going to local Dollar Generals and purchasing Apple Gift Cards. The scammer then had her read the number off the back of the cards. The resident then contacted a family member who alerted officials to the scam.

Always remember these scamming operations are very good at what they do. They are very convincing and will use many different formats to confuse and even scare you. Federal, state and local agencies will never ask for any of your banking information and will never ask you for money.

If you receive this type of call just hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency.