The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office is warning people against falling victim to scams requiring payment of a bill online, by gift card or Green Dot Card.

Recent scams come from overseas callers or emailers and appear to be from a legitimate source, company or government agency, but the Rowan Sheriff’s Office says government agencies will never require remote or electronic payment to avoid arrest. Legitimate businesses don’t require or request gift card payments or other non-traditional methods.

People should ask for a mailed bill if a phone call suggests one needs to be paid. The company or agency should already have the correct mailing address if the bill is legitimate, the Sheriff’s Office said.

People should never provide any personal information over the phone or through an email link. Also, change passwords to online accounts often.

“These scams prey on the victim’s good nature and fear,” the Sheriff’s Office said in an emailed news release. “Often these ‘scam callers’ will be far less customer service related and will be rude if questioned about the validity of their inquiries. They will use threats to convince victims. They often know basic information about the area and may use this limited information to convince potential victims.”

“Most of the scam callers are from a foreign country and will have difficulty with conversational English.”

Prosecution of scam callers is difficult because they are located in other jurisdictions or overseas. When a person has doubts about a potential scam, he or she should contact local law enforcement or the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office before providing any information.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at 704-216-8700.