Leland Police Department warns community members of popular scams

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — The Leland Police Department is warning the community of a couple of popular scams to help avoid falling victim to them.

One of the recent scams is regarding Bitcoin, where a caller identifies themselves as a representative of a bank, business, or some other financial entity. They make the victim think they are legitimate and inform them of fraudulent activity and instructs them to make withdrawals and send the money to a Bitcoin wallet.

The police department reminds residents that no bank or business will contact you about your account and ask you to send money. If you receive a call like this one, hang up.

There have also been similar scams where people are asked to send money through Apple Pay, CashApp, Venmo, gift cards, and Zelle.

Duke Energy has also reported numerous scams that they are encountering.

So far in 2025, Duke Energy received 2,338 scam reports in North Carolina.

Scammers often demand immediate payment, threaten service cut-off, or request payment via cryptocurrency.

The energy company reminds people that utility companies will never do this.

Some good practice avoiding falling victim is if it seems suspicious, slow down to protect yourself and report the scam. Also, always verify the official phone number from your website.