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AVOID THE MONEY SCAMS

 

MONEY SCAMS STILL ACTIVE IN AREA-DON’T BE A VICTIM!

 

            This newsletter is being sent as a brief reminder that citizens of Pike County are continuing to be targeted by those seeking to commit financial crimes and identity theft crimes against them. Within the past weeks the Sheriff’s Office has taken several complaints from people who have received letters and documents in their regular mail and email inboxes from bogus organizations seeking their involvement in the distribution of large fraudulent cash awards or money settlements.

In particular, some of these involve notifications of large cash prizes from random drawings and ask the “winner” to complete verification forms containing their personal information, and asking them to pay processing or distribution fees so they can be paid these cash prizes.

Although we have said so many times before, members of the public are strongly advised to not give any personal identifying information to any unknown or potentially fraudulent source, either by filling out “verification” forms, by phone, Facebook or by email reply. Most of the organizations and the people involved in these scams are from out of state, or even out of the country. Members of the public may have little recourse or opportunity to recover their damages if they participate in these scams or give out their personal information. The potential for monetary loss to the individual is high.

Any citizen who believes he or she is the victim of an identity theft or fraudulent monetary transaction is encouraged to report it to the Sheriff’s Office. We will be happy to assist in any way that we possibly can.

 

Sheriff Russell Thomas