Calhoun police warn of scams
Following numerous reports of internet, phone and lottery scams, Calhoun Police Chief Tony Pyle shares what locals need to be aware of to avoid being scammed.
Calhoun police have received numerous reports of scams as of late, prompting Chief Tony Pyle to warn locals of what to watch out for to avoid getting scammed.
“There are so many variances of these scams, it is imperative that everyone remain diligent in their efforts to protect their personal and financial information.” Pyle said in a news release.
Pyle said the complaints have concerned internet, phone and lottery scams, all varying to some degree. However, most of the scams concern money orders, checks or prepaid cards being requested by the perpetrators and sent to them by victims. But, a recent case which Pyle noted involved a face-to-face meeting resulting in the victim being scammed out of approximately $8,000.
In the latest versions of these scams, the con artist states they have purchased a winning lottery ticket and due to their citizenship status are unable to cash in the ticket, a news release stated. The victims are offered half of the winnings if they help the con artist cash the ticket in.
But before cashing the ticket, the con artist tells the victim to send them money in advance as a show of “good faith.”
“In this scam the victim never receives any money from the deal and will be relieved of their own money as a result of the scam,” the release stated.
Anyone with questions or concerns about online phone or person-to-person scams are urged to contact their local jurisdiction law enforcement agency. The Calhoun Police Department can be reached at 706-629-1234. The Gordon County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 706-629-1245.