submitted to the Manning Times
Citizens of Clarendon County,Sheriff Baxley and The Clarendon County Sheriff's office would like to inform you of scams, scammers, and a few of their tactics. These con artists use threatening letters, e-mails, and other types of psychological games to target the elderly and vulnerable individuals.The Sheriff's Office offers this post to educate the elderly, their caretakers, and other family members. Please know some of the victims being scammed will keep the scam a secret from their family due to embarrassment. Please listen out and pay attention to these few helpful hints.There have been an increasing number of phone call scams that pertain to:1. Winning any Prize and a new car with The Publisher's Clearing House(a) The callers request personal information and promise large amounts of cash.(b) The callers attempt to convince you there is a processing fee or delivery fee for the automobile.(c) It's all a ploy to get your account number or your cash.2. The Social Security Administration(a) They will ask personal questions and demand your social security number.(b) They will tell you that they will have federal marshals to speak with you. Never trust a phone call, it could be anyone. Social security does not call and normally corresponds by mail.3. Winnings or Checks you have not earned(a) The caller(s) will advise you of your winnings or money that is owed to you and they tell you they will send you a check to cover a processing fee to get your money. (b) They will send you an overnight check for a larger amount than they told you.(c) They will then request that you use your account information to cash the entire check, send them their processing fee, and keep the rest as part of your money.(d) A few days later the check will bounce and you will owe the entire amount of the check to your bank. 3. IRS Phone Calls(a) The IRS will not call you by phone to advise that you are being investigated or audited. All of their correspondence is done by mail and in most cases; certified mail. Do not talk with anyone that calls about your taxes or social security number. Advise them, to send certified mail if they need you. DO NOT give them your address, if they are real, they will already know your information. Any correspondence where someone asks you to send money via Western Union or by placing money on gift cards and sending the cards is more than likely a scam. Individuals do this because these types of money transactions are hard to track and they can access Western Union from numerous locations. Do not be misled by stamped or official looking documents. Do your research. If you did not earn it, don't claim it. You cannot win something you did not enter in the first place. If you have won a prize, or money is legitimately owed to you, the company or its representative will come to you. Stay Alert and Attentive. These scammers have stepped up their games. Please educate everyone in your family, including the elderly.DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM
