OC Sheriff’s Office issues October Scams Update

In the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office continuing efforts to educate and keep citizens informed to prevent them from becoming victims, the office issues the October 2017 Scams Update release. The Sheriff’s Office received word from a victim in regards to a scam in which the victim put an ad on the internet trying to sell an electronics item. Someone responded and agreed to buy the item and made payment using a pay service. The victim stated the buyer sent an e-mail requesting a picture of the postal receipt where the victim mailed the item for the money to be released. The victim complied and the money was never released, according to the victim. The pay service advised the victim that it was a scam and she was able to stop delivery on the package. “As we mentioned in our September 2017 Scams update release, we at the Sheriff’s Office are not discouraging anyone from buying or selling items on the internet,” says Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jimmy Watt. “We are advising our citizens to use caution when doing so. While it appeared that the victim is not out any property, it may be a good idea to meet at a location, if possible, where the exchange of goods for money can be done face to face and that might be a better option, if possible, even when it comes to the buying and selling of items over the internet. The Sheriff’s Office does offer its parking area in front of the Law Enforcement Center at 300 South Church Street in Walhalla as a place where the exchange of goods and services can take place in a safe environment.” Deputies also spoke with a victim recently who received a phone call from someone who offered to fix the victim’s computer and also provide permanent computer protection for a fee. The victim agreed to the terms and allowed the caller to access the victim’s bank account for the agreed upon fee. Afterwards, the victim received another call from the same person and asked for additional money, upon which the victim hung up the phone. The victim said the caller had remote access to the victim’s computer for a time. The victim did close the banking account and was advised to take the computer in question to a computer repair shop for maintenance and to make sure that no spyware was downloaded. “We have always advised our citizens not to allow anyone who calls you to have remote access to your computer and especially to your financial accounts online unless you initiate the call to a tech company yourself,” according to Watt. “An individual can hold your computer or the information on your computer for ransom once you allow them remote access and can also download spyware or malware onto your computer as well. Once your financial accounts have been compromised, money or charges can be made to your account without you realizing what is happening and then it is too late. Do not allow anyone access to your financial accounts or remote access to your computer unless you have fully authorized it.” The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office also wanted to make our citizens aware of an incident that occurred near Seneca in which a deputy from the Uniform Patrol Division spoke with a complainant by phone regarding an individual who came to a family member’s home and resealed the family member’s driveway. The citizen said the individual showed up without being requested to do any services at the residence and without contacting anyone inside the residence, according to the complainant. The man who did the work charged the citizen $7,000 and a check was written to cover the costs of the work. According to the complainant, the homeowner was never quoted a price for the work and had not asked for the work to be done and had already begun working before the homeowner made contact with them. The complainant has power of attorney for the homeowner and did not authorize any payments or work to be performed at the residence of the family member. The investigator working the case from the Criminal Investigations Division learned that the check for $7,000 was returned to the victim and an amount of $2,000 was agreed upon as payment for the work. “The individual who did this work at the residence also did work back in 2014 for the homeowner as our deputy discovered during the investigation,” says Watt. “We do hear on occasion individual(s) showing up a residences and doing work for individuals without those homeowners getting estimates and checking to see if the company doing the work is licensed and bonded to do the work they want to perform. Before allowing someone to do the work, make sure to get an estimate and do a little homework beforehand if you can. If work is performed and money is exchanged and then that work turns out to be substandard, it no longer becomes a criminal issue and then the homeowner would be required to handle the matter in civil court if they chose to.” The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office also received word of a scam that our office has reported on before. A victim told a deputy about a woman online who told the victim that she was working out of town in Nigeria and did not have any money after losing her bank card. She told the victim that she wanted to put money into the victim’s bank account to get a plane ticket to come and meet him. The victim gave the woman the banking account information, upon which money was placed into the account, upon which the victim gave the woman money through Western Union. Later, the woman reportedly put more money into the victim’s bank account. The victim later checked his bank account and discovered that was money was being transferred to various accounts and that the account is in the arrears for almost $2,300. The account has been closed. “This sounds very similar, if not the same, as the sweetheart scams we have discusses before, continues Watt. “A scammer makes contact with someone online and a relationship develops and trust is gained and someone steals someone’s heart, especially in the case of someone looking for love or a romantic interest. Then the scammer uses that trust to bilk someone out of money. We recommend that our citizens not send money or account information to someone that you meet online.”