OC Sheriff’s Office warning of Potential Scams
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens of some potential scams and things that citizens can do to make sure they are not taken advantage of. According to an incident report filed at the Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to the Seneca Police Department on July 12th in reference to a fraud complaint. The individual who spoke to deputies stated that her daughter had been inquiring online about a personal loan and had been contacted by Cash Net USA in reference to a loan application being accepted. According to deputies, the subject was informed by Cash Net USA to send them a deposit of $150 and then they would loan her $3,000. The complainant then reportedly purchased a green dot card from Wal-Mart and had called to give them the number to deposit the money. The complainant then received another call from Cash Net USA stating that the transaction had not been completed and was asking for another deposit of $210. Another green dot card from Wal-Mart was purchased and that a call was made to a James Alexander subject to give him the numbers for a deposit. Another call was received from Cash Net USA stating that the cards were not processing and they reportedly asked for more money. That is when a call to law enforcement was made to find out what is going on. Deputies attempted to make contact with James Alexander with Cash Net USA about the account; in which deputies were informed that $150 was needed to be sent within the next 90 minutes or they were going to report the complainant. Once the deputy advised them that they were with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect hung up on the deputy. The complainant was contacted by the deputy and wished to have a report filed with the Sheriff’s Office. Another reported incident occurred on July 13th, in which an Oconee County resident spoke with deputies about a financial scam. The subject reportedly banks with USAA out of San Antonio, TX and received an e-mail stating they had lost some of the subject’s information. The e-mail contained a form to be completed and the subject completed the form with all his personal information and sent it back. The subject called the bank and the bank stated that that they do not send out information over the computer asking for personal information. They then advised the subject that it was a scam. The subject spoke with an individual in the fraud department at USAA, whom advised the subject that there were several requests for a forgotten PIN and account number, which was sent to the individual. During the course of the conversation, it was discovered that $3,000 was transferred out of his account into another account, with another $3,000 possibly being moved from his savings account, with maybe more money being taken from an ATM. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office offers these tips for trying to help keep your information safe online. Check your financial records on a regular basis. Investigate and report fraudulent activity. Lock up your financial records in a safe place at home, as well as your wallet or purse when you are away from home. Limit what you carry when you leave home, taking only those i.d.’s and credit or debit cards you need. Leave your social security card at home in case it is needed. Shred receipts, credit card offers, and any document that contains your personal information. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox and take outgoing mail to the post office. Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the internet unless you have initiated the contact or know whom you are dealing with. If you are contacted by e-mail from a company that claims to have an account with you, do not click on e-mail links or reply to the e-mail. First, contact the company’s customer service department to see if they sent you the communication. When you dispose of a computer or a tablet, get rid of all personal information it stores. Make sure that the “lock” icon appears on your web browser when you conduct online transactions. Keep passwords strong and private. Do not share personal information on social networking sites.