OC Sheriff’s Office warns about Scams promising Something for Nothing

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam promising something for nothing. The Sheriff’s Office took a report of a scam in which the victim stated that they had seen an online ad in which the victim would be paid a certain amount each month for having a decal of a soft drink on their vehicle. After being contacted, the victim was sent a check that was supposed to be for a car specialist that would help in getting the car detailed. The victim cashed the check at a bank and was advised to send most of the money to an address out of state. The victim tried to email the individual whom made contact originally, but those emails were not returned. The victim was advised to contact the bank to make arrangements to pay them back since the account is showing a negative balance. Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jimmy Watt offers this advice to avoid being scammed. “Scammers can play on a variety of emotions and one of those is the appearance of getting something for nothing. One of the surest signs that we see in regards to scams is someone who receives a check, is asked to deposit or cash that check and then they are asked to send some of the money to someone else, usually out of state. If you do this, it is a pretty sure bet that you will have to pay your bank or financial institution back due to the fact that the check is no good and your account balance will be in the negative.” To read more about recent scams reported in Oconee County, visit www.oconeelaw.com.