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Photo by Lindsey Lamont
Phone scams have been on the rise for several years, and the scammers themselves have evolved and created more convincing situations that trick Americans into doling out their hard earned money.
Hart County is not immune to this ongoing issue. The Hart County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) receives, at least, one phone call each day from a Hart County resident either reporting a scam, or reporting that they themselves have been scammed.
“We’ve got a huge issue with scams going on,” Captain Chris Carroll of the HCSO said. “The biggest one we’ve had this past week, and it seems that they have hit a lot of people, [...] they have started calling people about jury duty saying ‘you missed jury duty’, and basically [telling them] you have to pay a $1,000 fine or the sheriff is going to come arrest you.
“People are, unfortunately, sending them this money.”
Like most, if not all government institutions, the HCSO does not do business over the phone. They will either contact you by mail, or a deputy will show up at your front door.
In addition to the recent scam about missing jury duty, there have also been reports made by Hart County residents claiming that they have received phone calls from the sheriff’s office regarding warrants for their arrest.
Scammers have gotten to the point where they have the ability to “spoof” recognizable phone numbers, meaning they can take the number to the sheriff’s office (706) 376-3114, call anyone they choose and they can pose as a representative of the HCSO. They do this because people are more likely to answer a phone call from a number they recognize; a number they can trust.
“The sheriff’s office doesn’t call people,” Carroll said. “We don’t call somebody and tell them ‘we’ve got a warrant for you, we can take care of this over the phone’.”
The HCSO recommends that if you ever receive a phone call from them, or any other government or financial institution, you should hang up and then place a call directly to that instituion to see if they are trying to contact you.
“The main thing that we want to get out there is if somebody calls you, do not give them any information,” Carroll said. “And do not go and buy gift cards and call somebody back [to give them the card information].
“It is a scam.”
The age-old defense against phone scammers is simple. If you do not know the number don’t answer the phone when it rings.
“Let them leave a message,” Carroll said. “The majority of the time these scammers are not going to leave a message, they are going to call you back, but if it’s someone you know calling to talk to you, they are going to leave a message for you to call them back.”
If you have any questions about the ongoing scams, or if you would like to file a report regarding a scam, please contact the Hart County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 376-3114.