Wakulla County Sheriff’s deputies are warning residents to be on the alert for a new kind of phone scam. Older residents are common fraud targets, with scammers regularly asking for bank information, help in setting up a loan or money for doing odd jobs that never get done.
“One that’s been pretty popular over the years is someone will call an elderly citizen and say ‘your grandson or granddaughter is in jail in another jurisdiction and they need some bond money wired, and it’s all a scam and folks will never see their money back,” said Keith Blackmar, Sheriff's office spokesman.
But, in the last few days, Blackmar says, his office has received word of a type of scam deputies have never seen before.
“We want people to be aware that someone may be representing someone at the Wakulla County Courthouse and say look ‘I can help you with various fines at the courthouse,’ and you end up giving out information and end up becoming a victim that way. So, never give out any bank information to anyone over the telephone,” added Blackmar.
Blackmar says so far, those who called to complain hadn’t given out any personal information. Anyone who feels they are the victim of such a crime can contact the Sheriff’s Office.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on twitter @SaschaCordner.
