Texas County Sheriffs Office Warns Of New Scams

Scam artists are at it again and local authorities are warning residents to never give any personal information on the phone or through e-mail.

The first of two scam involves an e-mail telling the recipient that he or she has made a purchase and a payment request has been forwarded. It also says that if the purchase was made to ignore the message, otherwise to decline the transaction to go to a website to download a form. Once at the website, it asks for personal information including credit card and banking information.

The e-mail will appear to have originated from a local bank, Shefiff Rick Caddell said. He explained that residents should never send any information through e-mail, but instead to place a phone call to their bank for verification.

The second scam involves residents receiving a phone call advising that one of their family members is in jail in Canada and needs help to post bond. The caller will have the name of a family member and will try to convince that help is needed. They ask to have $2000 sent by a Moneygram or by wiring it to them at an address that is usually out of the country and not in Canada. Caddell said that the phone number the caller gives will be non-working from Canada.

If money is sent, officials warned that the caller will call again and ask for more money to cover additional costs not first known about.

“Do not send any money, but instead contact your family to verify,” said Caddell. “Then contact your local Police Department of Sheriff’s Department and they will assist you if indeed your family is in jail.”