Bladen County officials warn residents of telephone scams

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Officials with the Bladen County Sheriff's Office are warning many residents about a recent telephone scam that has been targeting residents.

According to sheriff's office, the scammers call both the victim's cell phone and home phone telling them they won a prize and wanting them to send money to receive the prize.

"Any time you get asked to give money to receive a prize you should be leery," Sheriff McVicker said. "We all have to be very protective of our personal information such as date of birth, social security number, bank account, or debit card number and pin numbers. We want everyone to be safe and use good judgment when giving out personal information over the phone and remember if something sounds too good to be true it probably is."

Here are warning signs of telemarketing fraud:

• You must act ‘now’ or the offer won’t be good.”
• “You’ve won a ‘free’ gift, vacation, or prize.” But you have to pay for “postage and handling” or other charges.
• “You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier.” You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
• “You don’t need to check out the company with anyone.” The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
• “You don’t need any written information about their company or their references.”
• “You can’t afford to miss this ‘high-profit, no-risk’ offer.”

In order to avoid any type of telemarketing fraud make sure to remember some of these helpful tips:

• Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply.
• Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. “What guarantee do I really have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?”
• Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.
• Don’t pay for a “free prize.” If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.
• Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
• If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.

"There is nothing wrong with being cautious," McVicker said. "You can always contact the Bladen County Sheriff's Office at 910-862-6960 if you have any questions about a telephone solicitation."

For more information on identity theft and telephone scams visit www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud 

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