Fannin seeing increase during holiday season
By Glenn Harbison
glenn@thenewsobserver.com
There is only one sure way to prevent being the victim of a scam – hang up the phone.
That is the message Fannin County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Gary Edwards wants everyone to hear, and with good reason.
Edwards said last week that the holiday season traditionally sees an increase in scams, and this year is no exception. And more and more Fannin County citizens are being targeted.
Edwards said elderly residents have recently been bilked out of well over $100,000. Scammers think nothing of taking someone’s life savings or retirement.
The elderly are vulnerable because they tend to be more trusting. Sometimes they will answer the phone and talk just to have someone to talk with, while in other cases they are scared into not listening. Scammers prey on every possible angle.
Edwards said there are several angles commonly used and knowing what to look for can help citizens avoid being scammed. For instance;
•Neither the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nor Social Security Administration will ever call asking for money. These organizations do all their business by mail or in person.
•The sheriff’s office will never call asking for money; not for Google gift cards to pay fines or for money to put on inmates’ accounts.
•You should never give your personal information to anyone over the phone.
One recent scam involves telling potential victims their blood and Social Security card have been found in a car and money is needed to get them out of trouble.
Scammers are looking to turn any money they can get from their victims into Bitcoins or Crypto currency, currency based in other currency than the United States. This makes the process of tracking down these thieves even more difficult.
Edwards said that once a scammer has taken your money, “it’s very unlikely” you’ll ever see it again.
In the recent cases where he has been able to get a phone number for the scammers, Edwards said those numbers have come back to burn phones in different countries.
“The best solution is to hang up your telephone,” Edwards said.
But he also urges people with elderly parents, relatives or friends to keep a check on them. They are the most vulnerable and often they won’t ask for help when they need it because they feel embarassed. Being there to help them, or just listen to them, can make all the difference in the world to their financial well-being, Edwards said.