SCAM ALERT; WCSO ASKS RESIDENTS TO STAY VIGILANT
For Immediate Release
April 28, 2017
Walton County, Fla— In the last 48 hours Walton County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous calls regarding scams. We are asking our residents to be vigilant and help us spread the word to help reduce the number of victims who are defrauded.
The most recent instances include both computer and phone scams. In some cases an out of state phone number is used to call victims and tell them they have arrest warrants. The unknown caller advises the victim they must call back and pay a fine or the warrants will be served the same day.
In a separate case the victim received an alert from “Apple” via computer saying the security was out of date. He said he called a 1-800 number advised by the alert. The victim stated the scammer posed as Apple and wanted the victim to pay $400 in Apple cards to secure his computer. Apple was contacted and advised the victim was tricked and it has been an ongoing scam.
Help us prevent you and your loved one from becoming a victim of a scam.
- Be wary of e-mail and over-the-phone wire transfer requests and any requests involving urgency
- Pick up the phone and verify legitimate business partners
- Be cautious of mimicked e-mail addresses
- Use multiple platforms to double check legitimacy of calls/emails
As always Walton County Sheriff’s Office is here to help. If you have become victim of a fraud please report it by calling (850)-892-8111.