Don’t Fall For Offers That Sound WAY Too Good To Be True

My detectives at the Vol- usia Sheriff’s Office recently received a heart-breaking report of an older resident who was scammed out of more than $16,000—all because scammers promised him $100,000.

This gentleman told us he had been scammed over several months by several people who pretended to work for the U.S. government.
Here’s what happened: First he was told to send $6,000 by mail and a truck would deliver the money to his house. Then he was told the truck was “stopped by the FBI” and wouldn’t be released unless our victim sent another $7,000.

Next, he was contacted by another caller who claimed to be an FBI agent, who instructed the victim to send another $3,000 to someone in California.
Unfortunately, this man sent cash by mail as well as purchasing Apple pay cards, as instructed. When the calls continued to come, suggesting he send thousands more to receive thousands of dollars more, he’d had enough.

When he refused to send any more money, he was threatened with being arrested by the FBI. He contacted us. Our detectives are actively investigating this fraud case.

My purpose in telling readers this story is to remind you that these cases continue to happen in Volusia County and elsewhere. People of all ages in our community report being victims of fraud nearly every week. Criminals think up new ways to rob trusting individuals using all kind of scams like this one.
You can help us thwart scammers by knowing what to look for and how to avoid becoming a crime victim.
Family Members: Please watch out for your parents or grandparents to help them avoid falling victim to these crimes. It’s your responsibility too.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s website myfloridalegal.com offers helpful information about common scams. One program is Scams At A Glance and includes downloadable brochures in English and Spanish to teach consumers how to avoid becoming a fraud victim. The other program is Consumer Alert. To view recent Consumer Alerts, visit MyFloridaLegal.com/ConsumerAlert

Avoid Becoming A Victim: Here are general signs of common scams:

• Unsolicited phone calls or emails;
• High-pressure tactics or offers that seem too good to be true;
• Threats of loss (or “arrest”) if you don’t take immediate action. I can’t stress it enough: Legitimate law en-forcement agencies such as ours, the IRS, and the FBI, among others, do not threaten people with arrest over the phone. That’s not how we operate. Don’t fall for it.
• Requests for immediate payment by wire transfer, credit, prepaid debit, or especially gift cards.
• Remember: Never provide your personal financial information over the phone or online unless you trust the person who’s asking.

If you have any doubt or think you may have become a victim of fraud, call us right away: Call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number, 386.248.1777 or 911 in an emergency. We’ll be glad to help.

Stay well and enjoy,
Sheriff Mike Chitwood