Scammers prey on Emotions and seek Payment via Gift Cards

Scammers like to prey on people’s emotions.  They will make you think that you have won a prize even though you didn’t register for a contest.  Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols says if something sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam.  “Really if it seems too good to be true it’s probably a scam and somebody is trying to take advantage of you.  Everyday somebody seems to call you about a car warranty, refinancing your mortgage, or selling you some type of software, so just be leery if it is too good to be true it is probably a scam but also if you have any reservations call the Sheriff’s Office or the Police Department if you are in the city, and just say this called, is this a scam, and more than likely it probably will be.  If you do receive a call or get an email or something, the main thing is don’t give them any of your personal information.”  Another red flag of scams is when they ask for you to pay for something with a gift card, says Clayton Police Chief Andy Strait.  “The big thing that I always tell everybody when I’m talking about scams, the big red flag is they ask for gift cards.  They always ask for gift cards as payment.  That is the big sign that this is a scam.  Just hang up on them.  Nine times out of ten, we can’t track where they are coming from because they use these scrambling systems on their phones and computers.”  Never give any personal or account information to an unknown person who calls you on the phone.  Another good tip is to screen your calls with caller ID and only answer calls from people you know.