An investigator with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) spent some time last week with a group of seniors at Central Baptist Church, the Central Lights, discussing scams, especially those that target seniors – the grandparent scam, the Medicare scam, the home repair scam, etc.
Sgt. Jeremy Grindle, who has spent more than two decades as a criminal investigator, offered advice on how to avoid being victimized by scammers. As he pointed out, scammers devise new ways to steal money almost daily, so it’s nearly impossible to list every type of scam that’s out there, but, he said, there are ways to avoid losing your money.
𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬:
𝐁𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥: It’s okay to be suspicious of anyone (especially someone you don’t know) who is asking for access to your money or personal information. Just say no!
𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞: If you do answer a call and something seems “off,” disconnect the call. Do not call back!
𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥: Scams come though email, too. Don’t click on any unknown links.