By Staff
Nathan Strickland
Phony bills and claims of being a cash collection agency over the phone are some of the new inventive scams culprits are trying to ignite for a successful steal of a person’s identity.
City officials have been alerted for scams in the area and ask the public to be aware of any suspicious billing claiming overdue fees.
Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said scammers who usually use the Internet are now moving on to other methods of stealing people’s personal information.
Rushing said the scams are precise and are easy to get caught up in.
Rushing said some of the latest scams involve a fake cell phone bill with the prominent company AT&T on the letterhead claiming past due fees and another scam with the fake company name T&A supply company has sent out a letter to folks claiming their name was drawn from a contest and they have won $50,000, but they must pay the taxes on the winnings in the amount of $2,950.
Artificial check cashing businesses and people claiming to be part of a cash collection agency making calls to people and asking them for their credit card numbers are also being used as new ways of scamming.
Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said he has received two calls in particular involving scams. The first call targeted an elderly woman whose husband had just passed away. The scammer acted as a close relative to the deceased and needed money to get out of jail in another county.
The other scam came after a person called a local resident over the phone, telling them they had won money from a sweepstakes. The scammer in this situation told the resident they will swing by and pick up a fee, then return later with their winnings.
Both Rushing and Hargett have heard of scammers trying to prosper off of the 2010 Census by putting fake forms in mailboxes that ask for personal information.
Hargett hopes people will be on the look out and notify authorities if they notice anything suspicious.