From the desk of Sheriff Bryson Meyers:
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ
As the holiday season approaches, the Garrett County Sheriffโs Office is reminding residents to remain vigilant and take precautions to protect themselves from scams. Residents are encouraged to be aware of the following common scams:
โข ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Criminals posing as law enforcement officers, government officials, or federal agents and threatening arrest or legal action unless money is paid.
โข ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: The FBI will not call demanding money, instruct you to withdraw cash, or send a courier to meet you and collect money. Anyone making these demands while claiming to represent the FBI is attempting to scam you. Do not send money, give out financial information, or agree to meet the individual. Hang up and report the incident to law enforcement.
โข ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Fake text messages or emails claiming there is a problem with a delivery and requesting personal information or payment.
โข ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Fraudulent websites, fake advertisements, and sellers offering deals that seem too good to be true.
โข ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Individuals or organizations pretending to represent legitimate charities to solicit donations.
โข ๐๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Scammers requesting payment through gift cards or selling counterfeit or stolen gift cards.
โข ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Calls or messages claiming a loved one is in trouble and needs money immediately.
โข ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ: Messages containing suspicious links designed to steal passwords, banking information, or other sensitive data.
โข ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Individuals forming online relationships and eventually requesting money, gifts, or financial assistance.
โข ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Fake vacation rentals, lodging offers, or travel deals advertised at unusually low prices.
โข ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ: Fake seasonal job offers designed to obtain personal information, banking details, or upfront fees.
โข ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ญ: Unattended deliveries being stolen from porches or doorsteps. The Sheriffโs Office encourages residents to take a few simple precautions to reduce their risk of becoming a victim. Verify requests for money or personal information directly with the individual or organization involved. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, use trusted websites when shopping online, and research charities before making donations.
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐.
Residents should also monitor their bank and credit card statements, secure delivered packages promptly, and discuss common scams with elderly family members and other potentially vulnerable individuals.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ: ๐๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ, ๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐. ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐, ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a scam should contact their financial institution immediately if money or account information has been compromised and report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agency.