Williams County Sheriff Steve Towns would like to ask the citizens of Williams County to be aware and very skeptical of telephone solicitations, email communications, and contractors attempting to collect money for work you did not authorize. Citizens also need to protect their privacy by not offering any information on the telephone or the internet that they did not initiate.
Scammers have been working in high gear around Williams County. Using ploys ranging from claiming to have performed work for elderly citizens that were never authorized to telephone calls indentifying themselves as being with “government” agencies offering refunds and uncollected money for a processing fee; scammers have managed to obtain bank records, credit card information, and payments from unsuspecting residents of our county. In return the citizen/victim receives nothing but trouble and, in some cases a substantial loss of money.
Another scam that has surfaced involves a person calling and claiming to be a family member needing money wired to a distant location as they are stranded at that location. AARP suggests that you have a “Family Password” which would be a word or phrase that only your family members know. Using a password can help you know that the caller is family while filtering out a scammer.
Sheriff Towns asks that everyone be very careful when offering bank and credit card information over the telephone or computer. Know who you are doing business with. If an offer appears too good to be true it probably is just that. If you receive an offer, solicitation, or bill for a service that you did not authorize do not give out any information about yourself. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors about the situation. As well you may contact the Williams Country Sheriff’s Office for assistance at (419) 636-3151.