Dec. 10—SCIOTO — Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman stated that his office has received a complaint by a citizen, advising of a scam involving the use of fake checks.
The resident advised that they received what appeared to be a legitimate check. They advised that they then received texts, advising them to deposit the check immediately, then message back when the check was deposited. Thoroughman stated this scam attempt had a good outcome, due to the resident doing their research and finding that this was a scam.
Sheriff Thoroughman would like to remind everyone to never deposit a check and send money back to someone. And, never pay someone who insists you pay with a gift card or by using a money transfer service. Thoroughman suggests that those who might be dealing with a scam stop and talk to someone they trust. He also advises before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
Throughman also shared four signs that residents should look for to determine if it’s a scam;
1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company or even a charity asking for donations.
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