Sweetwater Sheriff’s Office warns public about telephone scam
Free government grant ruse to get bank account info
by Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office
October 14, 2011
(ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING – October 13, 2011) The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office today issued an advisory concerning a telephone scam circulating throughout the county.
Sheriff Rich Haskell said callers tell people they are being awarded a grant from the United States government, usually in the amount of $7,000, that need not be paid back. "That’s when the hook appears," said Haskell. "The callers ask for personal and bank account information so that the funds from the fraudulent grant can be ‘deposited.’" Once the scammers have that information, they go after the funds in the account.
Officials said many Sweetwater County residents have received the calls, which started up only recently. Haskell reminded people of the basic principle to avoid becoming a victim: Never provide personal or account information to any unknown source, particularly when that source is one that initiated the contact.
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