The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Friday, August 10, 2012
By K.A. WAGONER - Staff Writer
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is warning residents not to wire money to anyone without first confirming the person's identity.
The latest scam involves emails received from scammers pretending to be friends or acquaintances, according to Investigator Rick Toney. The emails state that the sender is out of the country and has been robbed.
The email then asks the recipient to wire money to enable the sender to pay hotel bills, Toney said.
"One potential victim received an email supposedly from her doctor. The email said he was in London," Toney said. "Luckily, she called the doctor's office to check out the story before she wired any money."
"These are elaborate schemes," he added. "We don't know how they get a list of contacts for the recipients."
The sheriff's office has no jurisdiction outside the country, so if someone does wire money, it is almost impossible to track the money and get it back, Toney said.
"Don't wire money to anyone unless you absolutely know who you are wiring it to," Toney said.
Anyone who has received emails like these or similar telephone calls should contact the sheriff's office at 483-3000. |
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