Wheeler County Sheriff Warns of Scam

mrandolphadvance@gmail.com

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office is warning citizens of a current scam occurring in the area, which manipulates callers into sharing financial information or payments over the phone.

On Saturday, February 28, Wheeler County Sheriff Glenn Giles shared that the Sheriff’s Office had received several reports of citizens receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to work for the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office. During these calls, the caller is telling citizens that they have an active warrant and will be arrested unless they send money immediately.

“This is a scam,” Giles emphasized. “The Sheriff’s Office will not call you to tell you that a warrant has been issued. We will not demand money over the phone. We will not ask you to send money through gift cards, wire transfers, apps, or any other payment method. If you truly had a warrant, we would handle it in person – not over the phone.”

Giles said that the phone number that these calls come from may have a recorded message that says the number belongs to the Sheriff’s Office, but it is untrue. “Do not rely on that recording – it is part of the scam designed to make the call sound legitimate,” he added.

He instructed that citizens should not send money to anyone or provide personal or financial information to these callers, but should hang up immediately and report the call to the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office by calling (912) 568-7151.

“Please help us protect our community by sharing this message. The more awareness we create, the fewer victims these scammers will have. Stay alert and stay safe,” he concluded.