Oktibbeha County dealing with numerous scams

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — Scams have been a common issue as of late in Oktibbeha County.

Oktibbeha County Sheriff Steve Gladney said scammers are targeting a soft spot when scamming the elderly folks

“Somebody will be masquerading as an elderly person’s grandchild or something and once she says their name, they take off with it,” said Gladney. “Then in a few minutes, they’ll say look the attorney needs to speak with you. Then they’ll give the phone to him or somebody masquerading as an attorney and saying that the child is in trouble and needs some money or he’s going to jail.”

Gladney said the victims in these scams are local and some live out of state.

He adds that folks should be extra cautious when giving personal information over the phone.

“If anybody calls you and says they are law-enforcement or they are the federal agents or something and ask you to send money, then it’s a scam,” said Gladney. “We don’t call anybody and say you need to go and get three cards from Walmart and give us the number and that type deal.”

Detective Sergeant John Michael Lay of Starkville Police Department, said lottery scams have also been a common issue.

“You won, you pay kind of scam,” said Lay. The lottery scam you know, you won $1 million but I need you to pay the taxes on it first and then you send you know $5,000 and you never see any more money.”

Lay said scammers have a way to try and sweet talk people out of their own money.

“There are bad people that are out there and they will try and take an honest person’s savings or an honest person’s honesty and use it against them,” said Lay. They will take the goodness of someone’s heart or the protection of your family or do what you think you’re supposed to be doing for your business and use it against you.”

To learn more about ways to avoid being scammed, click here.