The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam involving callers impersonating financial institutions and attempting to convince victims to hand over large amounts of cash.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, multiple complaints have been received involving scammers who use spoofed, or computer-generated, phone numbers that can make calls appear to be coming from legitimate financial institutions.
Authorities say the scammers pose as representatives from a bank’s “Fraud Department” and attempt to convince potential victims that immediate action is needed involving their accounts.
In some cases, scammers have instructed victims to withdraw large amounts of cash. They then tell the victim that a courier will arrive to collect the money or direct them to take the cash to another location.
The Sheriff’s Office cautions that impersonation scams can happen at any time and can take many different forms. Residents should be especially cautious when receiving unsolicited calls involving their bank accounts or requests for cash.
Anyone who receives a suspicious call fitting this description is urged to hang up rather than follow the caller’s instructions. Residents should then contact their financial institution directly using a trusted phone number to confirm whether there is actually an issue with their account.
The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to remain vigilant and to avoid providing money or sensitive financial information to unsolicited callers.