Etowah County Sheriff Department helping senior citizens avoid scams

GADSDEN, Ala. (WBRC) - Etowah County Sheriff John Horton is warning the community to be on the lookout for fraudulent checks that you receive in the mail.

Residents are receiving letters from North American Financial and Publishers Clearing House claiming to have won large sums of money. With technology equipping some of these scam artist, the sheriff says it gives them the advantage of learning your information and using it against you.

“They’ll already have your name and address, they just need your date of birth, social security number. Sometimes they already got your account routing number, they just need the three digits off the back of your card. There’s a piece they’re missing, a lot of times they go about that the scammer does and convinces them, I’m just trying to confirm your information,” said Horton.

The public is encouraged to be mindful anytime a check is mailed to your home. Make sure to call the business on the check and the bank associated with the check to make certain that it’s legitimate.

If you’re still unsure, bring the information to the sheriff department and they will make sure you’re not being scammed.

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