If con man will target sheriff, no one is safe
If our own sheriff’s department can fall victim to a con man, it shows how anyone in this community is vulnerable. That’s why, more than ever, it’s important for Warren countians to keep up our guard so we don’t get socked by the latest scam.
Perhaps the most daring con game this county has ever seen was uncovered last week when Sheriff Jackie Matheny announced the arrest of Kentucky resident John H. Turner. According to the sheriff, Turner conned local businesses out of around $12,000 by asking for money for advertising space on the annual DARE calendar.
The only problem was Turner no longer worked for the company which produces the sheriff’s department calendar. Yet Turner had the guts to look the sheriff in the eye, shake his hand, and receive a letter from the sheriff vouching for his legitimacy.
The end result was around 100 local businesses – including the Standard – were persuaded to advertise in the DARE calendar. But instead of helping the DARE program, these businesses instead just lined the pockets of Turner, who ran off to spend his money in Pigeon Forge.
The moral of this story is you can never be too careful, especially in this day when it’s difficult to go to the mailbox without receiving a credit card offer, or sit down to dinner without getting a call from a telemarketer. It can be hard to determine which claims are legitimate and which ones are elaborate scams.
Cons come in all shapes and sizes. It can be a person knocking on your door wanting cash to perform driveway repairs. It can be a person calling to request a donation on behalf of an American soldier in Iraq. Or it can be a person sending an e-mail to request your bank account number so they can place a large deposit there for “safekeeping.”
The Better Business Bureau has long warned consumers to exercise caution when dealing with businesses or making donations. Those charities and businesses can be true to their word, or they can be out to make a quick dollar at your expense.
The Standard offers these general tips furnished by the Better Business Bureau:
• Carefully verify any claims that sound “too good to be true.”
• Don’t panic or overreact to sales pitches that are long on emotion and short on details.
• Don’t succumb to sales pressure. Take your time to evaluate the offer, determine whether you need the product or service, and if so, comparison shop.
• Request additional written information about the charity’s programs, and contact information for the organization.
• Never give out your credit card, bank account or Social Security number to an unknown telemarketer or in response to an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be wary of 100 percent money-back guarantees. It’s difficult to get your money back if the con artist has skipped town.
• If you determined the charity is legitimate and one you want to support, make donations by check made out to the charity, not in cash.
• If you choose to purchase a product online, know the Web site’s security measures and privacy protection policy.