The Franklin County Sheriff on Wednesday put out a warning involving a money transfer scam.
Over the past month, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has seem a sharp increase in a particular type of scam. The victim will receive a call or e-mail stating they owe money on a debt and if they do not pay, a local law enforcement agency will be sent to arrest that person.
There is also a similar scam where the victim is told they have child pornography on their system and they must pay a fine. In both cases, the victim is then instructed to send money via a money transfer service such as PayPal, Western Union or using a Walmart MoneyCard.
Any of these situations would involve legal process and in person contact from an official before it reached the stage of paying a fine. Police say a number of Franklin County citizens have fallen prey to his type of fraud.
If you are asked to pay a fine by e-mail or phone and threatened with arrest if you do not, then you should contact your local law enforcement agency before you send any money.