Weakley County Sheriff’s Department investigators are working with authorities in Oklahoma to find the individual who scammed a Weakley County resident out of $3,500 dollars.
Captain Randall McGowan says the victim was contacted through Facebook by a scammer who had hacked a friend’s account and convinced the victim they had obtained a grant for $150,000 dollars and needed $3,500 dollars up-front.
The victim sent the money overnight through the U.S. Postal Service to an address in Oklahoma City.
McGowan says the Oklahoma City Police Department is working with Weakley County investigators to find the person who received the cash.
Captain McGowan says if someone tells you that you must send money to get a prize or a cash prize, it’s not real, and that the IRS and Social Security Administration will not call you and the Sheriff’s Department will not arrest you for owing money.
If you receive any of these types of calls, contact the Sheriff’s Department before you send any form of money.
McGowan urges residents to talk with elderly family members about these types of scams.
