Senior citizen warns of phone scams

A Decatur County senior citizen refused to let herself become a victim of a phone scam, and now she wants to make sure that other citizens don’t become victims as well.

Dollie Jones of Bainbridge said she recently received a phone call from a company that claimed it would “send her a new Medicare card.” The person on the phone then asked Jones for personal information, including bank account numbers.

“I knew it was a scam because no real company would ask for that information over the phone,” she said.

Jones called the regional Medicare office to notify them of the scam, and also called the police. She said that the company included a call-back number, but she has been unable to reach the company again.

“I just want people to be aware that if you get a phone call like that, just hang up on them,” Jones said.

Investigator Redell Walton of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office said Jones did the right thing.

“I always tell people not to provide any information to anyone you don’t know, or who you’re not familiar with,” he said.

Walton said the DCSO has an information packet that it provides to any citizen who believe they may be the victim of identify theft or fraud. Call (229) 248-3044 for more information.

“There are a lot of scams today, both through the internet and through the phone, and it’s easy for anyone to become a victim,” Walton said. “If you’re in doubt, don’t give any information out.”

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