Last Updated on November 13, 2015 5:27 pm
Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman would like to make the public aware of a recent scam that has been committed in our county. We have recently received reports from victims who have stated that they were contacted by someone they believed to be in law enforcement.
The victims were informed that their Grandson/Grandaughter was in jail, and that they needed money to post bail. The victims were told that they were speaking with Sgt. Collins and were then allowed to speak with a person said to be their Grandson. The victims were told to go to Food Lion and get a Reloadit card with money applied and to call Sgt. Collings back at 888-748-3953. The person claiming to be Sgt. Collins then instructed the victims to shred the Reloadit card. The victims were contacted again by Sgt. Collins and told to get more money on new Reloadit cards. One victim was told the second fee was for an attorney, and the other victim was told the additional money needed was due to a mistake.
Sheriff Hagaman would like you to be aware that our Law Enforcement Officers, Jail staff, and other Sheriff’s office staff do not call to solicit money for bond. If you should receive a call from another area soliciting money for bond, we suggest that you contact law enforcement immediately using the traditionally published numbers, rather than a number provided by the potential scammer. If you have any concerns that a phone call or electronic communication may in fact be a scam, please contact us prior to releasing any personal information or making any financial transactions.
