SPECIAL ALERTS

 

This area of the site is designed to keep you updated on any special alerts or advisories within the rural areas of Potter County. It is our goal to do everything possible to keep our citizens safe so make sure to check back here regularly to update yourself on possible problems in your area.

SCAMS

Scams are always a threat within the city limits of Amarillo, but there have been instances where those folks who misrepresent themselves have come into the rural areas attempting to take advantage of county residents. Any current reports of scams will be located here.

** NEW International lottery scams are on the rise and have been seen in our area. If you have received any letters recently from a foreign country telling you that you have won money in a lottery, be aware that you have likely been targeted for a scam! Local residents have been taken advantage of, so this is your chance to not become a victim.

This page will give you an idea what to look for. It includes two examples of fraudulent lottery letters and a scanned image of a counterfeit check that was included with one of the letters. By the time that the recipient realized that the check was fake, they had already been taken advantage of. For more information, this page is a bulletin put out by the FBI.

Keep in mind the old adage: "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is".

** EMT Alert scam attempts to get people to pay $300 for a non-existent emergency medical card. Residents of San Antonio have recently been receiving phone calls asking for bank account information for an "EMT Alert Card". The supposed purpose of this card is to ensure emergency medical treatment by ambulance personnel if you find yourself in need. It also reportedly allows emergency medical personnel to have immediate access to information regarding your medical history, medications currently being taken as well as any special medical needs associated with your address. The tag line commonly used is "Isn't your life worth more than $300?"

BEWARE... THIS IS A SCAM! Below is a statement from Greg Abbott, Texas State Attorney General:
"My office has received a report of consumers being contacted by a Phoenix-based company called "EMT Alert Inc." The caller says he is calling on behalf of and working with the City of San Antonio Fire Department. The caller says that the City of San Antonio is now requiring everyone to purchase an "EMT Alert Card," and that the $300 card would guarantee fire and ambulance service. Supposedly, the card lets emergency workers know what types of medical emergencies they should be aware of at the consumer's address. The caller then wants the consumer's bank account information "to process the card."

A person who needs emergency help can simply call 911. My office has confirmed that the City of San Antonio does not recognize, let alone require, an EMT Alert card. This is a scam. It is all the more brazen when you consider that the consumer would not realize it was a scam until he or she tried to use the card in an emergency. Since emergencies are rare, most buyers would never find out the card was worthless.

If you receive a call from EMT Alert, be forewarned that the caller may have your name and address. This doesn't mean anything. Do not give the caller any additional information about yourself, especially not financial information like your bank account number. Don't buy anything. Just hang up.

If you have received a call from EMT Alert, you can report it by calling my office at (800) 252-8011."

Though this scam is currently being used in the San Antonio area, it is entirely possible that it will make its way around the state. By having knowledge of this scam now, you will be more protected in the event you receive a similar phone call asking for your banking information.

** "Phishing" attempts are still one of the top causes of identity theft. With email becoming more commonly used than ever, the attempts to gain control of your identifying information has grown even more. The idea is to convince the recipient of the email that their relation with some sort of financial institution or online service is in jeapordy of becoming canceled. The most common ones stating they represent nearly every national banking institution, eBay, PayPal and credit card companies. These messages will generally state that your account has seen some sort of suspicious activity of late and they request that you log in to the system and verify some information. The catch is that the link provided takes you to a site that does not belong to the organization you think you are dealing with. The link will, in actuality, take you to a website set up by the scammers that is designed to look just like the site you think you are dealing with. They will very often even steal the graphics and logos associated with the real site to convince you it is legitimate. When you attempt to log into your valid account, you will have given your login and password information to the thieves.

Additionally, some of these sites go even further in that they allow you to think that you have truly logged in and then they offer verification questions that consist of having you enter your full name, social security number and mother's maiden name. Armed with this information, they can now apply for credit cards and loans using your information!

At this time there is little you can do besides ignore the emails. All that I have researched so far are being collected from sources outside the United States and international efforts to combat this trend are not in effect yet. Just make sure that whatever else you may do, DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE EMAIL MESSAGES! Even sending false information gives the thieves a certain amount of data about who you are that may be useful to them in the future.

** Do not respond to emails, phone calls or web pages that direct you to call numbers beginning with area codes 809, 284 or 876. The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands. It can be used as a "Pay-Per-Call" and you will be charged $2425.00 per minute if calling from the United States. It is not covered by US regulations of 900 numbers, which require that you be notified and warned of charges and rates.

** A method known as “Jury Duty Scam” being used by identity thieves to deceive victims into revealing their personal information. This scam was received from a military source but it can just as easily be used against local residents.

The scammer calls the residence or office number of the victim and identifies themselves as an officer or employee of the local court or jurisdiction.  The scammer announces to the victim that he/she has failed to report for jury duty and a  bench warrant was issued against them for their arrest.  The victim reaction is one of shock and surprise which places them at an immediate disadvantage and much more susceptible to the scam.  The victim will rightly deny knowledge of any such claim; that no Jury Duty notification was ever received.

The scammer shifts into high gear, reassuring the victim of the possibility this is all “just a misunderstanding” or “some sort of clerical error” that all can be straightened up on the phone.  All they need to do is “verify” their information with a few simple questions.  Any reluctance on the victim’s part and the scammer will threaten that the failure to provide the information will result in an immediate execution of the arrest warrant.  The scammer obtains names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and will solicit credit card or bank account information claiming these will be used by their credit bureau to “verify” the victims’ identity.  Family members who receive these calls are especially vulnerable to coercion.  Threats against the sponsor’s military career, should he/she be arrested and now have a criminal record are frightening and persuasive.

Soldiers, Civilian Employees, and their adult family members must be made aware of this threat to their personal information and identities.  Legitimate court employees will never call to solicit information, and would send any official notifications by standard mail delivery.  Any person receiving such calls should contact the scammer’s phone number (if caller ID is available) and immediately report the contact to the proper authorities.

BURGLARIES

This section is designed to report areas in which burglaries have been occurring with a high frequency. If you live in these areas or in a community that surrounds these areas, please keep an eye on the area to help in reporting any suspicious activity. As always, if you have any information regarding unlawful activities, please call the Sheriff's Office at 379-2900.

** There are no current reported high-risk areas in the rural county at this time.

SPECIAL ALERTS

Special alerts are those warnings that do not have an immediate criminal offense attached to them but still have an affect on our community.

** Protect yourself from mail fraud and identity theft. Click here for more information
** Protect yourself from credit card fraud. Click here for more information

SEX OFFENDER UPDATES

This area shows only changes in status or residence of registered sex offender within the rural communities of Potter County. For a complete listing of registered sex offenders click here.

** Potter County had a sex offender registered within Potter County recently.
James Robert Ralston is a new reporting offender and resides at 6725 Lago.