The holiday season brings out the best in people – and, unfortunately, it also sometimes brings out the worst, especially when it comes to scammers.

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office put out a warning to county residents urging them to be extra cautious over the next several weeks. According to the Office, scammers tend to get more aggressive and more creative this time of year, and a surprising number of people fall for schemes that sound official, urgent or charitable.

One of the biggest red flags this season is any callers pretending to be law enforcement officers.

Some residents are being told they have to pay a fine immediately to avoid arrest. The Sheriff’s Office stresses that it will never call and demand payment over the phone under any circumstance: If you get that call, it’s a scam.

The department is also reminding residents to be especially careful with payments during the holidays. The safest route is paying online through secure websites.

If you’re mailing a check, the Office says to walk it inside the post office instead of putting it in your home mailbox or even a collection box. Criminals have been known to steal outgoing mail, wash checks and rewrite them.

With holiday generosity kicking up, charity scams are also on the rise. Local law enforcement officials say residents should verify any nonprofit before donating –since scammers count on people being in a generous spirit and not double-checking.

Package thefts are another problem area this time of year. Porch pirates follow delivery trucks, grab boxes off porches and are often gone before anyone notices. The Sheriff’s Office is encouraging homeowners to invest in porch cameras and also register those cameras with the GCSO’s Fusus camera registry program at connectguilfordcounty.org to help deputies solve neighborhood crimes.

“Fusus” is the  brand name of the system the Sheriff’s Office uses. GCSO’s camera program is a voluntary camera registry and integration system overseen by deputies. It’s meant to help deputies solve crimes more quickly by knowing where cameras are located and, in some cases, by allowing secure video sharing during an investigation.

In the holiday season there’s also a rise in what the Sheriff’s Office calls “unsolicited service scams.” In these cases, scammers show up at a home, complete an unrequested service and then pressure the resident into paying on the spot. They typically speak fast, use an authoritative tone and try to get the homeowner to send money before questioning what’s going on.

The Sheriff’s Office recommends that residents learn the signs of common scams and stay alert during the holidays. More details are available at guilfordcountync.gov/anti-scam.

Here are some of the key tips the Office is emphasizing:

  • Don’t send money to anyone claiming to be from the GCSO.
  • Verify any claims by calling the Sheriff’s Office directly at 336-641-3694.
  • Report scam attempts to the GCSO or your local law enforcement agency.
  • Ignore unknown numbers – don’t answer or return calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
  • If you answer a suspicious call, hang up immediately without engaging.
  • Never press buttons or provide personal information to unsolicited callers.
  • Don’t click on links from unknown numbers or emails.

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