The scam of the month alert is regarding direct deposit pay accounts. This is not a new scam as I have seen several examples of it occurring over the last five years, however, I did see a recent report on it, so it is still being attempted.
The basic premise of the scam involves the scammer sending a fictitious email to an employer asking them to switch the direct deposit account of an employee to an account that the scammer has set up. Thwarting this scam involves vigilance from employers and employees. Hopefully the payroll department of employers will be on the lookout for any suspicious emails regarding a change in direct deposit payroll for employees and verify any changes directly with the employee. Employees should be on alert for any notices from management that someone has or is attempting to change their direct deposit account.
The second week of September I was able to attend the Elk Creek Neighborhood Watch meeting. The meeting was very well attended, and we had a good discussion about issues impacting Texas County. I appreciate everyone that takes the time to attend our local neighborhood watch meetings. If there are any groups interested in forming a watch group in a community that does not have one, please contact our neighborhood watch coordinator Deputy Mike Huffman.
Saturday, Sept. 14 was a busy day in Texas County with several public events taking place. I was honored to start the day by escorting the annual parade associated with the Roby Fair. Later that evening we had our annual Guns vs. Hoses softball event to raise money for “Shop with a Hero.” The game was played without major injury and over $2,500 was raised to take kids shopping at Christmastime.
During the month of September, deputies investigated several domestic assault cases. A burglary was reported in the southeast part of the county. The South-Central Drug Task Force and the Texas County Sheriff’s Department served a search warrant at a residence in Elk Creek Sept. 20. The search was the result of an investigation initiated by a deputy assigned to the drug task force. During the search, officers found suspected methamphetamine and firearms. The resident, Randy Brill, was arrested and is facing several charges from the search.