Senior citizen warns others about scam

Posted 5/5/21

A local woman warns not to fall for con artists asking for donations.

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Senior citizen warns others about scam

Posted

OKEECHOBEE — A local woman warns not to fall for con artists asking for donations. “I was really so upset,” said the woman. “I had been donating to these things, and I just had a sick feeling about it.” She went on to explain she had received letters and cards from organizations purportedly the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office or local firefighters. These letters usually contained something to tug on her heartstrings, a picture of a child with his law officer father or a woman kissing her firefighter husband goodbye as he left for work. They letters asked for donations to help support these hard working men and women who risk their lives daily or maybe they were about a memorial fund for someone killed in the line of duty. “Of course I wanted to help,” she said.

After several donations to the organizations, she got to wondering if the money was really going to organizations in her area. “They mentioned Okeechobee County,” she said, “But did that really mean they were going to our sheriff’s office? I decided to call down there and ask.” When she called the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, she was disappointed, but not surprised, to learn the donations were not going to them and might not be going to any law enforcement agency at all. It was very likely they were going to an individual who was scamming people. “I just wanted to help,” she said. “Money’s tight, and you want it to go to the right places not the wrong ones.”

The most recent request for a donation came from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. “They make it so easy,” she said. “It comes with an already addressed envelope with a stamp on it. All you have to do is stick a check in there. I got my checkbook out and looked at that envelope and said to myself, ‘If it was local, it would have Okeechobee on the address.”

When she called the sheriff’s office, she spoke to Michele Bell, who told her things like this were going out frequently, but they have nothing to do with local law enforcement.

“I got to thinking this was something I should share so other senior citizens like me, with a soft heart would not be confused,” said the woman. “We live in a wonderful community with a great sheriff’s department and police department and fire departments and hospital. We need to protect each other.”

“If you want to help locally, give your money directly to the local sheriff’s office or fire department or other agency.”

scam, OCSO, OCFR, Police

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