#ConsumerAlert | AM 1180 Radio

October 9, 2026

Georgia Power Data Breach Affects About 300,000 Customers

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #CreditMonitoring, #CyberAttack, #CyberSecurity, #DataBreach, #FraudAlert, #georgianews, #georgiapower, #IdentityProtection, #IdentityTheft, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #OnlineSecurity, #PersonalInformation, #ScamAlert, #SouthernCompany, #summervillega, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Georgia Power is notifying approximately 300,000 customers after hackers gained access to personal information through the utility company’s online customer portal.

October 7, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Residents Warned About Jury Duty And Fake Law Enforcement Scams

Local News, Local News Items #CallerIDSpoofing, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #ConsumerProtection, #CryptocurrencyScam, #ElderFraud, #FraudAlert, #FraudPrevention, #GeorgiaConsumers, #GeorgiaScams, #GiftCardScam, #IdentityTheft, #ImpersonationScam, #JuryDutyScam, #LawEnforcementScam, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #OnlineSafety, #PennvilleGA, #PhoneScam, #ProtectYourMoney, #PublicSafety, #ScamAlert, #ScamWarning, #SeniorCitizens, #SeniorScams, #summervillega, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County residents are being reminded to be cautious of telephone scams in which callers pose as law enforcement officers, court employees or federal agents and threaten victims with arrest unless money is paid immediately.

September 24, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Ag Commissioner Warns Residents About Unlicensed Door-To-Door Pest Control Operators

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #chattoogacountynews, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #ConsumerProtection, #ConsumerWarning, #DoorToDoorPestControl, #DoorToDoorSales, #FairBusinessPracticesAct, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaConsumers, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #Homeowners, #HomeSafety, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #northwestgeorgianews, #PennvilleGA, #PestControl, #Pesticides, #PesticideSafety, #ScamAwareness, #StructuralPestControl, #summervillega, #trionga, #TylerHarper, #UnlicensedOperators, #UnlicensedPestControl, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County residents who are approached at their homes by someone offering pest control services are being urged to ask for a state-issued license before signing a contract or allowing any work to begin.

September 22, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

FTC Warns Farmers About Fake Farm Equipment Dealers

Local News, Local News Items #agriculture, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #FarmEquipment, #FarmEquipmentScam, #Farmers, #FarmSafety, #FederalTradeCommission, #FraudAlert, #FTC, #GDA, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #GeorgiaFarmers, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #OnlineScams, #OnlineShopping, #PennvilleGA, #RuralGeorgia, #ScamAlert, #summervillega, #Tractors, #TractorScam, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Farmers and farm equipment buyers in Chattooga County are being urged to use extra caution when shopping for tractors and other agricultural equipment online as federal and state officials warn about increasingly sophisticated scams involving fake equipment dealerships.

September 13, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Walker County Sheriff’s Office Warns Residents About Active Jury Duty Scam

Local News, Local News Items #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #FraudAlert, #FraudPrevention, #georgianews, #GreenDotScam, #ImpersonationScam, #JuryDuty, #JuryDutyScam, #JuryScam, #LawEnforcement, #LawEnforcementScam, #MissedJuryDuty, #northwestgeorgia, #northwestgeorgianews, #PhoneScam, #ProtectYourMoney, #PublicSafety, #ScamAlert, #ScamWarning, #SeniorScams, #WalkerCounty, #WalkerCountyGA, #WalkerCountySheriffsOffice, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about another active scam after multiple citizens reported receiving fraudulent calls from people pretending to be Sheriff’s Office employees.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the callers tell residents they have missed jury duty and now have a warrant for their arrest. The scammers then claim the supposed warrant or other legal issue can be resolved by paying money.

In some cases, victims are instructed to purchase Green Dot cards or use other methods to send payment.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office says the calls are fraudulent and emphasized that the Sheriff’s Office will not call residents and demand money to resolve a warrant or missed jury duty.

Officials are urging residents not to send money to anyone they do not know, regardless of how convincing or urgent the caller may sound.

Anyone receiving one of the calls who is uncertain whether it is legitimate can contact the Walker County Sheriff’s Office directly to verify the information before taking any action.

The warning comes as law enforcement agencies continue to see scammers impersonating officers and government employees in an effort to frighten victims into making immediate payments.

August 25, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Agriculture Officials Warn Of Fake Farmers Market Vendor Scam

Local News, Local News Items #AgricultureCommissioner, #AtlantaGA, #AtlantaStateFarmersMarket, #AvoidScams, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ClaytonCountyGA, #ConsumerAlert, #ConsumerProtection, #FacebookScam, #Farmers, #FarmersMarket, #FarmersMarkets, #FarmersMarketScam, #ForestParkGA, #FraudAlert, #GDA, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #GeorgiaFarmers, #GeorgiaGrown, #georgianews, #GeorgiaSmallBusiness, #GeorgiaVendors, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #northwestgeorgianews, #OnlineFraud, #OnlineScam, #PublicSafety, #ScamAlert, #smallbusiness, #SocialMediaScam, #summervillega, #trionga, #TylerHarper, #Vendors, #VendorScam, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

The Georgia Department of Agriculture is warning farmers, vendors and small-business owners about a fraudulent event advertised on social media as being held at the Atlanta State Farmers Market.

August 19, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

North Georgia EMC Warns Members About Disconnect Scam Calls And Texts

Local News, Local News Items #CatoosaCounty, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #ConsumerProtection, #DisconnectScam, #ElectricCooperative, #FraudAlert, #GordonCounty, #LocalNews, #MurrayCounty, #NGEMC, #NorthGeorgia, #NorthGeorgiaEMC, #northwestgeorgia, #PhoneScam, #PublicSafety, #ScamAlert, #ScamWarning, #TextScam, #UtilityScam, #WalkerCountyGA, #WhitfieldCounty, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Sample Image

North Georgia EMC is warning its members to be on alert for scam phone calls and text messages threatening to disconnect electric service.

August 17, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Scammers Target Consumers With Fake Unclaimed Life Insurance Letters

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #ConsumerFraud, #ConsumerProtection, #CyberSafety, #FederalTradeCommission, #FinancialFraud, #FraudAlert, #FTC, #IdentityTheft, #InheritanceScam, #InsuranceScam, #LifeInsuranceScam, #northwestgeorgia, #PersonalInformation, #ProtectYourInformation, #PublicSafety, #ScamAlert, #ScamWarning, #UnclaimedLifeInsurance, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

Consumers are being warned about a scam involving official-looking letters claiming the recipient may be entitled to millions of dollars in unclaimed life insurance money.

July 19, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Taco Bell Lettuce Linked to Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak

Local News, Local News Items #CDC, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #Cyclospora, #Cyclosporiasis, #FDA, #FoodborneIllness, #FoodSafety, #georgianews, #healthnews, #LettuceRecall, #PublicHealth, #TacoBell, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Federal health officials have identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at certain Taco Bell restaurants as the source of a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause prolonged watery diarrhea.

July 13, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Coroner Warns Families About Funeral Home Impersonation Scam

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyCoronersOffice, #ChattoogaInfo, #CommunitySafety, #ConsumerAlert, #FraudPrevention, #FuneralScam, #georgianews, #GoreGA, #IdentityTheft, #ImpersonationScam, #JeremyMcElhaney, #LawEnforcement, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #ProtectYourInformation, #PublicSafety, #ScamAlert, #SublignaGA, #summervillega, #TelogaGA, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

The Chattooga County Coroner’s Office is warning residents about a scam targeting grieving families following the death of a loved one.

In a public alert, Coroner Jeremy A. McElhaney said scammers are posing as funeral home employees after monitoring online obituaries. The scammers then contact family members and demand immediate payment, falsely claiming to represent the funeral home handling funeral arrangements.

McElhaney urged anyone receiving such a call not to provide any personal or financial information. Instead, he advises families to hang up and contact their funeral home directly using a trusted phone number to verify whether the call is legitimate.

“I personally know the owner/operators of all three Chattooga County funeral homes and can assure you that is not the way they conduct business,” McElhaney said.

Residents are encouraged to share the warning to help prevent others from becoming victims of the scam.