Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader is warning residents to be on alert for a scam involving emails that appear to come from the Sheriff’s Office.
North Georgia EMC is warning members about scam emails and messages circulating across the Southeast that falsely claim the TVA is preparing for rolling blackouts and urge recipients to click a link for more information.
The utility says these messages are not legitimate and are designed to steal money and/or install viruses on your device, and they are not coming from TVA or any power provider.
Officials say another related scam involves messages claiming a customer has unusually high power usage and demanding immediate payment. North Georgia EMC stresses those messages are also fake and warns members not to click any links, share personal information, or respond to threatening payment demands.
If you receive a suspicious message, delete it and contact your utility directly using an official phone number or website.
Federal authorities are warning the public about a scam involving fraudsters impersonating federal law enforcement and prosecutors. According to the Department of Justice, scammers—possibly operating from outside the United States—are contacting Americans by text message, email, or phone call, falsely claiming the victim is a suspect in a fraud investigation in an attempt to pressure them into handing over money or sensitive information.
Officials say the scam often involves multiple contacts before the criminals begin requesting personal details such as credit card numbers, banking information, or other identifying data. FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis said scammers rely on fear and intimidation, and warned that the FBI will pursue those involved.
The DOJ says these scammers may use convincing details—such as real-sounding titles, badge numbers, names, and addresses—and can even spoof phone numbers to make it appear calls are coming from legitimate government agencies. Authorities stress that federal agencies do not call and demand money or personal information over the phone, and anyone receiving these messages should not provide information and should report suspected scams.