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.
The Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division is reminding Georgians to stay alert for common warning signs that often indicate a scam. Officials say scammers constantly adapt their tactics, but many fraud attempts share the same red flags.
Among the biggest warning signs are requests to pay money in order to claim a prize or get a job, pressure to act immediately, threats of arrest or claims that a loved one is in danger, and demands to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or other difficult-to-trace payment methods. Consumers should also be suspicious of unexpected requests for passwords, PINs, Social Security numbers, bank account information, or other personal financial details. Offers that sound too good to be true usually are.
If you receive a suspicious phone call, email, or text message, officials recommend hanging up or deleting the message without responding or clicking any links. Instead, contact the business or organization directly using a phone number or website you know is legitimate to verify whether the communication is real.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a scam can file a complaint with the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division online or by calling 404-651-8600 or 800-869-1123.
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.
Cybersecurity experts are warning consumers about a growing phishing scam that uses digital calendar invitations to trick victims into revealing personal information, financial details and account credentials.
The Summerville Police Department is investigating a financial transaction card fraud case after a Dalton woman reported unauthorized purchases made using her debit card information.
According to the incident report, the victim discovered several unauthorized transactions had been made using information from her food stamp debit card. The purchases reportedly occurred at multiple locations, including Ingles Supermarket in Summerville.
The victim told police she still had possession of the physical card but believed someone had obtained the information needed to make purchases without authorization. She has been working with law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions where transactions were reported in an effort to identify and prosecute the suspect.
Police identified a suspect in the case as 27-year-old Nius Morton of Dalton. The report indicates the offense is being investigated as financial transaction card fraud.
The fraudulent transaction reported in Summerville totaled approximately $29.43. Evidence collected in the case included information associated with the victim’s card.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Federal authorities are continuing their search for a Georgia inmate accused of orchestrating an $11 million fraud scheme from behind bars after he escaped from a federal prison camp in south Georgia.
With the April 15 tax deadline just days away, officials are warning Georgia residents to be on high alert for scams targeting taxpayers during one of the busiest times of the year.
Georgia officials are warning residents to be on alert after a wave of scam text messages claiming to come from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS).
The Internal Revenue Service has released its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams for 2026, warning taxpayers to stay alert for schemes that could steal personal information, financial data, or tax refunds during the filing season.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services is warning residents about a phishing scam involving fake text messages that claim to be from state agencies. Officials say the messages may demand payment for tickets or threaten driver’s license suspension, but DDS says these texts are not legitimate and are designed to steal personal information. DDS officials stress they will never contact people by text message asking for payment or sensitive details, and residents should avoid clicking any links and instead verify license status directly at the official site: dds.drives.ga.gov.