VALDOSTA — The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Valdosta Police Department issued warnings Wednesday about scammers using the internet and threatening phone calls to swindle citizens out of their money.

LCSO has reportedly received several complaints from people who been scammed through internet websites, specifically the site Craigslist.

“In the most recent scam, an employment opportunity was posted offering jobs in the Valdosta area. When the local citizen responded to the ad, they were instructed to wire money for the purchase of training materials,” said Lt. Stryde Jones. “The citizen was then advised to meet the employer at a specific location. Of course, the employer never showed up, and the citizen has lost their money.”

Jones said the overwhelming majority of Craigslist users are trustworthy and incidents of crime on the site are low, but recommended that people take “common sense precautions” when dealing with online transactions, such as never agreeing to sell to buyers who are not interested in seeing the product in person or who are not local.

“In today’s world the phrase ‘never talk to stranger’ is good advice even for adults. Although many may feel safe behind their computer screens, strangers cannot always be trusted, even on the internet,” said Jones. It is important to protect yourself against scams and understand how to stay safe when transacting with others online.”

Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said his department has been receiving complaints, not from people falling victim to Craigslist scammers, but from citizens who have received calls supposedly from U.S. Marshall’s demanding payment for back taxes.

“I got a call from a citizen who said she received to phone calls from area codes 408 and 323, and in those phone calls she was advised that she had not paid her taxes and that marshalls had a federal warrant for her arrest,” said Childress. “This is an old scam, but it scared her to death.”

Childress said the citizen did the right thing in the situation. She reported the call to his officers and refused to provide the caller with any of her personal information.

“If you ever receive a phone call saying there is a warrant out for your arrest or you haven’t paid your taxes or they are asking for your social security number or credit card number or checking account number, don’t give it. These are bogus,” said Childress. “If you don’t pay your taxes, there’s a process for that. They don’t start off by getting warrants. Calling people saying they have warrants is not even a tactic marshalls use.”

Anyone who suspects they have been contacted by a scammer can report it to the Valdosta Police Department at (229) 293-3145 and to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 671-2950.

Craigslist Transaction Tips

• Insist on a public meeting place like your local law enforcement office.

• Do not meet anyone alone or in secluded locations. Do not invite strangers into your home.

• Never wire or transfer money to a person without meeting them or performing some verification.

• Be wary of checks or money orders sent to you as payment for an item the buyer has never seen. Verify the authenticity of the check or money order before shipping any product or returning any “over payment” to the buyer.

• Trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.