News

Sheriff’s office to send mailers warning about scams

Stephanie Brackett, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, asked county commissioners for funds for mailers to combat scams.

By Amy McCraw, Published: September 4, 2024

Henderson County Sheriff’s Office plans to use money seized from criminal activity to pay for mailers warning elderly residents about scams.

County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the sheriff’s office to use $14,953 in forfeiture funds to send the mailers to elderly people who often do not see scam warnings in the media or online.
The vote came after commissioners heard a presentation about scams from sheriff’s office officials.
Stephanie Brackett, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, told commissioners criminals use ever evolving technology to create scams that often target elderly people.
“Everyday, we see new scams emerge, each one more sophisticated than the last,” she said.
The sheriff’s department created mailers specifically to warn senior citizens about the ongoing threat of scams.
“These mailers are not just pieces of paper, Brackett said. "They are lifelines crafted to educate and protect our loved ones from the clutches of fraud, where people can often times lose their entire savings."
A sheriff’s detective told commissioners he calculated that in a year’s time citizens in Henderson County have lost more than $1 million to scams.
Before voting to approve funding for the mailers, Commission Vice-Chairman Michael Edney suggested inserting them in the county’s tax bills while Commissioner Daniel Andreotta suggested distributing the mailers at church Sunday school classes and assisted living facilities.