Woman Wanted for ID Theft

This unidentified female used the identity of another and made several unauthorized purchases. If you have information in identifying her, please contact Investigator Myrlene Jean Criminal Investigation Division Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (770)920-4916 or mjean@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.

Second Holiday Sobriety Checkpoint

“Tis the Season to Drive Sober” (in Douglas County)

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Douglasville’s Police Department combined their manpower and efforts again to conduct the second sobriety checkpoint of the holiday season looking for impaired drivers.  Four groups of law enforcement officers from both agencies hit several locations around Douglasville and Douglas County on Wednesday, December 19th. The teams worked the detail for four hours between 7:00 – 11:00 pm.

Approximately 2, 500 vehicles were stopped at the various checkpoint locations. There were 48 persons arrested for various charges collectively by the DCSO and the City of Douglasville’s PD.

Both the DCSO and Douglasville PD are committed to keeping Douglas County safe throughout the year, however the holidays are prime time for drinking alcohol, and typically the busiest time of year for drunk driving arrests.

Data shows that sobriety checkpoints often lead to the detection and discovery of other criminal activity. These two law enforcement agencies in Douglas County will conduct random sobriety checkpoints throughout the holiday season and throughout the year.  The first sobriety checkpoint of this holiday season was held on Thursday, November 29, 2018, and lasted five hours. There were 44 arrests and approximately 3,500 vehicles drove through the checkpoint locations.

“Tis the season to drive sober” in Douglas County.

Photos courtesy of the Douglasville Police Department’s Facebook page.

Wrecker Theft

Between 12/17/18 and 12/18/18 a wrecker was stolen from Austin’s Used Truck Parts at 2545 Cochran Industrial Douglasville, Ga. Vehicle is a 2007 Chevrolet C5500 white in color with blue lettering on the side. At the time of theft there was a Georgia tag of JN6V78 attached to the rear.

If you see this vehicle or have information regarding the theft, please contact Inv. Jamie Fowler at 770-920-4992 or email jfowler@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.

Welcome, New Jailers, Deputy Recruit and New Deputies

Sheriff Tim Pounds and staff would like to welcome and congratulate the following personnel: Deputy Tim Floyd, Deputy Nicole Quibell, and Deputy William Womack recently graduated from mandate training. We would especially like to congratulate Dep. Quibell who moved from Dispatch after eight years and will be joining Evidence and Crime Scene after completing the FTO program. We would also like to welcome Deputy Recruit Katelyn Lovvorn who will be going to mandate training beginning in January, and new Jailers Susan Self and Dalton Robinson.

Vehicle Trailer Theft

Between 12/14/18 and 12/16/18 the trailer pictured above was stolen from Garren Restoration at 1637 Lee Rd. Lithia Springs, Ga. The trailer was taken from behind a locked fence. (Vehicle not stolen). Specific identifiers of the trailer are:

• Garren Racing on each side
• Visible brush marks on fenders
• Winch behind tongue jack
• Welded gussets on all four corners

Any information on this trailer, please contact Inv. Jamie Fowler at 770-920-4992 or email jfowler@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.

 

Located: Juvenile Rakiah Zeigler

UPDATE (12/17/2018 @ 12:15): Rakiah Zeigler has been located. We’d like to thank everyone who has shared this post.


Rakiah Zeigler, 16 years of age, was last seen on December 8th, 2018 in Douglas County, Georgia, unknown clothing description. Rakiah is described as 5’2, 190lbs, black hair, and brown eyes.

Please contact Inv. Darrell Black with any information at 770-920-4914 or 770-949-5656 or dblack@sheriff.douglas.ga.us

Shop With A Cop 2018

“Shop with a Cop 2018” was a huge success! The Kiwanis Club of Douglas County sponsored its 21st Kids Christmas Special “Shop with a Cop” event at the Walmart off Hwy 5. Each year the Kiwanis Club raises funds to take a child from a financially challenged household Christmas shopping. This year 120 students were selected from six local elementary schools: Eastside, Burnett, North Douglas, Bright Star, Dorset Shoals and Mt. Carmel Elementary Schools.

Teachers/chaperones from each school requested buses, also paid for by the Kiwanis Club, and transported the students to the Kids Christmas Special event. Upon arriving, students were escorted to the back of the Walmart store where they could talk with Santa and have a picture made, sit at tables and have snacks until the event started.

Each student was allotted $100 to spend on themselves and/or siblings and parents. Students were escorted by local law enforcement (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office), firemen, military, City and County employees, as well as local officials representing Douglasville and Douglas County. The escorts assisted their assigned students in making their purchases and remaining in the $100.00 range.  After the items were rung up by the cashiers, they were bagged for each student with their name and school on the bag. The bags were taken to the individual schools. The Kiwanis Club paid the final bill.

We would also like to thank the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Academy Alums (CLEAA) for helping “bag and tag” each child’s purchase(s). Their help is always appreciated!

 

10 Popular Scams and How to Avoid Them

Scammers work around the clock…year-round. Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is receiving many incident reports indicating increases in their work load. Older people are defrauded out of $12.76 billion annually, according to True Link Financial. This includes identity theft and all those crazy scams you hear about that you think will never work on you. The next scam victim could be you or someone you know. Here are the top 10 scams to watch out for and how to protect yourself:

1. Tech Support – You get a call from someone claiming to be with Microsoft or Windows tech support, telling you that viruses have been detected on your computer. They refer you to a certain website with a dummy screen that shows the viruses being detected and eliminated; malware is being installed that allows the scammer to steal your usernames and passwords, hold your data for ransom or even use your webcam to spy on you.
Your Plan: Hang up the phone. Neither company makes unsolicited phone calls. Don’t click on any links promising to speed up our computer.

2. Silent Call– The phone rings, you pick it up, say, “Hello,” but there’s no one on the other line. This is a new type of robocall- an automated computer system making tens of thousands of calls to build a list of humans to target for theft.
Your Plan: Put caller ID on your landline. Screen your calls and do not answer unfamiliar numbers.

3. IRS Imposter– This is the number one reported fraud. Someone will call claiming to be from the IRS (may even leave a message) stating that you owe back taxes and threaten that unless funds are wired immediately, legal action will be taken or you’ll be arrested. (Or they may say you have a refund waiting but need to verify personal info before sending.) Sometimes “IRS” shows up on caller ID and the con artists supply “badge numbers” and they know the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Your Plan: Do not return a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS. The real IRS communicates with a taxpayer only via the U.S. Postal Service. If you are ever in doubt about an IRS matter, call them directly at 800-829-1040.

4. Cancer Charity Rip-Off– The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged four national cancer charities (the Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, the Children’s Cancer Fund of America and the Breast Cancer Society) with defrauding consumers of $187 million.
Your Plan: Before contributing to any charity, check out its rating on www.charitynavigator.org. DO NOT give cash to door-to-door solicitors or your credit card numbers to callers. Ask questions. Trust your gut.

5. Chip Card– Con artists are impersonating card users and sending emails requesting personal financial information, or asking you to click on a malware-laced link before being issued a new card. They convincingly use the bank’s logo and color scheme, and even have footer links such as “View Our Privacy Policy” and “Contact Us.”
Your Plan: No credit card company will email or call you to verify personal info it already has on file before mailing a new card. (At most, you’ll get a letter in the mail saying it will arrive soon.) If you’re ever unsure, simply call the number on the back of your card (not the one supplied by the email) and ask the company if it’s trying to contact you.

6. Faith-Based Dating– Beware on sites like BigChurch, ChristianMingle, JDate and others like them. Most people are more likely to fall for scams on these sites because they can’t believe somebody of their own faith is a con artist. These scams involve con artists stealing the hearts of unsuspecting singles and then using various ploys to steal money.
Your Plan: Before getting involved with anyone online, use Google or Spokeo.com to research the person. Finding “no results” is a red flag. Keep in mind that people who are legitimately looking for love won’t ask for money.

7. Medical Identity Theft– As a consumer, you can’t be legally held liable for fraudulent purchases made with your credit card info, however you can be required to cover the cost for health care services you never received. These include tests, prescription drugs and even operations.
Your Plan: Never surrender Social Security, Medicare or health insurance numbers to anyone you don’t know and trust. Be particularly wary of free health checks offered at shopping malls, fitness clubs and retirement home (so-called rolling labs). If asked to photocopy your cards or ask you to sign a blank insurance claim form, do not do it. (After all, it’s supposed to be free.) It’s important to review all statements from your insurance provider. If there are charges you don’t understand, call immediately. When shopping online for prescription drugs or other health-related items, remember that if a price seems to good to be true, it probably is.

8. Counterfeit Apps– There are apps that have been compromised and developed with malware that are deigned to steal passwords and do devious things.
Your Plan: Always read an app’s reviews before downloading and choosing proven, popular ones.

9. Grieving Widow(er)– There are scammers that scan obituaries for prey, then pretend to be a bank official to trick them out of the money. While you are grieving, you may be more vulnerable to fraud tactics that play on your emotions.
Your Plan: Ask a trusted family member to temporarily handle your financial responsibilities while you are grieving. Have that person follow up on any suspicious calls or emails.

10. Gift Voucher– This rip-off involves getting an unsolicited email from McDonald’s Subway or another popular restaurant or retailer offering a free gift card if you click on a link to activate it. The pitch looks legit, but it’s a phishing scam, meaning the perpetrator is either trying to install malware on your computer or gather personal info by having you complete an online questionnaire.
Your plan: Never click a link in an unsolicited email or divulge personal info, no matter how enticing the offer. Do a Google search (such as “McDonald’s gift card scam”) and see if any warnings come up. In most cases they will.

If you or anyone you know is the victim of any of these scams, contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at 770-942-2121, 8470 Earl D. Lee Blvd., Douglasville, GA 30134 and provide as many details as you can about your incident.

***Most of this information was taken from an AARP.org (Jan/Feb 2016) article, “A New Breed of Con Artists,” where identity thieves revealed how they steal, consequences for victims and the best ways to protect yourself.***

Suspects Wanted for Entering Autos

On November 25, 2018, two unknown males are believed to have broken into at least three vehicles at the Home 2 Suites located at 115 Interstate West Pkwy in Lithia Springs. They drove away in a 2008 – 2013 black Nissan Altima coupe.

If you have any information regarding the identities and/or location of these suspects, please contact  Inv. Taylor Smith at 678-486-1294 or tfsmith@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.

Case #R1815775, R1815776, and R1815777

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