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.

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

Tips To Prevent Entering Autos

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is being proactive in the prevention of auto break-ins.  The holiday season makes for additional targeting for thieves looking to break into autos. Most break-ins are preventable.  Here are some ways you can help:

Keep your vehicle locked: This will prevent thieves from “flipping” the door handles and easily gaining entry.

Never leave valuables in plain view: If you do not want to take your valuables (purse, phones, laptop, etc.) with you, hide them in the trunk or other hard to see area (prior to reaching your destination). It may be best to take your valuables with you. Should your vehicle be broken into, you will still have your possessions. This includes firearms.

If you see something, say something: Call 911 if you see suspicious activity.

Be aware and alert: Be aware of your surrounding when out and about…and be alert. (Being on the cell phone may keep you distracted and make you a target.)

Use alarms: When walking to your vehicle alone utilize the alarm function on your key fob if confronted by a stranger.

Establish relationships with neighbors: Make your neighbors aware of when you will be away from your home during the holidays so that they may watch out for your property, remove mail and newspapers so that thieves will not notice your absence. Many break-ins have been occurring in the driveways of homes throughout the county.

Congratulations, Deputy Carter

Sheriff Tim Pounds and staff at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office would like to congratulate Deputy C. Carter on his graduation from mandate. He will be spending the next 12 weeks going through our in-house FTO program before being released to Patrol.

Visitation Officers Saved an Infant’s Life

Sheriff Tim Pounds and the DCSO is proud of the heroic efforts of Officers Brenda Jordan and Barbara Sprayberry who helped to save the life of an unresponsive one-month old boy on Friday, November 16, 2018.

A witness to the incident at the Visitation Center says the child wasn’t breathing and was unresponsive. The child’s mother was distraught and handed the baby to Officer Sprayberry who called 911, started CPR, checked the baby’s airway and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. According to the witness, the baby’s nose was bleeding and he had blood in his mouth, but she was able to get him breathing a little and he started to make quick cries. Paramedics arrived and took over. The infant was then transported to Douglas Wellstar then via Life Flight to Scottish Rite.

Jordan and Sprayberry’s quick thinking lead to what the ER doctor said, “If they had not been there and did what they did, the child would not have survived.”

The officers did everything they have been trained to do, to the best of their ability. Officer Sprayberry maintained a calm demeanor, gave clear instructions, performed CPR, informed 911 of the situation and maintained control of the environment around her. “To save a life, especially that of an infant, is the highest justification of existence, and the ultimate service to the public,” said Lt. Glenn Hensley, supervisor to the officers who have been with DCSO for almost 20 years collectively.

DCSO Receives Two GOHS Grants

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was recently awarded two grants. The first grant for $20,000.00 will be used for traffic enforcement. The second grant for $31,110.93 was awarded to our Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) Unit.

We received the $20,000.00 grant in recognition of our lifesaving work as the coordinating agency of Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Western Regional Traffic Enforcement Network. There are sixteen traffic enforcement networks across the state that help enforce Georgia’s year-round safety belt, speed and impaired driving campaigns.

“This is our way of supporting the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office through its continued leadership via Coordinator Dep. Matt Atkins and the Western Regional traffic enforcement network,” said GOHS Law Enforcement Services Director Roger Hayes. “We want to make sure they can continue their region-wide efforts to protect Georgia motorists from drunk and otherwise dangerous drivers. They’ve proven their dedication and this grant serves not only as recognition for that hard work, but as means for continuing the GOHS mission of reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities on our roads.”

The Western Regional Traffic Enforcement Network includes law enforcement agencies in eight counties, which include Douglas, Carroll Haralson, Heard, Troup, Coweta, Meriwether, and Paulding Counties.

Sheriff Tim Pounds and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office are very pleased and appreciative to receive this grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. This grant will assist and help along with the other agencies in the Western Regional Network by keeping our roadways safe for the citizens of each county.

The GOHS grant awards $20,000.00 to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, with half to support the activities of the traffic enforcement network and half to be spent on traffic safety equipment for our agency. The coordinator in the Western Regional traffic enforcement network region will coordinate year-round waves of high visibility, concentrated patrols, multi-jurisdictional road checks and sobriety checkpoints as a partner in campaigns such as Click It or Ticket, Operation Zero Tolerance and the Thunder Taskforce.

For more information on the award, contact Dep. Matthew Atkins at 770-942-2121 or by email at matkins@sheriff.douglas.ga.us. For more information on the grant program, call 404-656-6996 or visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.

The second grant of $31,110.93 will help finance our Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) Unit. The unit is designed to educate the public and enforce laws related to impaired and aggressive driving. Each officer is armed with materials to educate Georgia residents about state laws that regulate aggressive and impaired driving. Education and enforcement must go hand-in-hand for the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and its statewide partners to be successful in reducing the number of crashes, fatalities and injuries on our highways.

The grant year for this award will be October 1 of 2018 to September 30 of 2019.

For more information on this grant program, contact GOHS at 404-656-6996 and for more information on GOHS and its other highway safety programs, visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.