Polk Sheriff Issues Scam Alert To Central Florida Businesses

LAKELAND, FL -- The Polk County sheriff's Office is warning central Florida businesses about the return of a longtime email scam in which employees are being targeted by phony emails that appear to be from a boss or company executive directing them to purchase gift cards or transfer company funds.

"Scammers are always looking for their next victim. But, you can outsmart them by simply taking time to think about a situation before reacting too quickly," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd Thursday in issuing an alert. "Business owners should consider talking to their employees about this scam to come up with some safeguards."

Sherrie Morgan of the sheriff's office said that the phony emails generally include something that's not quite right upon closer inspection.

"Different letters or spellings or domain name that might not be noticeable," she explained. "Businesses are reminded to verify all emails before sending money to anyone and contact their financial department about anything that seems strange or suspicious. Smaller companies are advised to have good communication, preferable in person when it comes to making financial decisions."

The Polk County and Manatee County Sheriff's Offices both recently warned residents about a telephone scam in which callers claim to be from law enforcement. They request a payment during the phone call.

"There have been five reported incidents so far recently in Polk County and one person is now a victim of the crime," she said. "There are endless variations of this type of scam, so the bottom line is that no one from an official agency, like the Polk County Sheriff's Office, is going to call anyone asking for money for legal issues."

Morgan advised residents to contact the sheriff's office through a published telephone number if they receive such a call.