Officials with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office provided further information today on two raids that occurred Wednesday involving multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies.
Douglas Now reported the raids Wednesday afternoon after receiving information that they centered on a suspected large scale fraud operation that crossed state lines and involved multiple individuals.
According to the authorities, Coffee County Sheriff Doyle Wooten initially received information that a scam operation was possibly being conducted at 904 N. Madison Ave. in Douglas. Wooten consulted with Douglas Police Chief Gary Casteloes and the two reached an agreement that the Douglas P.D. and Coffee County Sheriffs’ Office would jointly investigate the case.
After weeks of investigation and surveillance, it was learned that the employees of the scam operation were making a large number of phone calls each day to individuals throughout the United States in an attempt to extract payment for debts not owed. It was learned that the scam operators in Douglas had connections to several business partners in the Orlando, Fl. area. At that point, officials say, the United States Secret Service of the Dept. of Homeland Security was contacted for assistance.
In the meantime, the Douglas scam operation expanded by opening a second location at 803 N. Peterson Ave.
On Wednesday morning, Coffee County Sheriff’s deputies, Douglas Police Department officers, and U.S.Secret Service agents executed a federal search warrant at 904 N. Madison Ave. All electronics and other evidence was collected. All employees located at the site were interviewed, and both locations were closed down. Simultaneously, the Orlando, Fl. connections were searched and the people interviewed.
Due to this being an ongoing investigation, law enforcement is not providing any further information, but authorities say numerous indictments are expected.
Sheriff Wooten encouraged citizens to be extremely careful of ‘scam calls.’ If you have any doubt about a phone call you receive demanding payment for a debt that you cannot recall making, hang up and report the call to law enforcement. If you receive a call offering a large amount of money or prize but you have to pay a small sum to actually receive it, hang up because it is a scam.
Never give a caller your personal information, such as date of birth, social security number, full name, address, bank account numbers, etc. . An additional resource to confirm fraudulent phone calls is to go to 800notes.com. This site will allow you to enter the caller’s phone number and read comments from other individuals who have received phones calls from that number. This will give you an idea as to the validity of the call and also an opportunity to make comments relating to your call which will help other readers.
Sheriff Wooten and Chief Casteloes thanked the Coffee County Sheriff deputies, Douglas Police Department officers and the U.S. Secret Service for their efforts and success in closing down these fraudulent operations.