TO: All Registered Sex Offenders in Putnam County

Please be aware that there have been numerous attempts where criminals are attempting to defraud registered sex offenders by telephone. These individuals are calling saying they are Deputy Sheriffs and instructing their victims to send payments by using green dot cards, Google accounts, and even Itunes cards, and if they don’t, threatening them with arrest. DO NOT SEND THESE PEOPLE ANY MONEY. This is nothing but a scam.

They may ask for your driver’s license number, social security number, debit or credit card or bank information. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY INFORMATION.

These scam artists appear legitimate because they know you are a sex offender, they know your address, and in some cases they may have your social security number and may even be able to tell you when you last reported to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. These callers aren’t connected with my office in any way. They sometimes even use the names of my detectives and deputies. Sometimes when victims returned their calls, they got a recording saying that you are calling the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. All of our phones are answered by a live person.

No Putnam County Deputy Sheriff or other employee of my office will ever ask you to make a payment in lieu of arrest or for any reason. Any legitimate official payment that might be due my office would have to be made in person here at our main office and you would be given an official receipt for such at the time you made the payment.

If you ever have any questions about someone who is representing our law enforcement agency, you may contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 706-485-8557. If someone attempts to defraud you as previously described, please report the incident to us immediately.

Howard R. Sills, Sheriff