By Joe Johnson
An Athens woman this week lost nearly $2,000 to a telephone scammer who pretended to be representing the U.S. Social Security Administration, Athens-Clarke County police said.
The 55-year-old victim reported she was at work Monday afternoon when she received a call from a male who identified himself as Samuel Jordan from the SSA, according to police.
The caller told the victim that her Social Security number had been used to open multiple credit card accounts by people who were also laundering money. The scammer told the woman that a warrant had been issued for her arrest, but that the warrant would be quashed if she sent money.
The woman told police she purchased three gift cards totaling $1,900 that she sent to the thief.
Police earlier this week urged people to be careful about falling victim to phone scams.
“Please be wary of scammers and their requests, especially if they require gift cards for payment,” police warned. “We urge citizens to be vigilant to scammers who are continuing to modify their pitches to increase their effectiveness. If in doubt, do not send money or gift cards.”