Over the past several weeks, the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office has received several calls in reference to checks being received in the mail. The checks are usually accompanied by a letter (originating from Nigeria, Canada, or another country) stating that the recipient of the check has won a survey drawing and that the recipient is entitled to a large sum of money. The letter further states that the enclosed check is a portion of the winnings that must be paid over to a tax agent in reference to a non-residential government service tax.

Citizens receiving correspondence similar to this should not, under any circumstances, cash the check and/or forward any money to the person identified in the letter. These are fraudulent checks and any money received as a result of cashing the check will require repayment by the recipient.

Please contact the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at (706) 886-7048 for additional information.