| Calhoun and regional businesses are being phone scammed by a company that sells refrigerator magnets with emergency numbers, saying the solicitation has been approved by officials in county agencies.
Tim Toppings, a local contractor, said the company says they are selling the magnets with the approval of the sheriff, Calhoun Commission, Calhoun Library and 911.
"They also said the building commission approves the project," Toppings said. The county does not have an official building commission.
The company idenitifes itself as the Calhoun Community Guide.
He said the outfit has made more than one call, offering the magnets at various reduced prices, while requesting information from his credit card.
Sheriff Allen Parsons said his office has never been consulted about such a venture, and says if businesses get such calls, he should be notified.
Librarian Amy Cooper and OES/911 Director Kathy Wood said they had not endorsed such a venture.
Phone scams to the public have continued to increase.
A Grantsville woman reported she had received two such calls this week.
She received call from Gift Survey, saying she has won two $200gift certificates from WalMart, but had to pay a handling charge with s credit card. When she told them she didn't have a credit card, they hung up.
The same woman, the following day, saying she had won a trip to the Bahamas. Again, when she said she didn't have credit card, they hung up.
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