The Medina County Sheriff's Office has recently received information from citizens of the county advising that they have received telephone calls from a subject claiming to be from the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police). The person stated that they are representing the Medina County Sheriff's Office and are asking for donations for an upcoming benefit.

The Medina County Sheriff's Office does not solicit for donations via telephone, and there are no scheduled benefits at this time. It appears the above telephone solicitation is a scam.

Many scams involve bogus prize offers, phony travel packages, get-rich-quick investments and fake charities. Con artists are skilled liars who spend a lot of time polishing their sales pitches. As a result, it can be difficult to see through their scams.

Alert those you care about to be on their guard if they hear the buzz words for fraud. Among the tip-offs are:

• You must act "now" or the offer will expire.
  
• You’ve won a "free" gift, vacation or prize — but you must pay for "postage and handling" or some other charge.
  
• You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number or have your check picked up by courier — before you’ve had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
  
• It’s not necessary to check out the company with anyone — including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau or consumer protection agency.
  
• You don’t need written information about the company or its references.
  
• You can’t afford to miss this "high-profit, no-risk" offer.

If you suspect the person calling you is a con artist, ask for his or her name, the name of the company they work for, and a telephone number you can call back. If they are legitimate, they will be more than happy to give you the information. You can then investigate to determine if it is a legitimate business before making a donation or giving out your personal information.

If you have questions about telephone scams please call the Detective Bureau at (330)725-9116.