Local citizens should be aware of “scammers” operating in the area.

A local resident recently reported being contacted by telephone several times by someone claiming to be with Publisher’s Clearing House Gold Rush with Bank of America. The resident was informed they had won a large sum of money and only needed to pay approximately $300 to have the check sent to them by FedEx. The caller requested credit card numbers, etc. and continued to call in attempts to get the information. The scammer even went so far as to leave what appeared to be a FedEx call tag at the residence, making it appear that FedEx had attempted a delivery of a sweepstakes check when the resident was not at home.

The resident investigated the matter and discovered it was indeed a scam. Publisher’s Clearing House stated they do not contact any of their winners by telephone and never request a payment of any kind; Bank of America knew nothing of the matter; and FedEx confirmed that the company did not have a driver in the area on the date the call tag was left at the residence.

You have been warned!

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Celebrating birthdays this week are: Jackie Landrum, David Waters, Leila Ann Seibert, Charles (Jack) Burke, Lisa Troisi, John Ellis, Marie Garvin, Callie Dailey, Shannon Ward, Ann Saxon, Buford Williams, Bobby Q. Cobb, Laurie Fleming, Eddie Williams, Jason Boynton, Paul Godbee and Myrt Newton.

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Military Active Duty List: 1LT Justin G. McBride, U.S. Army, Ft. Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma; PFC E3 Jeremy Johnson, U.S. Army, 59th Quartermaster Company, Ft. Carson, Colorado; Cpl. Adam T. Lanier, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Bt. 6th Marine Regiment, Weapons Co., Scout Sniper Platoon, Afghanistan; E-4 Sr. Airman Roy Davis, U.S. Air Force, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom; Cpl. Patrick Barnette, U.S. Marines, 29 Palms, California; Sgt. Adam Demshar, 44th Signal Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq; Cpl. Lee Ogden, U.S. Marines, Camp Pendleton, CA; E5 Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Naples, Italy; Senior Airman Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Osan AFB, Korea; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, 735th Air Mobility Squadron Detachment 1 Commander, Richmond Royal Australian AFB, Richmond, Australia; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Chief Petty Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 25th Infantry Division, Schafield Barracks, Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Baghdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and SPC Charles “C.J.” Amerson, U.S. Army, Louisiana.