Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider is warning residents to be aware of scammers calling in an attempt to defraud individuals out of their money.

According to some reports, individuals posing as representatives from the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, on behalf of a fallen officer foundation, are soliciting money through various means.

“We really want to stress to our residents that we will never call and seek donations for any charity via phone,” said Chief Deputy Jimmy Davis. “We are entering the early season where folks start preparing for the holidays, a lot of people start donating to various charities, and a lot of scammers attempt to take advantage of those giving individuals. We want to educate our community on the things to avoid and certainly giving any credit card, banking, or personal information over the phone should never be done unless you have initiated the payment with a trusted source,” said Davis.

If you receive a call similar to the one described above, simply hang up and do not offer any information.