PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – ‘Tis the season of giving, at least that’s how most people see it. While the holidays may bring out the generosity in some, it brings out greed in others.
“Unfortunately some people use the holidays to take advantage of innocent people. It happens everywhere and we are not immune to it,” Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said.
A charity scam recently spotted in south Florida has reached Panama City Beach.
“Be aware that people will pull at your heartstrings to make a dime and it’s just tragic,” Talamantez said.
That’s exactly what the “Sofia Scam” is all about. Beach Fire Rescue ” target=”_blank”>posted to Facebook Wednesday saying quote, “the scammers never stop, they are ruthless, and prey off of the good people.” Attached is a scam alert from the ” target=”_blank”>Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, where you see two women holding posters requesting donations for a baby born with a heart condition.
“As of right now we have plenty of information coming in from the public that these people are here,” Talamantez said.
Fake charities aren’t just out on the streets, they’re also online. Multiple platforms raising money for the same specific reason should spark concern.
“Look at the keywords and do a search in your search engine and see if those things populate somewhere else,” Talamantez said. “Say they’re trying to raise $30,000 and you look at multiple platforms and see they’ve raised…
