Guilford County Issues Holiday Scam Alert, Lists Twelve Threats
Guilford County on December 1 urged residents to remain vigilant this holiday season and outlined a list of twelve common scams to watch for, noting that county officials will never demand immediate payment or request card numbers by phone or email. The advisory provides practical steps for protection, explains how to report incidents to local law enforcement, and directs residents to registration and resources to help investigators track theft and fraud.
Guilford County moved to alert residents about a surge in scam attempts tied to the holiday season, issuing a detailed advisory on December 1 that named a dozen specific threats. The county stressed it will never call to demand immediate payment over the phone or request credit or debit card numbers by phone or email. That clarification aims to reduce successful impostor and payment scams that target families during peak shopping and travel weeks.
The county listed the Twelve Scams of Christmas as imposter scams, bail bonds cons, counterfeit charities, romance ripoffs, cryptocurrency schemes, gift card schemes, mailbox thieves, travel site scams, porch pirates targeting packages, AI deep fakes, fake job listings, and email phishing. The advisory emphasized basic protective steps for residents, including not sending money to anyone who claims to represent Guilford County without verifying the claim, ignoring unknown phone numbers, never pressing buttons or providing personal information to unsolicited callers, and reporting suspicious activity to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office or local law enforcement.
Practical local measures were recommended to support investigations and deter theft. The county advised residents to register doorbell and porch cameras with the Sheriff’s Office where registration is available, and said it had supplied local contact numbers for reporting and camera registration. For further information and guidance the county directed residents to GuilfordCountyNC.gov/Anti-Scam and provided a contact for inquiries at Eddi Cabrera Blanco, ecabrera@guilfordcountync.gov.
The advisory has policy and civic implications for local governance and public safety. Clear messaging about what municipal officials will and will not do by phone helps protect trust in government communications and reduces confusion that scammers exploit. Registering neighborhood cameras and reporting scams promptly improves law enforcement ability to identify patterns and pursue prosecutions, while community reporting supports broader prevention efforts.
Residents planning holiday travel, online purchases, or hiring temporary help should consider these warnings central to personal security. Timely reporting and verification of unexpected demands for money remain the most immediate tools for residents to protect households and assist county law enforcement in curbing seasonal fraud.
