By Gary Lloyd
A scam involving a man who claims to be a chaplain with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has hit the Chalkville area.
The scam has been reported in three areas — Chalkville, Alabaster and Inverness, said Jefferson County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Randy Christian.
Christian said the sheriff’s office is working to identify the person involved.
The scam, Christian said, works like this:
A man enters a business and asks for help
. He is well dressed and often wears a cross lapel pin. He tells his victim he is chaplain with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and has run out of gas. He goes on to say that a family member is either in jail or in the hospital. In his rush to help them, he claims to have left his wallet and credit cards at home.
The sheriff’s office, Christian said, wants the public to be aware of this scam and to know that the suspect is not affiliated with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“Anyone affiliated in such a manner with a law enforcement agency should have proper identification including a photo ID,” Christian said.
If you have information about the identity of the suspect, you are encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 205-325-1450.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.