Burke County residents are on high alert as officials report an uptick in scam phone calls impersonating the Burke County 911 Center. These deceptive calls involve "spoofing" — a technique that falsifies caller ID info to make it seem like a legitimate emergency service is on the line. The aim is to mislead and exploit residents for financial gain or personal information theft.
In a public warning, Heather Joyner, the Burke County Emergency Communications Executive Director, emphasized the critical nature of the situation. According to Burke County's official statement, "These scammers are exploiting the trust our community places in 911 services." Joyner added, "Let me be clear: Burke County 911 will never call you asking for money, banking information, or your Social Security number. If you receive a call like that, hang up immediately and report it."
The community has been given guidelines on recognizing fraudulent calls. Warning signs include unexpected calls that push for immediate action, demands for money or banking details, and caller IDs displaying "Burke County 911" with threatening or illogical messages. Additionally, if a call induces excessive urgency or preys on emotions by suggesting a loved one is in danger or that legal troubles are imminent, it is likely fraudulent.
Residents should take measures to protect themselves against these calls. If a call feels suspicious, the right move is to end the conversation and verify its legitimacy by contacting the non-emergency number, 828-438-5500 (Option 9), of the 911 Center. When confirming, the confusion only deepens if the call back doesn’t match the expected service or individual when the number shown is dialed again.
Anyone in Burke County who happens to receive a dubious call purporting to be from the 911 service should not hesitate to report it. This can be done by calling the aforementioned non-emergency line and providing details of the incident.
