It’s tax season and criminals are seizing the opportunity for scams.  Don’t become the next victim. Scammers leverage every means at their disposal to separate you from your money, your identity, or anything else of value they can get. They may offer seemingly legitimate “tax services” designed to steal your identity and your tax refund, sometimes with the lure of bigger write-offs or refunds. Scams may include mocked up websites and tax forms that look like they belong to the IRS to trick you into providing your personal information. Scam artists can prey on users by promising refund ..read more

Daniel Wayne Groth (44) of 325 Bowles Ln. Sanford NC was arrested and charged with 7 cts of 2nd degree sexual exploitation of a minor; he was held under $100,000 secured bond.  ..read more

3/10/2021 @ 5:00 AM deputies were called to 85 Soco Ln. Sanford NC in reference to a residence being set fire during a domestic dispute. Amdendrius Elizabeth McRae reported Shelia Renee Johns of 85 Soco Ln. attempted to set their residence on fire by pouring lighter fluid on the bedroom floor and setting it on fire. McRae reported her and Johns were arguing over a laptop computer. The residence suffered approximately $1,000 worth of damage. Johns was arrested on scene and charged w/ 1st degree arson and was held under no bond ..read more

3/3/2021 Anthony Leon Patterson (51) of 208 Mt. Pisgah Ch Rd. Sanford was arrested for misdemeanor breaking and entering, domestic criminal trespassing, violating a domestic protective order and injury to personal property; he was held under $100,000 secured bond ..read more

One of the most common and successful tricks cyber criminals use to trigger you into falling for their scams is fake “stressor events”. In this context, “stressor events”, are shocking or compromising situations that inflict fear or provoke other emotions, for the purpose of causing an impulsive reaction. How it works: When the bad guys present a shocking claim to an unknowing victim, they often add a sense of urgency to drive home the “importance” of the scenario. In reality, this sense of urgency is another factor increasing the chances that you’ll react impulsively and click on their malic ..read more

Many of you probably recall the infamous "Chinese Seeds" that started to appear nationwide in mailboxes in 2020.  Well, now it's facemasks.   The Better Business Bureau says this is part of a scam called “brushing” where companies, usually foreign, third-party sellers, are sending the items are using a person’s address found online. According to the BBB, their intention is to make it appear as though you wrote a glowing online review of their merchandise, and that you are a verified buyer of that merchandise.  They then post a fake, positive review to improve their product ..read more

Late Tuesday night, January 26th, at approximately 11:00pm, Lee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics agents executed a search warrant on the property located at 336 Patchett’s Creek Lane, Broadway. In the course of the search agents located approximately 136 grams of fentanyl, and 750 grams of marijuana. Dwight Leander Solomon was taken into custody and processed and charged with 1 count of trafficking opium/heroin by possession, one count of felony maintaining a dwelling place for the storage and sells of an illegal controlled substance, and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphe ..read more

On Thursday January 21, 2021, at 10:11 pm, Lee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics agents executed a search warrant on the residence located at 1874 Saunders Road, Sanford, NC. During the course of the search agents located 965 grams of marijuana, 54 dosage units of Suboxone, 488 dosage units of Xanax, two assault rifles, one shotgun, and four pistols. One of the pistols was entered as a stolen firearm.  Agents also seized $6440.00 in currency.  Shane Carter Taylor, age 28, was taken into custody and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count ..read more

As citizens, we all share the responsibility to see that our belongings stay secure and that we don't get complacent, this is when criminals take advantage of us.  Criminals look for easy opportunities such as stealing small items that can be bought or traded without being traced. I once had a fortune cookie that read "Society Prepares The Crime, The Criminal Commits It".    Never has there been a statement as true as this!   Report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff's department.    No law enforcement agency can operate effectively without t ..read more

With the ever-growing popularity of online shopping and online communications, you should always have your guard up in the cyberworld. Criminals will use any situation to their advantage–especially when it comes to annual holidays.  Below you’ll find a few examples of commonly used seasonal and holiday scams, and what you can do to protect yourself. Fake Shipping/Postal Notifications: End of the year holidays invite a greater likelihood of this common phishing attack, but this is a scam you must be cautious of all year long. Scammers send fake notifications that appear to come ..read more