BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT)— The Blount County Fire Protection District is warning residents to be on alert after receiving multiple reports of scam calls falsely claiming to represent the department.
According to a public notice issued by the fire district, residents have reported receiving automated calls or robocalls that appear to come from the Blount County Fire Protection District and attempt to solicit donations or request payment information.
Fire officials stressed that the department is not making automated calls to request money or donations from the public.
“The Blount County Fire Protection District has been made aware of reports involving automated or robocalls being made to citizens that appear to represent, or claim to be from, the Blount County Fire Protection District,” the notice stated. “The Blount County Fire Protection District is NOT making automated or robocalls to solicit donations or request money from citizens.”
Officials said they are actively investigating the reports and working to determine the source of the fraudulent calls.
The department also warned residents that scammers can manipulate caller identification systems through a practice known as “spoofing,” making it appear that a call is originating from a legitimate organization when it is actually coming from a fraudulent source.
To help protect residents from becoming victims of the scam, the department issued several safety recommendations:
- Do not provide credit card, banking, Social Security, or other personal information over the phone.
- Do not make payments or donations in response to automated calls claiming to be from the fire department.
- Do not call any 800 number provided by an automated caller claiming to represent the department.
- Hang up immediately if you are unsure whether a call is legitimate.
- Contact the Blount County Fire Protection District directly at (865) 983-2133 to verify whether a call actually originated from the department.
Officials encourage anyone who receives a suspicious call claiming to be from the fire district to use caution and independently verify the information before sharing personal details or sending money.
The warning comes as public agencies across Tennessee and the nation continue to see increases in phone scams that use spoofed phone numbers and official-sounding messages to gain victims’ trust.
