PARKERSBURG - A fake political survey has taken email inboxes across the nation by storm.
Wood County Sheriff Jeff Sandy said Tuesday there have been no reported incidents of this scam to the sheriff's office in Parkersburg.
The nationwide scam was added to the sheriff's office Facebook page "in an effort to educate the public if they would happen to receive the survey in their email," Sandy said.
Officials said people should never give out their personal information, credit card information or checking account information online. Also, if anyone is told he or she will be paid to take a survey that is false information, officials said.
The scam has been reported as a "fake political survey." The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has been notified of the scam, which has involved telephone calls conducting a multiple-choice political survey.
Participants of the survey are told they have won a free cruise to the Bahamas and are asked to give the caller his or her email address and credit card information to cover small fees. The website has limited information but contains photos, testimonials and a "Caribbean Line" banner to try to prove legitimacy, officials said.
The IC3 also has received complaints regarding a phonebook website. It was reported that anyone could post other individuals' information. Some have reported being "verbally bullied, had uncensored comments or false accusations posted about them."
The personal information that can be listed on the website included full name, unlisted cellular numbers, email addresses and direct links to private Facebook accounts, officials said.
The IC3 also has received more than 2,000 complaints regarding a website claiming to offer "free credit services such as credit scores and credit monitoring." Customers have reported being charged a monthly service fee, having been under the impression the report was free.
At the end of the term, the website uses the supplied financial information of the customer to charge a monthly membership fee from $19.95 to $29.95, officials said.
The website has been given an F rating by the Better Business Bureau because of the complaints filed and advertising issues, officials said.
