Potential Scam reported in Ellijay

ELLIJAY, Ga. – Business owners and downtown merchants are being a little more cautious this holiday season as Ellijay is falling under similar situations as so many across the country this season with scam artists.

Laura Thomas, the owner of Green Willow Soap in Downtown Ellijay, has been reporting and raising awareness of a specific scam artist that visited her shop this week. Thomas says that the older-looking woman entered her store complaining that she had lost her atm card and couldn’t access her money in the bank.

According to her story that she told, the woman had also not eaten lately nor had anywhere to sleep the night before. Thomas stated, “I told her that I would call the police to help her. The tears stopped, sobbing stopped, and she all but ran out of my store and up the sidewalk.

Thomas told FYN that as she followed the lady, continuing to ask her to wait for the police, the lady entered a vehicle with a Bartow County License plate.

However, Green Willow Soap is not the only one reporting this scam. Allegedly, similar situations have occurred at the downtown barbershop and other businesses. Marcelle Lowry of the barbershop told FYN that the barbershop had given the lady $20 before she had gone into Green Willow Soap. Lowry then followed with Thomas as they were asking that she wait for the police. Lowry said she kept crying as she was in the shop, but she did not appear to have any tears on her face.

Additionally, as Thomas originally went to social media to share the experience, numerous people have come forth saying they have helped the lady as well or given rides. Allegations continue to say that others have seen her in Cartersville and Canton as well.

In a season focused on sharing and giving gifts, many also take time to also share and help those in need. However, it seems that more and more lately, others continue to take advantage of this season in attempts to prey on those who would help others with scams like this. Citizens and local business owners continue to share these stories to help each other avoid these scams and learn from the situations.