Phone scams are increasingly becoming a nuisance and a threat to financial security for those that are on the receiving end of calls.
Washington County Sheriff Kevin Crews is warning residents of scammers who are posing as deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The phone number is often “spoofed” and appears on caller ID as one of our agency phone numbers. Agency employee impersonators will claim that someone has a warrant or fees that need to be paid. Be advised that deputies will not contact you over the phone for such issues.
“Scammers will go to great lengths to get what they want,” says Sheriff Crews. “It is important to remain alert and to warn other family members who may be vulnerable to these calls.”
During these calls, scammers have threatened prosecution or arrest, if they do not receive the information or payments they are requesting.
“If you are contacted by a person who threatens you with legal action or arrest, in order to obtain information, the call is fraudulent,” states Crews. “Do not give them your social security number or banking information. Hang up the phone immediately.”
If you are contacted by a person claiming to be an employee of our agency, it is always safest to hang up and call our office directly at 850-638-6111 to verify the information.