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Escambia Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Possible Scam
October 21, 2017
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a possible fraud.
A potential victim recently received a call from someone who claimed to work for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He told the victim that if she did not send money by electronic payment right away, he would issue a warrant for her arrest for failure to appear for jury duty.
Anyone receiving such a call is asked not to send money and report the call to the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
There are multiple variations of this scam currently going around, and fraudsters are constantly devising new and innovative ways to take your hard-earned money. Here are a few ways you can avoid becoming a victim of fraud, from the ECSO:
- Always be suspicious of any threatening calls claiming to be from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office or any other business – especially if it is coming from a business that you do not normally patronize.
- A legitimate business will not resort to threats as a first response to a late or missed payment.
- Always suspicious when asked to send an electronic payment, “green dot” card payment, or wire transfer.
- Always rust your instinct. If you feel that something “just isn’t right”, call your local law enforcement agency and report it. It is much easier to prevent fraud in the first place than to recover your money after the fact.
Comments
5 Responses to “Escambia Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Possible Scam”
Please, everyone take this serious! This happen to me. These people are very sophisticated when they have you are the phone. I even doubted it from the beginning and they still had me thinking it might be true. I was told that I did not show up for my court hearing for taxes I owed and there is a warrent for my arrest. Told them I didnt owe no taxes and never got no notice. They said it was probably just error but i still needed to go to court house today. I told them I would just go to nearest police station and turn myself in. Then they said I could but I would have to stay in jail over night. They said if I go to court house today I would be released today. Then they instructed me to go to rite aid and get cash pacs to pay with. That was when my husband and I went to police station nearby and the police chief got on my phone and ask who they were then the caller asked who he was and he said chief of police. Immediately they hung up. The call was even from the city and state where the court house was located. These people have a logical answer for anything you ask them. Only until you speak with one of them will you understand how convincing they are.
The IRS also conducts their business via the U. S. Postal Service. So if someone calls and claims to represent the IRS, tell them where to go and hang up.
When I get calls if I don’t know the number I don’t answer. I get all kind of calls from different States sometimes 000-000-0000.
Install Truecaller ID, recommended by Sprint. It helps keep track of scam calls, and allows you to easily block them.
I do not need to rust my instincts. My brain is already a bit rusted. But, seriously,
Thanks for the warning.