Middle Tennessee - Once again, a sheriff's department in Middle Tennessee is warning residents to resist the urge of believing everything they hear, even if it's a voice on the other end of your phone advising you to throw some moola their way. This time, the warning comes from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, who are reminding residents to be on the lookout for a recycled phone scam that’s back in circulation. And just like your annoying neighbor’s lawn ornaments, it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.
The scam involves callers pretending to be members of the sheriff’s department, claiming that the target missed court or a grand jury summons. The supposed fix? A simple payment will magically clear the "warrant" – but only if you cough up the cash with a prepaid credit card or gift card. Convenient, right?
The phone calls regarding the missed jury duty come from a variety of con-artist who all use similar tactics. After the caller introduces himself, he proceeds to tell the victim they missed jury duty. Here's a snippet of one version, which closes with an automated message… Some say the fraudsters are committed to their con game because these phone calls to unsuspecting citizens have been an ongoing effort that doesn't seem to have an end in sight.
Authorities warned that these jokers have found ways to make their calls appear as though they’re coming from numbers associated with the sheriff's department or the local courts – because nothing says "professional scam" like fake caller ID, which is rightfully called “Caller ID Spoofing,” according to the FCC.
But let’s make this clear: no one from the Coffee County, Rutherford County or Williamson County Sheriff’s Office will ever call you asking for a payment. If actually you do owe the county money, trust us – they’ve got more efficient ways to find you. The advice from law enforcement is simple: hang up, and notify your local law enforcement agency. If you can, jot down the scam number to help authorities track these nuisance calls.
And please, don’t embarrass yourself by rushing out to buy a prepaid gift card. Also, if anyone you know falls for this, let your local law enforcement know about the situation.
So, Middle Tennessee folks, if you get a call from "Deputy Definitely-Not-Real" saying you’ve got a warrant, stay calm. Just hang up, and save the prepaid card money for something more productive – like pumpkin-spiced everything.
More Scams: Want to learn more about scams that have targeted Middle Tennesseans? Click Here to see our collection of articles involving con-artist.
