RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Ah, the creativity of scammers these days – truly a sight to behold. In the latest installment of “How Dumb Do They Think We Are?” a woman in Rutherford County received a scam call that’s sure to win an award for Awkward Attempt at Deception.

To start this story we need to say that for starters, the scammers called the wrong woman, because her husband is a supervisor in the county corrections system. That said, she got a call from someone pretending to be Curtis Little from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. Because when you're trying to scam someone, why not go for the jugular and pretend to be a law enforcement officer? Bold move, right?

Our scam artist, who clearly thinks he’s a master of disguise, addressed the potential victim by name and told her to call a number regarding urgent “legal matters dealing with the court system.” How original! Fortunately, the woman wasn’t born yesterday and knew that this so-called Curtis Little was not the real Capt. Curtis Little. She promptly did what any sensible person would do – she reported the call to the actual Sheriff’s Office.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office has some sage advice: If you get a similar call, just hang up. Yes, it’s that simple. No need to play along, no need to call the fake number back, just hang up and carry on with your day.

Scammers, if you're reading this, find a new hobby. And to everyone else, don’t fall for these ridiculous schemes and risk losing your hard-earned money. Stay smart, stay safe, and remember, if it sounds fishy, it probably is.