RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – In today’s episode of People Will Believe Anything If You Say It With Authority, a local woman received a call from someone claiming to be Rutherford County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Keith Lowery, informing her that she had missed a court date. Gasp! The horror! Except—spoiler alert—she hadn’t.

 

Thankfully, before going full panic mode, the woman did something truly radical: she checked with her mother. Mom, being the voice of reason, decided to call the actual Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, where—surprise, surprise—Chief Deputy Lowery confirmed he had not made the call. Because, let’s be honest, he has far better things to do than phone random citizens about court dates they never had.

 

For the record, Sheriff’s deputies do not call people to let them know they’ve missed court dates. They also don’t demand money, bitcoin, or gift cards—because this is law enforcement, not a sketchy Craigslist deal. If you ever find yourself on the receiving end of one of these calls, the best response isn’t fear—it’s the red “end call” button.

 

So, next time someone pretending to be the sheriff’s office claims you owe them money, do yourself a favor: hang up, take a deep breath, and marvel at the fact that someone out there actually thought this scam might work.