RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – Ah, another day, another scam targeting the good people of Rutherford County - and this scam is one that WGNS has reported over and over again, because it continues to be a problem! It seems as if the not-so-creative fraudsters are continuing to pretend they are sheriff’s deputies. Evidently, this can mean only one of two things: Either their scams are working or their day jobs as low-level con artists just aren’t paying the bills. 

In the latest round of “Let’s See Who Falls for This,” scammers are calling residents and sternly informing them that they missed a federal grand jury. (Because, obviously, people regularly receive personal invites to such events.) The impersonator, allegedly a Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputy, goes full Hollywood villain—telling victims to stay on the line, keep quiet about the call, and presumably wait for further instructions that involve handing over their hard-earned cash.

Fortunately, at least one savvy resident wasn’t buying it. Instead of panicking and pulling out their wallet, they did the unthinkable: they hung up and called the actual Sheriff’s Office. And—surprise, surprise—no one there had any clue what this was about. Because, as the real Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone:

• Deputies do not call people to tell them they missed a federal grand jury.

  

• Deputies do not threaten to arrest you over the phone.

• Deputies do not ask for money to make your imaginary legal troubles disappear.

So, if someone calls you with this nonsense, do yourself (and your bank account) a favor: hang up, block the number, and maybe have a good laugh at how poorly these scammers understand law enforcement. Because if they really knew how the system worked, they’d probably already be sitting in jail instead of trying to scam you.

• Read more about this ongoing issue HERE.