The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office is warning that scammers are impersonating its employees, demanding payment over the phone.
The sheriff’s office has been receiving reports of people calling residents, claiming to be from the department. The scammers claim residents owe a fine for a warrant or failing to appear, then urge them to pay with a wire transfer.
“Please be advised this is a SCAM,” the sheriff’s office posted. “TCSO does not call and demand money over the phone to pay for warrants, fines or missed jury duty. We will NEVER ask for any payment via gift cards or green dot cards, or any payment app such as Zelle or CashApp.”
The scammers are using the names of real sheriff’s office employees, and the calls appear to come from real phone numbers affiliated with the department.
“Be very suspicious of anyone requesting money over the phone or through a text message,” the sheriff’s office posted. “Before you act, verify the information. Talk to friends or family or run a quick online search. That one step could save you thousands of dollars.”
Officials urged residents to contact their local police department or the sheriff’s office if someone tries to scam them. They can reach the sheriff’s office dispatch at 817-884-1213.
The sheriff’s office also asked members of the public to spread the word, especially to those who live alone or cannot access social media.
The county has seen similar scams, where callers pretend to be employees of the sheriff’s office and demand payment. But in many cases, the sheriff’s Cyber Crimes Unit acted quickly – freezing the scammers’ accounts before they could steal the money for good.
The sheriff’s office warned members of the public that they will never call demanding payment over the phone. If residents receive these calls, they should immediately hang up and call the department directly. “The faster we know, the better the chance we can help.”
In August, a scammer from Frisco impersonated the FBI – tricking an elderly couple out of $25,000, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Garland police met the scammer at the airport when she returned from another country, and promptly arrested her.