The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is warning residents of a scam call that was recently reported several times.
The caller targeting residents alleges he or she is from the HCSO Warrant Department and demands money to resolve outstanding warrants or dismiss missed jury duty.
Once again, the @hcsotn has been made aware of several scams making their way throughout our community involving individuals who are contacting citizens advising them that they have outstanding warrants or have missed jury duty. pic.twitter.com/PsjUjPa9Jd
— Hamilton County Sheriff's Office – TN (@hcsotn) June 5, 2023
“Once again, the [HCSO] has been made aware of several scams making their way throughout our community involving individuals who are contacting citizens advising them that they have outstanding warrants or have missed jury duty,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a social media post.
“The caller, who claims to be from the [HCSO], states that in order to dismiss their warrant, they must purchase a pre-loaded debit card and pay a fee for removal or utilize a bit-coin machine for payment,” the post continues.
The sheriff’s office adds, “PLEASE NOTE: The HCSO nor any Hamilton County government office will never solicit money from a citizen. Any official communication from the HCSO or a government office will be sent by certified mail or you will be contacted and asked to come to one of our offices.”
As noted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), scammers use various tactics to sound and appear credible, such as sometimes providing information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. It is also possible for scammers to spoof their phone numbers to appear as if they are calling from a government agency or the court, the DOJ adds.
All recipients of scam calls are encouraged to report them to their local FBI office and to file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which can use information collected by law enforcement to detect fraud patterns and share that information with law enforcement.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
