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Sheriff’s office warns residents of phone scams spoofing the county
Summary
A county law‑enforcement official told the court scammers are calling residents using former deputies’ names and spoofed caller ID, asking for gift cards or transfers; officials urged residents not to comply and to verify by calling known county numbers.
A Washington County law‑enforcement official warned residents Tuesday that scammers are using the county’s name and former deputies’ identities to pressure people into payments.
The official said the calls have used an old deputy’s name and spoofed the Washington County Sheriff's Office caller ID. Callers tell recipients they have missed court or that warrants were issued and then request payment by gift card or bank transfer; officials said those are scams.
"We just wanna remind everybody, most of the time we're not gonna call for warrants. We're gonna show up," the law‑enforcement official said, urging residents not to send gift cards or make transfers in response to such calls.
The office reported receiving five to six verification calls the prior day and asked residents to share the warning with friends and family. The official said one recent recipient lived out of town and had received a call falsely stating they had jury obligations.
No formal action was taken by the court; the announcement was an informational public‑safety notice from county law enforcement.
