GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The Guilford County Sheriff's Office has issued a fraud warning against scammers who are pretending to be law enforcement.
Sheriff Danny H. Rogers says that the scammers are calling people in Guilford County and demanding they pay fines in order to not be arrested while pretending to be deputies. In some cases, the scammers are using actual local law enforcement names from the GCSO.
The Sheriff's Office says that many of the scammers are claiming that a court date or jury selection has been missed and that a warrant will be issued if the person does not pay a $900 fine via pre-paid cards. The scammers have also been known to speak quickly and use an authoritative tone to pressure people into sending the money without question.
According to the GCSO, the scammers are using "spoofed" phone numbers that begin with (336) 441-**** to give the appearance they are calling from a GCSO extension. They are also using "burner" phones and frequently changing the numbers they are calling from to avoid detection.
The Sheriff's Office has reiterated that they will never ask that a person pay any fine by cash, credit card, pre-paid cards, PayPal, CashApp, or any other form of payment. Such business will also never be conducted over the phone, so people should never provide any personal or financial details over a phone conversation.
Anyone who wishes to inquire about if they owe a fine or wishes to look into a warrant should call the GCSO directly at (336) 641-3690.
The following tips have been provided to avoid these scammers:
- Do not answer calls from numbers you do not recognize
- Do not return one-ring calls from unknown numbers
- If you do answer and it's a robo-caller or you believe the call to be a scam, hang up without saying anything
- Do not press any buttons or give out any information
The following guidelines have also been provided about things the Sheriff's Office will never request a person to do:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone
- Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal or financial information
- Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone or by mail
- Demand that you meet someone to make a payment away from the window at the Sheriff's Office
Anyone with information or questions regarding these scams is asked to contact the FBI by filing a
report at www.ic3.gov or you can call the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office at (336) 641-3690.
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