Ongoing scam from Highlands County Sheriff “Deputies”
From the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office:
SCAM ALERT | We have learned that there are people who are calling residents posing as one of our deputies and demanding money in order to avoid being arrested. This is a scam. We do not make calls like this … ever.
These scammers will claim to be from a law enforcement agency (sometimes even federal ones). They claim you have warrants for everything from missed jury duty to drug trafficking. They will tell you you have to pay a certain amount right now in order to avoid being taken into custody. They are lying about all of it.
They have the ability to make it look like they are calling from any phone number (including ours) and can sound very convincing. They use different names (sometimes even using the name of someone who really does work here), but it is important to know that no law enforcement agency will ever offer you a way to pay your way out of a warrant. That’s not how things work.
Remember: Any time someone calls you up out of the blue and starts asking for money, for whatever reason, the safest thing is to assume it is a scam until proven otherwise.
Some sure-fire indications it is a scam are:
- Asking for payment in any type of gift card or to have money wired to them.
- Wanting you to stay on the phone while you get the money.
- Offering something that is too good to be true.
If you get a call like this, just hang up and then make sure your friends and neighbors are aware of the scam so they don’t fall for it. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 863-402-7200.