Scammers are still calling up Guilford County residents, claiming to be with the county’s Sheriff’s Department and attempting to separate those people from their hard-earned money.
The department doesn’t like for people to break the law – and it’s especially egregious when those criminals do so while pretending to be law enforcement officers or justice department officials.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9 the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department sent out a press release that the department has sent out several times before. It warned again about a recurring scheme: Scammers pretending to be law enforcement officers call residents to scam them by demanding that they pay fines in order to avoid arrest.
According to the press release, Guilford Metro 911 has received numerous calls from local residents who were contacted by scammers who claimed to be law enforcement officers and who, in some cases, even used the actual names of officers with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department.
“Many of these criminals are claiming that a court date or jury selection has been missed and a warrant has been or will be issued unless the person pays a fine via pre-paid cards,” the press release states. “These scammers often speak quickly and use an authoritative tone to put pressure on the citizen so he or she will agree to send money without question. The numbers that the reported scammers have called from recently are ‘spoofed’ numbers that begin with 336-641-**** which make it appear that it is an extension from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. Often these criminals use ‘burner’ phones and the numbers that they call from may change frequently to avoid detection.”
In light of that threat, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department is reminding everyone that its officers will never ask you to pay a fine by cash, credit card, prepaid card, PayPal, CashApp or gift card.
Department officials want everyone to know that they do not conduct this type of business over the telephone and people should therefore be very wary when a stranger asks them to provide any personal or financial information on a call.
If you think you owe a fine or if you have an inquiry about a possible warrant or arrest, you should contact the Sheriff’s Department directly by calling 336-641-3690.
Anyone who has information or questions regarding these scams is being asked to get in touch with the FBI by filing a report at www.ic3.gov or the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department at 336-641-3690.
