The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning on Saturday about a scam.
Someone called a potential victim claiming to be a member of the ECSO administration. The scammer claimed the person had a current warrant but could choose to make a payment instead of being arrested, according to ECSO.
“The ECSO will never contact you to collect money,” the agency said in a release. “The recipient became suspicious and contacted the ECSO – which is exactly what they should have done.”
Deputies said there are multiple versions of the scam currently where fraudsters claim to be sworn law enforcement officers or other employees of the sheriff’s office.
The ECSO offered the following safety tips:
- Always be suspicious of any threatening calls claiming to be from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
- A legitimate business will not resort to threats as a first response to a late or missed payment.
- Always be suspicious when asked to send an electronic payment, Green Dot card payment, or wire transfer.
- Trust your instinct. If you feel that something “just isn’t right”, don’t give any personal or banking information to anyone over the phone. Hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency and report it.
“It is much easier to prevent fraud in the first place than to recover your money after the fact,” ECSO said.
