The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public to be wary after a man falsely identified himself as one of the department’s investigators.
A Tyler resident was “swindled out of an undisclosed amount of money” after receiving a phone call from a man who said his name was “Detective Scotch” and that he worked as an investigator for the sheriff’s office, according to a news release from Sgt. Larry Christian.
The caller told the victim a loved one had been arrested and that they needed to pay a bond in crypto currency. The caller instructed the victim on the steps to pay the “bond,” and unfortunately, the victim believed him and was scammed, Christian said.
“At no time will anyone from Smith County Sheriff’s Office, or any law enforcement agency, call an individual and request cash or monetary payment for any criminal offense, warrant or bond,” Christian said.
He urged residents to simply ignore these types of calls or hang up, then call the sheriff’s office at 903-566-6600 or other local law…
