Police Phone Scam Prompts Warning In Stafford

STAFFORD, VA—Here's the bottom line about a warning posted this week by the Stafford County Sheriff's Office: No one from its department or any other police department will ever ask you for money. If the caller claims to be a cop, the caller is lying.

The SCSO felt the need to issue said warning following an incident on Monday, April 29. A woman reported receiving a voicemail from someone claiming to be a Stafford deputy. The "deputy" told her she had two pending charges and needed to buy gift cards totaling $1,000 to pay for court costs. The woman told her husband about the voicemail, and he reported his suspicions to police. From the SCSO:

The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the community to be vigilant for scams. Sometimes,caller ID shows the name and phone number of a legitimate police agency. The scammer may even identify themselves as a deputy or police officer who is currently employed at the agency.

Neither the Sheriff’s Office nor any law enforcement agency will ever call asking for money. In addition, please remember that gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who demands payment by gift card is a scammer.

A couple of years ago in Loudoun County, there was a scam going around in which callers would pose as LCSO sheriff Mike Chapman and tell folks they had a warrant against them for missing jury duty, and that they needed to buy gift cards for payment.

Such scams often prey on older people, and the AARP has tips on how to avoid them. As it is, the SCSO asks anyone who believes he or she may have been the victim of a scam to call police at 540-658-4400.