PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office is urging the public to watch out for scammers pretending to be law enforcement officers and trying to get people to pay them money.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the sheriff’s office stated that a community member was contacted by someone using a fake “warrant.” The scammer threatened to arrest the person unless they paid part of the amount by depositing money at a Bitcoin machine. The scammer then warned that if the person was arrested, they would face a long jail sentence and owe the full amount.
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Pulaski County deputies said this scam isn’t new, but this is the first time they’ve received a report where a person was sent a warrant by text message and then contacted by phone.
Authorities provided a list of common tactics scammers use that people should watch for:
- Being told to stay on the phone to avoid arrest
- Being told to deposit money at a Bitcoin machine
- Being asked to purchase gift cards or prepaid credit cards
- Someone claiming to be from your bank asking for sensitive account information
- Being told your computer has a virus and asked to give remote access to fix it
- Being told you must pay a fee to keep a loved one out of jail
The sheriff’s office emphasized that even if scammers provide your full name, birthday, or social media information, it is still likely a scam.
“There are data breaches constantly where millions and millions of individuals’ personal information is compromised,” the sheriff’s office said.
They also warned that scams can come via text message or email. Never click on links from unknown sources.
“These are just a few of the scams out there, and they are coming up with new ones every day,” the sheriff’s office said. “Please be smart about things and do not fall for scare tactics. If you even think for a split second you are being scammed, you probably are, so just hang up or delete the text, and then block the number it came from. As always, we never close. Call if you need us.”
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 540-980-7800.