ROANOKE, Va. – The Better Business Bureau is warning residents of scam phone calls that are impersonating the Roanoke Sheriff’s Office.
The BBB said the scams use real names, phone numbers, and accurate location details, which makes the caller appear to be a real member of law enforcement.
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The caller usually informs the victim that they failed to appear in court, gives fake citation numbers and asks the victim to go downtown to pay a bond. The scammers may also get aggressive when questioned and use confusing tactics like transferring the call to other individuals.
The BBB suggests you do the following if you find yourself victim to one of these scam calls.
- Stay calm. If you are contacted by a possible impersonation scammer, resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is or how threatening the caller sounds.
- Do not feel pressured to give personal information. If someone who has called you first asks you for your social security number, account number, password, or any other piece of identifying information, treat it as a red flag. Even if the details seem real, you may be chatting with a scammer. If you’re unsure, hang up and reach out directly to the company or organization’s customer service phone number or website.
- Never pay over the phone, especially if the call was unsolicited. Don’t click on links or give over your credit or debit card number if you are not certain the person is who they say they are.
- Search BBB Scam Tracker. You may find that several other people have reported a similar situation.