The Sheriff’s Office responded to several calls over the weekend from citizens who have received phone calls from individuals claiming to be with The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.
The person in this scenario identifies himself as Deputy James Marshall. The victims were told they missed a summons for court. The caller told the victims they needed to clear this matter by sending him $2,000 using a Green Dot cash card. This is a tactic often used by con artists to make it appear the victim is receiving the call from a law enforcement agency.
These con artists can sound convincing. They use fake names and bogus identification badge numbers. They may also know a lot about the individuals they are targeting.
These con artists often alter the caller ID to make it look as though a government or a law enforcement agency is actually calling.
The Sheriff’s Office, or other law enforcement agencies, will never:
-Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about debts owed without first having mailed you a notice,
-Demand that you pay debts without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed,
-Require you to use a specific payment method for your debts, such as with a prepaid debit card,
-Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone,