The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia is warning residents against fraudulent calls occurring in the area.
On Monday just before 9:10 a.m., a woman reported she received a call from a person who claimed to be a member of the sheriff’s office. The caller told her there was a warrant for her arrest for missing jury duty, and she needed to pay a fine.
To pay for the fine, the woman had to buy Green Dot MoneyPak cards. The victim bought the gift cards totaling $4,500.
After buying the cards and giving the information to the caller over the phone, the woman suspected she had been scammed. She then contacted the sheriff’s office and reported what happened.
When scammers using a similar scenario contacted residents claiming to be with the police department and sheriff’s office in Alexandria, Virginia, last summer, both agencies said their departments would never call asking for money.
If you get a call similar to what happened to the victim, contact authorities.
