If you get a call like this, Florida deputies want you to hang up the phone immediately
Floridians are facing a growing threat – and it's coming through their phones. A couple of sheriff's offices in Florida are sounding the alarm on a scam that's gaining traction.
The Volusia Sheriff's Office has received several reports of a recent phone call scam where someone is trying to impersonate their staff. The scammer will tell you that you missed jury duty, a grand jury summons or a court date – all in the hopes of you sending money to avoid having a warrant issued, deputies said.
"Don't fall for it!" the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook, adding that sometimes these phone calls spoof a Volusia Sheriff's Office phone number. That means the number could look like it's coming from a legitimate caller rather than a scammer. "If you get one of these calls, hang up. When in doubt, call us."
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The Marion County Sheriff's Office is seeing a similar phone scam on the rise where residents reported getting calls from people posing as a deputy under the name Sergeant Joseph Walker. Walker, apparently, has an "urgent personal matter" and "needs you to call him back," deputies said.
"THIS IS A SCAM!!! We would not have our deputies call you to have you pay a fine over the phone," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.
You can call MCSO's non-emergency number to double-check if the phone call you received was legit at 352-732-9111.