DATE: 

LOCATION: Louisa County, VA

MEDIA CONTACT: Detective Chuck Love, (clove@louisa.org)

LOUISA COUNTY, VA - The Louisa County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) wants to alert area residents of ongoing phone scams in which suspects pose as members of law enforcement and in particular as members of LCSO, to coerce victims into giving them money. This type of scam has occurred throughout our region, including Louisa County, and across the country.

Scams have variations but generally the caller will identify themself as a deputy or other law enforcement officer, then tell the victim, falsely, that a warrant has been issued because they missed a court date, did not show up for jury duty, have an overdue fine or something similar, and they will be arrested unless they pay right away.

Callers often use the names of actual deputies or police officers, and they may disguise their phone number to make it look like they are calling from a local law enforcement agency. This practice of disguising the caller ID is known as “spoofing.”

Callers intimidate victims by demanding payment and threatening them with arrest if they do not cooperate. They may demand fines or fees be paid with money, credit cards, gift cards, payment apps, or even cryptocurrency. But no legitimate law enforcement agency in Virginia or in the region will ever call someone and demand money.

Federal authorities have already reported that scammers will attempt to email a victim fake law enforcement credentials to gain their trust.

“The best way for anyone to protect themselves from these scams is simply to hang up,” says Sheriff Donald Lowe. “Don’t fall for this scam, don’t let your guard down, and don’t be intimidated to provide personal details or financial information. Real deputies are not going to call you and threaten you with arrest, so just hang up if you get a call like that.”

If you receive a phone call and someone is asking for money, it’s more than likely a scam. Anyone who has been the victim of a scam should notify their financial institution and report it to their law enforcement agency. The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (540)967-1234.