🚨 SCAM INFORMATION

Protect yourself, your family, and your money from scammers.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office Will Never:

  • Demand payment over the phone
  • Accept gift cards, Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers
  • Threaten immediate arrest unless payment is made
  • Ask you to keep the call secret
  • Request banking information, passwords, or Social Security numbers over the phone

Common Scams Affecting Our Community

🚔 Sheriff's Office / Jury Duty Scam

Scammers claim you missed jury duty, have a warrant, or must pay immediately to avoid arrest.

Reality: This is a scam.

🚗 Vehicle Purchase Scam

Victims find a vehicle online, send money by wire transfer, and the vehicle is never delivered.

Reality: Be cautious before sending payment.

💻 Tech Support Scam

Scammers claim your computer is infected and request remote access or payment to fix it.

Reality: Do not give remote access.

📱 Text Message Scams

Fake messages may claim you owe toll fees, missed a package, or need to verify a bank account.

Reality: Do not click suspicious links.

₿ Bitcoin / Crypto -
Currency Scam

Scammers claim you owe money, have a warrant, or need to protect your bank account. They instruct victims to withdraw cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM or transfer cryptocurrency to a specified wallet.

Reality: Government agencies and legitimate businesses do not require payment through Bitcoin or cryptocurrency.

🏥 Medicare Scam

Scammers pose as Medicare representatives and claim your Medicare card needs to be replaced, updated, or verified. They attempt to obtain your Medicare number, Social Security number, or banking information.

Reality: Never provide personal or financial information to unsolicited callers.

❤️ Romance / Emergency Scam

Scammers build trust, then claim they need money for an emergency, travel, medical bills, or legal trouble.

Reality: Never send money to someone you have not met in person.

Warning Signs of a Scam

  • The caller demands immediate action.
  • The caller threatens arrest, legal action, or account closure.
  • The caller asks for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, Cash App, Venmo, or Zelle.
  • The caller tells you not to speak with family, friends, law enforcement, or your bank.
  • The caller asks for passwords, banking information, or personal identification numbers.
  • The offer sounds too good to be true.

Featured Scam Alert

🚔 Law Enforcement Impersonation Scam

Scammers may call, text, or email claiming to be a deputy, detective, sheriff, court official, or other law enforcement representative.

They often claim you have missed jury duty, failed to appear in court, owe fines, or have a warrant for your arrest. The scammer will then demand immediate payment to avoid arrest or legal action.

Remember: Legitimate law enforcement agencies do not demand payment over the phone, by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, Cash App, Venmo, or Zelle.

If you receive one of these calls, hang up and contact the agency directly using a verified phone number.

What To Do If You Receive a Suspicious Call

Step 1

Hang up immediately.

Step 2

Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or banking information.

Step 3

Call the Washington County Sheriff's Office directly using a verified phone number.

Report a Scam

If you are a citizen of Washington County and believe you are the victim of a scam, take the following steps:

Step 1

Contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office at (740) 376-7070 Ext. 0.

Step 2

Visit IC3.gov and file a complaint.

IC3.gov is the official website for the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.