BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WDNews)- The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is seeing an increase in warrant scams, with victims losing significant amounts of money.
In the latest version of the scam, fraudsters have detailed personal information about their targets, including their names, workplaces, and even the number of children they have. Posing as BCSO deputies, the scammers use caller ID spoofing to make their calls appear as if they are coming from the sheriff’s office.
Victims are falsely told they have missed jury duty and now have a warrant for their arrest. To avoid the embarrassment of an arrest, they are instructed to deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM. In two recent cases, victims were each directed to send $12,000.
BCSO urges the public not to send money in any form—whether through Bitcoin ATMs, gift cards, or other means—to resolve a warrant. If you receive such a call, hang up and verify the claim by calling the BCSO directly at 850-747-4700.
