How a sheriff's office scam made me think I was going to jail

When my husband noticed a missed call from a local number, he immediately checked the voicemail. After all, we’re on vacation, and if something’s happening, we prefer to know.

The caller presented himself as Sergeant Schlude, who happens to be a real officer from the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. He asked my husband to call back about a legal matter, and when my husband did, the person on the line claimed he had missed a court date and owed $12,000. And that’s when I started to feel something was … off.

The caller, or should I say scammer, warned that failing to resolve the issue immediately could result in an arrest, which only added to the panic. When I heard that, I told my husband to hang up and call the sheriff’s department directly.

Fortunately, my quick thinking paid off. When we called the authorities, they confirmed it was a scam and assured us that law enforcement would never call someone directly for matters like that.

It’s wild how real these things can feel in the moment. And if it weren’t for my history with cybersecurity, they might have gotten me. So let’s break down how this scam works, why the sheriff’s office wouldn’t be calling you like this, and how you can help protect yourself next time the phone rings.

How the scam works

The sheriff’s office scam works by spoofing real phone numbers and using caller ID manipulation to make it look like the call is coming from a legitimate law enforcement agency.

Some even use AI voice cloning and have personal details about you on hand, like your full name, address, or employer, that they’ve scraped from online data breaches or social media.

Here’s how a typical sheriff’s office scam unfolds:

1. Initial contact: You’ll typically get a call or voicemail from someone claiming to be a deputy or sergeant from your local sheriff’s office. Scammers often use the name of a real officer to build trust.
2. Fabricated legal issue: They’ll tell you that you’ve missed jury duty, skipped a court date, or are involved in a legal matter to set the scene.
3. Pressure tactics: Scammers will “warn” that you could be arrested or have your license suspended if you don’t act fast.
4. Payment demand: They’ll ask you for payment via wire transfer, prepaid debit card, or even gift cards — methods no real law enforcement agency would ever use.

In another version of this scheme, scammers impersonated jail officials and targeted families of inmates, claiming their loved ones needed to pay a bond or legal assistance. These bad actors will use anything they can to manipulate people while impersonating law enforcement.

Would the Sheriff’s Office ever call you?

If you're anything like me and wondering why the sheriff's office would call you, the short and sweet answer is that they wouldn't. And if you’re contacted by authorities for one reason or another, it won’t go remotely similar to how these fake calls work.

Legitimate sheriff’s offices will never:

• Ask for payment over the phone
• Demand gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
• Threaten arrest without a proper legal process

If there’s a real legal issue, you’ll likely get a formal letter, subpoena, or in-person notice. Not a last-minute voicemail from a fake sergeant. But if you’re still debating the legitimacy of the call, take a breath, hang up, and double-check the claim.

What to do if you suspect a sheriff’s office scam

If you suspect you're being targeted by a sheriff's office scam, do as I did: hang up and verify the call. Here are more in-depth steps you can follow:

1. Hang up immediately: Don’t stay on the line. You’re not being rude, you’re being smart.
2. Don’t make any payments: Law enforcement doesn’t take Venmo or gift cards. You don’t need to pay them.
3. Ignore caller ID: A takeaway from my story is that phone numbers can be spoofed. Don’t trust the caller ID.
4. Verify independently: Call the sheriff’s office directly using a number from their official website.
5. Report the scam: Let your local police know and report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

If you already sent money to a scammer, you need to act fast. Report it to your bank or card issuer right away. They may be able to reverse the charge or flag the fraud for future protection.

How to protect against scam calls

Identifying and avoiding scams is getting more difficult than ever, with bad actors using advanced techniques to make their schemes convincing. In my case, we’re usually pretty good at spotting scams, but this one nearly fooled us. Since the caller ID showed the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the scammer used a real name, it seemed like a legitimate call.

While no defense is foolproof, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to these scams by following some precautions:

• Limit personal info online: The less scammers can learn about you, the harder it is to target you. Remove your personal and sensitive information from the web.
• Don’t answer unknown numbers: If it’s really important, they’ll leave a voicemail or try to contact you through other channels like email.
• Don’t call back blindly: Even if the caller leaves a voicemail, it’s no guarantee that they’re not trying to scam you. Take a moment and verify independently.
• Watch for robocalls: Most of us have gotten these weird robocalls that scammers often use to cast a wide net and verify that numbers are active. 
• Trust your gut: If a call feels off, it probably is. Scammers often rely on urgency and fear to override your instincts.

Just like my husband and me, some victims of a sheriff scam call say their instincts kicked in halfway through the conversation. However, fear made them doubt themselves. Don’t let panic cloud your judgment.

Your scam defenses need backup

Even with our knowledge of cybersecurity and the steps we’ve taken to keep ourselves secure, scammers still nearly fooled my husband and me. That’s why it helps to have a tool that can see the red flags for you. Norton 360 Deluxe includes AI-powered scam detection to help identify scams before you send money to a fake sheriff or other bad actor.