CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office (CSO) is warning citizens about a recent scam that’s causing residents to lose thousands of dollars.
The person(s) behind the scam has been calling residents, posing as a CSO deputy, to tell them they missed a court date for a pending legal matter, the office says. The scammer then tells the resident to drop off a fee to an unmarked car outside a local bail bondsman’s office to avoid getting arrested, CSO says.
The office says it’s received dozens of calls about the scam, including more than 40 in one day alone. The scam entails asking people to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $15,000, and the office said two residents reported paying the scammer $15,000.
CSO learned that the scammer has demanded payment in the form of cash, gift cards and Green Dot cards. Officials also found that sometimes, the scammer will use the names of real deputies and change the meeting location, citing one instance when a citizen was asked to meet the scammer outside of the Sheriff’s Office’s admin building.
The office wants the public to be aware of the scammer’s tactics described above and stressed that CSO doesn’t warn wanted people before arresting them or ask for money to avoid arrest.
Anyone who believes they’ve fallen victim to this scam is asked to call police at 757-382-6161, officials say.
