Out-of-hand scammers target Richmond: 'They have names, badge numbers'

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond City Sheriff’s Office is voicing concerns about a rise in scammers who claim to be law enforcement and try to steal your money.

Richmond Sheriff Antoinette Irving said the scam has gotten out of hand over the past few days.

The scammers call claiming to be from the Sheriff's Office and say you missed a court appearance or had a summons to appear for a grand jury. They'll sometimes even say you have a warrant out for your arrest or have a failure to appear in court, according to Irving.

“They have our names, they have our phone numbers, they have badge numbers, they have an answering machine that says Richmond City Sheriff's Office,” said Irving. “They have all of that when you call, and people are really getting a little jittery.”

Sheriff Irving said the scammer will then explain to you over the phone that instead of being arrested or having to come to the Sheriff's Office to pay a fine, you can fulfill your payment through a Visa gift card.

Several people have fallen for this, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

When the scammers mentioned the gift card, Irving said some citizens grew suspicious and called or even drove to the Richmond Sheriff’s Office to see if they were in trouble.

“We've heard from our senior citizens, of course, we've heard from doctors, we've heard from lawyers, we've heard from financial investors,” said Irving. “We've heard from just about everyone, just people in general, and they're very concerned about it.”

While it can be difficult to track the scammers' phone numbers to hold them accountable or get your money back, Irving said Richmond Police have gotten involved.

“The Richmond Police Department is working on some of that because some of these numbers are connected to other criminal activity,” she noted. “So they are trying to work through that and figure out exactly what it is that's going on.”

Sheriff Irving wanted people at home to understand her office will never ask you for confidential information over the phone, such as your bank account, social security number, or signature verification.

If you receive one of these calls, Irving said just hang up the phone.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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