By AMBER PATINO
At an August 29 press conference, Washington County Sheriff Kevin Crews issued a public warning following two recent scam reports involving local residents.
Earlier in the week, an unnamed man arrived at the sheriff’s office after receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a representative of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). The caller told the man there was a warrant out for his arrest due to a missed federal court date and that he could avoid being taken into custody by paying a fine of $11,000.
Believing the claim to be legitimate, the resident withdrew the money and went directly to the sheriff’s office to turn himself in. Upon meeting with him, Sheriff Crews confirmed there was no warrant and informed the man he had been targeted by a scam.
In a separate case reported on August 28, an 80-year-old Washington County woman came forward after falling victim to a tech support scam.
According to the woman, she received a pop-up notification on her home computer stating it had been hacked and instructing her to call a provided phone number immediately. Upon calling, she spoke with two individuals she described as having foreign accents. They claimed her computer and bank account had been compromised and directed her to withdraw $40,000 to resolve the issue. The callers told her that Microsoft technicians would later contact her to fix the computer.
The woman was instructed to place the money in a box for pickup by a “courier.” She complied, and an individual she described as appearing to be of Middle Eastern descent arrived at her home in Washington County to collect the cash.
A few days later, the same individuals contacted her again, requesting an additional $40,000. It was during this second interaction that the woman realized she had been scammed.
Sheriff Crews states that he is working on a solution at this time and will do whatever it takes to warn each individual in the county against these scam attempts.
“As the sheriff of this county, it is my responsibility, and I take it personally,” says Crews.
Crews also encouraged family members and friends of seniors to have a conversation with their loved ones about potential scams, adding that many individuals don’t come forward out of embarrassment.
“I am pleading with the people of my county to have this conversation and to tell them to call this office,” says Crews.
Some tips to avoid falling prey to scammers are:
- Be wary of unexpected calls, texts, or emails—especially those claiming to be from government agencies, banks, or tech companies.
- Scammers often pressure you to act immediately, using phrases like “You’ll be arrested” or “Your account will be suspended.”
- Legitimate organizations rarely demand payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. If they do, it’s a red flag.
- Messages with spelling errors, awkward phrasing, or unusual punctuation may indicate a scam.
- If someone claims to be from a known organization, hang up and call the official number listed on their website to verify.
- Promises of free vacations, large prizes, or dream jobs without interviews are often bait for scams.
- Never share your Social Security number, bank details, or passwords with unsolicited contacts.
- Look closely at the sender’s email domain or phone number. Scammers often use slight variations to mimic legitimate sources.
SKYLA CARTER