Smith Sheriff’s Office warns public of more phone scams

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive reports of telephone scams, said spokesman Sgt. Larry Christian, who added the number of these bogus calls are growing.
The most recent scams involve a caller stating that he is either Sgt. Tim Jones or Sgt. Justin Hall. The caller states that he is with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office civil processing division and needs to discuss an urgent matter which always ends with the victim owing money.
“These scams seem to be getting more and more prevalent,’’ Christian said. “I do not know the actual number of persons who have been victimized as a result of these calls, but I am certain there are several who have been and chose not to report it due to embarrassment.’’
The Smith County Sheriff’s Office employs both a Sgt. Tim Jones and Sgt. Justin Hall, Christian said, but their names are just being used for the purpose of scamming individuals.
“The sad fact is that these cases are extremely difficult to investigate due to the complexity of the phone equipment used to spoof these telephone numbers,’’ Christian said.
He advises that if anyone receives a call from anyone claiming they are a law enforcement official and you owe money, simply hang up. If you would like to verify the scam, you may call the SCSO non-emergency number at 903-566-6600.
These scammers always ask for a monetary “fix” to some sort of fake legal matter. They tend to prey on the elderly and others who are vulnerable to these scare tactics. Please understand that no representative of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office will ever call you and demand money.
“We probably receive the most scams in Smith County due to being the largest most populated area in East Texas, but I am certain it is happening most everywhere,’’ Christian said.
For more information on the Smith County Sheriff’s Office visit www.smithcountysheriff.com. The Sheriff’s Office also has a FB page and can be followed on Twitter at @SmithCSO.