FCSO: Increase in scams during the holiday season
Published 12:00 am Thursday, December 28, 2023
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Submitted from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
FORSYTH COUNTY — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office wants community members to know about recent scams.
The sheriff’s office has received an influx of calls reporting scams this holiday season. The most common scam circulating now relates to jury duty and failure to appear. Multiple citizens have contacted the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office after receiving a phone call alleging an arrest warrant had been issued for a failure to appear in court. This incident underscores the prevalence of scams where criminals fabricate officer names, badge numbers and caller IDs to exploit individuals and coerce them into financial transactions.
The public must be vigilant and recognize the sheriff’s office never excuses a warrant for arrest in exchange for payment and it never wants to see people bullied into giving their hard-earned money to scammers. Never provide money to individuals over the phone via pre-paid money cards, cryptocurrency or any other payment method.
If you are contacted by a “deputy” via the phone and are unsure if it is legitimate, ask for the “deputy’s” name and phone number to call them back on. Then call the sheriff’s office at the nonemergency number at 336-727-2112 and provide the deputy’s name and phone number; it will be confirmed if it is a valid phone call from a real deputy.
As always, anyone with information related to criminal activity should contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office directly at 336-727-2112; anonymously text information, photos, and video via Text-A-Tip at 336-920-8477, or anonymously call Crimestoppers at 336-727-2800 for English or 336-728-3904 for Spanish.