While both Rockbridge County Sheriff Tony McFaddin and Interim Buena Vista Police Chief David Clements have not received any recent reports of citizens being targeted by scammers claiming to be an attorney representing a family member in legal trouble, they have received reports of other kinds of scams in their jurisdictions.
McFaddin told The News-Gazette in an email that there have been several reports from citizens who have received text messages from the DMV stating that they had outstanding fines and that their license would be suspended if they weren’t paid.
A recent post on the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page described a similar scam reported in the area involving “messages and letters that appear to be official court notices” which claim that the person being targeted has an unpaid parking ticket or toll and demanding immediate payment.
He also said there have been reports of calls of scammers claiming to be law enforcement officers who demand payment over the phone in order to avoid being arrested on outstanding warrants, and of scammers posing as bank fraud protection representatives in an attempt to obtain banking information to access citizens’ accounts.
“Unfortunately, scams like this continue to target good people in our community,” he told The News-Gazette. “I want our citizens to remember that law enforcement will never call and demand money to avoid arrest, and the DMV will not send texts demanding immediate payment. If you receive one of these messages or calls, do not respond and do not provide any personal information.”
Clements said that the Buena Vista Police Department this year had received nine “scam-related complaints” through the middle of March, including fraudulent Publishers Clearing House notifications and demands for payments for failure to report for jury duty. There were also “extortion-style calls” where victims were threatened with harm if gift cards were not provided.
Both Clements and McFaddin encouraged people who received suspicious calls to report them to law enforcement.
“Legitimate government agencies, banks, and businesses will never request payment through gift cards or direct someone to move money through ATMs or digital currency machines,” Clements said. “If you receive a suspicious call or message, hang up, verify the request using a confirmed phone number, and report it to your local police department.”
“Even if you didn’t lose money, reporting it helps us track these scams and warn others in our community,” McFaddin added.
