Williamson County officials sounded the alarm Monday after a fresh wave of scam calls hit local phones, with callers impersonating deputies, claiming people skipped jury duty, and then leaning hard on them for cash or personal details. The sheriff’s office said the voices on the other end can sound convincing and may drop bits of publicly available information to seem legit, but they stressed residents should not send money or hand over sensitive data.
If you receive a call like this: • Do NOT send money • Do NOT share personal information • Report it to non-emergency dispatch at 512-864-8282
— Williamson County Sheriff's Office (@WCSOTXSheriff) April 6, 2026
How the scam works and what to watch for
Scammers are using caller-ID spoofing to make it look like the call is coming straight from a local sheriff’s office, then threatening arrest or big fines unless the target pays up immediately via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. The Federal Trade Commission says government-imposter schemes like this often hinge on urgency and intimidation, and advises people to hang up, refuse any payment demands, and independently verify any supposed government request.
What Williamson County is telling residents
On Monday, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office pushed out a blunt warning on its official social account telling people: "Do NOT send money. Do NOT share personal information. Report it to non-emergency dispatch at 512-864-8282," according to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. The same number is listed as the county's non-emergency line on Williamson County.
If you were targeted: what to do
If you or someone you know got one of these calls, hang up immediately and do not send money or share any personal or financial information. Save any caller ID details, voicemails, or screenshots, contact your bank right away if you already transferred funds, and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at FBI. Similar jury-duty scams have been popping up across North Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News.
