Scammers in Columbia County are turning up the pressure, pretending to be sheriff's deputies and ordering residents to settle bogus fines, even telling some to meet a supposed deputy at Five Points Elementary School in Lake City. The callers use scare tactics and a sense of urgency to push people into paying fast or giving up sensitive personal information.
What The Sheriff’s Office Is Seeing
According to a release from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the scammers are spoofing the agency’s phone number and claiming there are outstanding fines or warrants, sometimes dredging up details of past cases to sound convincing, as reported by News4JAX. The callers then pressure victims to pay up by feeding cash into Bitcoin ATMs, sending cryptocurrency, or buying Google Play, Apple, or Visa gift cards to wipe out the supposed fines. They may also push for Social Security numbers or bank account details under the guise of “confirming” your identity.
How The Scam Hooks Victims
The scheme tracks with broader imposter scams seen across the country: criminals disguise their numbers to look local and demand payment in forms that are hard to trace and even harder to reverse, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Gift cards and cryptocurrency are two of the biggest red flags. Older residents are often singled out because scammers bank on fear, confusion, and split-second decisions.
What To Do If The “Deputy” Calls
If a caller claims to be from the sheriff’s office and demands payment, the agency’s advice is simple: hang up, then independently look up the agency’s official number and call back using that instead of any number the caller provides, the sheriff’s office told News4JAX. For questions about jury summonses or fines, residents can contact the Clerk of Courts at (386) 719-7428. For other sheriff’s office business, call administration at (386) 752-9212. Officials are also urging people to keep an eye on older family members and neighbors who might be more likely to fall for these high-pressure pitches.
How To Report It And Get Help
Anyone who has already paid a scammer or shared financial information should file a report with local law enforcement and submit a complaint to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, which helps investigators spot patterns and build cases. Residents in Columbia County are also encouraged to follow the sheriff’s office on social media for timely alerts and community safety updates.
