(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – Scammers are an unfortunate part of our lives, but in Dorchester County, they’ve found a new way to try and rip people off.
The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve been receiving calls of scammers calling, while spoofing the number for the Sheriff’s Office, as well as names of deputies.
The fraudster then claims the person has an outstanding warrant and unless they pay up, they face arrest.
And these scammers aren’t just asking for gift cards or money orders, this time they’re trying to shake people down through popular money lending apps like CashApp and Venmo, to name a couple.
Dorchester Chief Deputy, John Stichberry says this has been targeting elderly members of the community.
Major Stichberry tells us, “It’s very important because this happens very frequently and we need it to stop happening so that our elderly people, especially are not victimized…we don’t want them to pay that money and want them to reach out to the sheriff’s office and contact us directly as they get those calls.”
And while it bears repeating, Major Stichberry also tells us once again that if you have a warrant for your arrest or missed jury duty, the Sheriff’s Office will not be contacting you, or demand money.
“…it’s very important to understand that the Sheriff’s office will never call and ask for you for any financial means in reference to any kind of warrants or civil or court papers,” says Major Stichberry.
If you or someone you know has been targeted by a scammer posing as a deputy with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, call them at (410)-228-4141.
