Hanover Sheriff’s Office warns residents of phone scam impersonating law enforcement

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Hanover County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a phone scam that is impersonating law enforcement and demanding money from people to avoid arrest.

On Monday, June 30, the Hanover County Sheriff's Office reported that it has received multiple reports of a scam in which individuals are receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be with the sheriff's office.

The scam caller then falsely claims that the recipient missed a court date and must pay a large sum of money to avoid being arrested, according to officials.

The sheriff's office said it will never call people and demand money from them to avoid arrest or legal action.

"These scammers often use high-pressure tactics, spoof legitimate phone numbers to appear as though they’re calling from the Sheriff's Office, and may even use the names of real deputies to sound more convincing," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.

According to the sheriff's office, anyone who receives a suspicious call similar to this scam should hang up immediately and call the Hanover County Sheriff's Office directly at 804-365-6140 to verify any claims.

"If you’re actually wanted, we’ll let you know — but we’ll never ask you to pay us to avoid going to jail," the Hanover County Sheriff's Office said.