- October 31, 2024
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Story courtesy of Flagler County Sheriff's Office Public Affairs Officer Shannon Martin.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office responded to Dupont Road in reference to a fraud on Aug. 12.
The 74-year-old victim reported that a man called her posing as “FCSO Sgt. Cooper” and told her that she had an active warrant for missing jury duty. The imposter then told the victim that if she did not pay a hefty fine she would be arrested.
The victim cooperated and stayed on the phone with the imposter for a period of four hours while she went to the multiple stores purchasing gift cards totaling $1,205.00. The imposter told the victim it was important that he stay on the line with her in case she was arrested by other law enforcement for her alleged warrant before her fine was paid.
After hanging up with the “sergeant,” the victim called a family member who told her he had heard of a similar fraud reported on the FCSO Facebook page and advised her to call the Sheriff’s Office. FCSO has had multiple calls from victims all reporting similar incidents.
“A law enforcement agency will never request any payments in the form of gift cards,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “If you receive a phone call from a ‘deputy’ that just doesn’t sound right, hang up and call the Sheriff’s Office directly to confirm you are actually speaking with a deputy sheriff. We are investigating these cases and following every lead to bring these scammers to justice.”
The FCSO wants to remind residents that Sheriff’s Office employees will never call you to request payment of any kind over the phone. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be a Sheriff’s Office employee, hang up and call the non-emergency number at 386-313-4911.
For more information on crimes against seniors, visit https://agesafeamerica.com/crime-prevention/
