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Hampton Sheriff’s Office warns citizens of “aggressive” phone scheme

Posted at 6:18 PM, Dec 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-22 18:18:56-05

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton Sheriff’s Office is warning the public of what they are calling an “aggressive” phone scheme targeting citizens in Hampton and the surrounding area.

Officials say several Hampton citizens have recently received calls from impersonators who are falsely identifying themselves as deputies and employees of the Hampton Sheriff’s Department.

The male caller falsely identifies himself as Sergeant Harris or Lieutenant Anderson of the Hampton Sheriff’s Department and insists that there are warrants out for his victims’ arrest due to a missed jury service date. To avoid arrest, the caller then requests immediate payment from victims with the purchase of money cards to pay fines in excess of $250.

The HSO says that it does not request the collection of fines over the phone; instead, this is done through a summons served by your local sheriff’s office. Authorities are warning anyone who gets a call like this not to give out any information or meet any caller seeking to collect funds.

This is a scheme that has been duplicated across the United States. If you have gotten a call like this, call the Hampton Police Division at (757) 727-6111 to file a report.

Call the Hampton Sheriff’s Office at (757) 727-6280 for further questions or concerns.