HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - State Police are warning Virginians of a phone scam that has been targeting sex offenders.
Police say they have recently been alerted to an alarming increase in phone scams targeting offenders on the sex offender registry.
They say the theme of these calls comes from scammers threatening people into paying large amounts of money in the form of gift cards. The scammers claim to be 'State Police Sergeant Johnson/Badge#321' from the Isle of Wight and Smithfield field office, claiming there is a warrant for their arrest for failure to provide a DNA sample.
They claim that the warrant can be removed for a fee of $6500. Police say the scammer then provides instructions on how the payment should be submitted, usually in the form of a gift card from a local business and to provide the DNA sample to 30010 Camp Parkway, Courtland, to avoid further prosecution.
The number that the scammers use, appears to come from a local police office, coming from by prepaid cell phones or spoof numbers.
State Police reminds Virginians that they will never ask for payments to be released from a warrant. If you receive such a call, hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency or the Virginia State Police at questions@vsp.virginia.gov or at (804)674-2467.
