Sheriff issues fraud/scam alert

GROVETON — The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office is advising the public of an ongoing phone scam similar to reports received by other Texas sheriff’s offices.

Residents are reporting calls from individuals claiming to be with a sheriff’s office, stating that the recipient has missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid a warrant.

Sheriff Woody Wallace said those are scams, as the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office will never:

• Call and demand payment to avoid arrest
• Ask for payment over the phone
• Request payment through Bitcoin machines, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency

Any call demanding immediate payment is fraudulent.

Wallace said the scammers, who use caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate, are claiming you missed jury duty, then begin threatening arrest or warrants. They will then instruct victims to pay fines at Bitcoin or cryptocurrency machines

The TCSO offers these safety tips:

• Hang up immediately if a call feels suspicious or uses robocalls asking you to press buttons
• Do not engage with the caller. Do not answer questions like “Can you hear me?” or “Yes”
• Verify independently. Hang up and call the agency back using a verified phone number from an official website
• Be cautious of urgency. Scammers rely on fear and pressure. Legitimate agencies do not
• Never pay fines using gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
• Do not trust caller ID. Phone numbers can be spoofed
• Use call blocking features and register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry

If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from law enforcement, Wallace advises you to hang up, do not send money, and report the incident to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office.