SCAM ALERT: The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is investigating several reports of a scam in which someone is calling residents claiming to be a police officer and warns the person they missed jury duty and must pay a fine or risk being arrested. The caller tells the person in order to clear their name, they must pay the fine over the phone and respond to the court house within a few days to see a judge. In some cases, the caller has provided specific names of judges and in one case, the caller altered their call back number to appear as the CCSO’s non-emergency line. Once the caller gains trust, they instruct the person to purchase a money card (similar to a charge card) and put a prepaid amount on the card. Once completed, the person is told to call back and provide the caller with the card’s pin number. In other cases, the scammer asks victims to provide credit card information or personal bank account information. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office does not make phone calls regarding jury duty nor does the Charles County Office of the Clerk call or email anyone for financial purposes. Anyone who receives a call of this nature is urged to hang up immediately. Persons who believe they may have been victims of this scam are asked to call Det. S. Webster at (301)609-6558.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Media Contact
Diane Richardson
301-609-6557
richardsond@ccso.us