The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to be on alert after a local resident suffered a significant financial loss this afternoon in an apparent phone scam.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the victim received a call from two men who falsely identified themselves as Cleveland County Sheriff’s Deputies. The callers used an app to disguise their number, making it appear as though the call was coming directly from the Sheriff’s Department.
The scammers claimed that warrants for the resident’s arrest had been issued and demanded that a sum of money be paid in bitcoin to avoid being taken into custody. The victim, believing the call to be legitimate, traveled to another county and used bitcoin machines to send funds to the callers.
Sheriff’s officials are reminding the public that the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office will never call anyone demanding money.
“If there were truly a warrant for someone’s arrest, that warrant would be served by law enforcement, and any bond would be handled through the courts,” the department stated.
The Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who receives a call demanding money, payment in cryptocurrency, or any form of electronic transfer to hang up immediately and contact the Sheriff’s Department.
“Almost anytime someone calls demanding money, it is a scam,” officials said. “Law enforcement does not call demanding money.”
Residents with questions or who may have received similar calls are urged to contact the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office directly.
