Newsweek: Sex Offenders Targeted by Scams

States nationwide have reported scammers impersonating police officers targeting people on the sex offender registry.

Multiple law enforcement agencies across the U.S. told Newsweek that the scams occur intermittently and are hard for officials to track, including how much money scammers have been successful in getting from victims.

“This has been something we’ve been aware of for a number of years now,” Rob Low, spokesperson for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), told Newsweek. “CBI has informed all of our local agencies by email about this issue, so they are very aware of it.

“It was such an issue for a while, that in 2021 CBI developed a scam awareness form for the local agencies to distribute to their sex offenders. We have a trainer hand this out at training classes across the state.”

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20 thoughts on “Newsweek: Sex Offenders Targeted by Scams

  • April 24, 2025

    Hey all just got a vm left from a Detective Campbell number was 727-349-9941. I blocked the number as it came over as spam

    Reply
    • April 24, 2025

      @Tearfuleagle

      On the rare occasion my deputy calls me (like if I am not home more than 2 times in a row when he comes by) the call does not show any # at all. Usually how I know it was the deputy.
      On another occasion, I got a missed call and called it back and it was a fill in deputy who did leave his #, probably because he did not want to have to chase me around for a month. He called me back and asked when I was going to be home so it worked out.
      I moved to the county I am in because the last county I lived in, the entire police department and Sheriffs department harassed me numerous times a day. As soon as I was off probation I sold my house and moved to another county. I was taking a chance but it worked out. Been in this county now for over 20 years.
      I have heard that almost all the panhandle counties in Florida are run by good-ole-boys sheriffs and not a place to feel safe. That is also ironically where the majority of Florida’s prisons are as well.

      Reply
      • April 25, 2025

        Yes, so mine will show up as unknown and based on the time after me in person, twice a year, and time of the morning i know it’s him I answer run outside wave to him ask him how he is doing and that is it. since this is their policy, I am grateful for how they do and pretty much have always done it. In fact, I had on guy who would call me let me know he was turning on my street, i would go outside, “check the mail” and wave and that was it. This call came in as a spam call message had some um’s and pauses and said nothing about a fill in. Blocked and forgotten. This too shall pass. I am encouraged by the 11th circuit ruling. Not sure why it couldn’t now be applied to getting off the registry period. We will see.

        Reply
        • April 25, 2025

          @Tearfuleagle

          Not sure how old you are, but at this point, I am praying I do not die while on the registry. I already told my parents if I die, not to waste money on getting me removed. The only reason they do not want us removed anyway is because we generate money for them. Hiring new staff, fancy training seminars on how to deal with sex offenders etc etc. It is a money-making scheme.

          I remember only having to go in to register if you had a change to make. Then it was one time a year, then two and now it is 4 times a year plus another visit if you have any changes. I do not trust updating things online as I prefer to get a hard copy proof that they updated anything I was reporting. Their word against mine otherwise, and it will ALWAYS go in their favor.

          Reply
  • April 14, 2025

    Not sure where to put this. Today I was watching ABC World news. Trump was speaking about deporting illegals. After ranting about that, he made a statement that sent chills up my spine. He stated that he was looking into deporting U.S citizens who have a major felony as he doesn’t want felons (We are ex-felons) ruining our country.
    Not sure he has the power to do that, but he seems to do what he wants to do anyway and worry about it later. He didn’t say if it was those in prison or all people who have a felony on their record. He did saying something that may have been directed towards us. He said he wanted to get rid of a group of people then said “You know who I am talking about”, without saying who he meant.
    We might have to build an F.A.C safe house to hide in.

    Reply
    • April 15, 2025

      This is why I’ve been open to discussions about self-sustaining registrant run communities. I’d like to build a city-state and secede from the USA. I have never been proud to be an American citizen, and in light of the comments made by the so-called ;eader of this fallenn nation about sending “home grown” persons to a foreign gulag, I’ve never been more disgusted at the nation that continues to entrap us.

      And thanks to mIML there aren’t many other options for us. The US has convinced so many other nations to pass registries. Many refuse us entry. So we need to strongly consider a self-governing nation to ourselves.

      Reply
  • April 13, 2025

    I’ve had a number of such calls. I’ve reported every one of them to the local sheriff’s office. They could care less, would not make a report.

    Reply
    • April 13, 2025

      Insist on a report. They have to prepare one if you report a crime.

      Reply
      • February 10, 2026

        I was just scammed today by someone who Impersonated a detective in Polk county Florida. I was told by my job site that a Detective called for me and said I needed to call them back ASAP. They proceeded to tell me that I have a Failure to Register Warrant out for my arrest. He said a new law had passed and that because im low of reoffence that I was placed on a annual of one time per year to register. Asked if the State sent me mail about it which I said no. Due to being Diagnosed with a mental Disability this seemed real at first till he told me to go out and buy MoneyPak cards. Saying the Kiosk only takes these. First was 500.00 then it quickly turned into 1k. He tried to get more but because I am on Disability he could not and threaten to have me arrested. He sounded very professional at first and when the phone rang answered it saying his name as Detective Mccoy. When he wasn’t professional and knew it was a scam but because it seemed so real I went to the sheriffs office and then made a report. At this time I do have a Open case for this and Am going to File Charges for Impersonating an Officer and Fraud against someone who is Disabled. I also had wrote my Senate and Stating that the Public Register needs to be changed. I have experienced this And someone had threaten my life because of them knowing everything about me because of registration.

        Reply
        • February 10, 2026

          Brandon, good that you filed a report! Can you imagine all the thousands of people who do not receive our newsletters who do get scammed?

          Reply
          • March 3, 2026

            Found out by my probation officer that there were 4 more people who were scammed. This shows it’s a real problem.

            Reply
        • March 4, 2026

          I got the same scam call. I told him I would be right down to the Sheriffs office and that I would take care of it in person. He told me I was not allowed to leave my current location or I would be arrested. Meanwhile I drove to the SO with him on the phone and asked for him by name at the desk. He dropped the ruse and cussed me out lol.

          Reply
    • April 14, 2025

      @Dr.
      Although it didn’t do much, my sheriff’s office has a way to go online and make a police report. I have made several and they emailed back a few days later stating they accepted my report. Never got a follow up but was at least proof.

      Reply

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