Member Submission: Scam in Alachua County
I have been waiting for two years for my husband to be hit by a scam targeting people on the registry. Well, it finally came today.
I received a call on my cell, which is not registered because it is MY cell, by an individual who introduced himself as an Alachua County sheriff. I would not have normally answered the call but I recognized the number on the Caller ID. I could not remember where I had seen it before, but knew it was legitimate. It turns out it was the main number for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The scammer had spoofed it.
The guy just did not sound like a sheriff’s deputy. He seemed to have trouble getting his act together. Several things I said seemed to throw him as I guess I was not following the script that I was expected to follow. Unfortunately for the scammer, he had no idea that I was an active member of FAC and had read the many posts at our site warning all of us about people like him.
After he regained his composure, he said that he needed some information about my husband. As many of you know, my husband has dementia, and I have to handle everything for him.
At that point, I told the guy that I felt this was a scam but I was willing to hear what he had to say (just in case I was wrong).
That clearly irritated him. I told him that no law enforcement official would be irritated with me for saying that. They understand that there are a lot of scams going around and would have offered to verity that they were the “real” thing.
That made the guy even madder. I repeated that I was willing to listen to him but wanted him to know that I was strongly suspicious it was all a scam.
At that point, he angrily said he would be sending two deputies to our house to arrest my husband for a noncompliance charge. When I asked specifically what the noncompliance charge would be, he said it was because I had accused a deputy (him) of trying to scam me. He then hung up.
I called Detective Ferguson who heads up the SO Department in Alachua. I have always found him to be courteous and professional and having a lot of common sense. I explained that the man claimed to be a deputy in Alachua Co and gave the detective the Caller ID. Yes, he said, the guy clearly had spoofed their main number. And, no, there was no one headed to our house to arrest my husband.
So, Alachua County registered citizens, beware of someone who might be targeting other registered citizens in our county. Apparently, I am the first person to report the scam to the sheriff’s office here. If there are any other people who are targeted, please report it to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The spoofed number that the scammer used will get you through to report him: 352-367-4000.
Thank you,
Media Chair
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If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the sheriff’s office try to keep calm if you answer the phone. If they leave a voicemail call the sheriff’s department verifying your compliance. Law enforcement won’t call you for a violation they’ll come get you.
Wouldnt they need to talk to you first to do their investigation? When i first got into trouble many years ago, i got a call from a detective asking me to come to the police station to talk.
Oops I meant warrant
Funny part of the warrant is when i first got into trouble they issued my warrant, The detective called me to let me know THis was a Friday. He said to take the weekend to get my affairs in order and to turn myself in on Monday. After Monday they would come get me. Which i did Monday afternoon, After stopping at a bail bondsman office
Well, you are not the first person in Alachua County to report a scam to the sheriffs office. I did it last year and really felt like it was a waste of time and effort. They said that there was nothing they could do.
Others have said they answer phone calls from unknown numbers to waste their time. I never do. If the call addresses me, they will leave a message. Period. Not on my contact list, I do not answer.
You answered because “I would not have normally answered the call but I recognized the number on the Caller ID.” If the phone number was important, why wasn’t it on your contacts?
“As many of you know, my husband has dementia, and I have to handle everything for him.” I guess I, who daily checks FAC, doesn’t know you. I have no clue who you are, Media Chair.
Just don’t answer your phone, which has worldwide access to it.
Good going contributor #9!!! I just wish I could get my hands on such characters. It would not be pretty at least from the scammer’s point of view.
Someone had tried to scam me in Leon county in a similar fashion and I didn’t want my name attached to the report so I wanted them to fill out the report anonymously. Those people just about lost their minds. They’re absolutely needs to be a clear method of filing reports anonymously to avoid retaliation.
That sucks. I got the scam call a few weeks ago here in Clay county tho i did not answer and they left a voicemail (Story is here on this website) it scared the crap out of me and put me in such a horrible mental state for roughly a day til i was able to finally verify it was a scam call. It messed me up bad to the point where i am actively working on leaving the state. Tho it will take me 2 years. Glad you knew it was a scam right away.