Sheriff Fred Cole is once again urging community members to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to financial scams. Recently, scammers have been targeting local residents with fraudulent claims that they must pay a fee to resolve a bench warrant outside of court. This is a scam—no legitimate government agency, including those in Coffee County, offers such a service.
Law enforcement agencies will never request payment over the phone to avoid arrest, cancel a warrant, or issue threats for non-compliance. Additionally, agencies will never ask for payment via gift cards, prepaid cards, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, cryptocurrency, or any other peer-to-peer payment platforms.
If you receive a call making such a request, hang up immediately—no report is necessary. However, if you believe you have been a victim of one of these scams, or have already sent money, call 911 and request to speak with an officer to file a report.