Richmond Sheriff Warns of Phone Scam Pretending To Be Authorities
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning about a phone scam targeting local residents.
The scammers spoof the sheriff’s office phone number—706-821-1000—making their calls appear legitimate. They demand money from people, making up fake charges for things like jail release or monitoring devices.
A recent victim received a call from someone claiming to be “Sgt. John Lewis.” This fake officer asked for $300 for a bogus ankle monitor, then tried to get even more money through store payment codes.
The sheriff’s office wants to make one thing absolutely clear—they will never ask for citizens to make a payment over the phone. If you get a call like this, hang up immediately and look up the real agency number online.
Since 2022, Augusta police have had to send out two other alerts about similar scams. Previous schemes to steal people’s money involved scammers pretending to be utility workers and city employees. The sheriff’s office wants to stress to Richmond County Residents that they should never give money or personal information to unknown callers and to always be suspicious of anyone asking for gift cards or wire transfers over the phone.
According to Federal Trade Commission data, scammers are increasingly using stolen legitimate phone numbers to carry out their schemes. Law enforcement works with federal agencies to shut down these operations.
Want to reduce scam calls? Register for the Do Not Call list or download call-blocking apps. Just remember that persistent scammers might still get through. If you receive one of these calls, report it to both local police and the FTC immediately. Every report helps track down these scammers.
