Office of Inspector General says Florida is seeing an uptick in phone scams: Here’s what you need to know

Olivia Wilson
·2 min read
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SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — The Santa Rosa Clerk’s Office is warning residents after an uptick in phone scams.

According to a press release, the warning affects more than just Santa Rosa County. The Office of Inspector General reported the rise of phone scams in Florida based on reports from residents and former residents since April 4.

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In response to the uptick in complaints, the Santa Rosa County Clerk’s Office detailed the scams and provided residents with information to avoid becoming a victim.

Here is how the scam works, according to the release:

According to officials, the scam works by scammers having an “apparently authentic phone number show up on the victim’s caller ID.”

“The phone number may be a “spoofed” number, which means the number is not coming from the number being displayed and the call is really coming from a completely different number that is not visible to the victim. Other victims reported the calls coming through with blocked numbers,” explained the release.

Reports from complainants revealed the scammers told complainants that ” they did not report for jury duty, had a warrant for their arrest, were in contempt of court, or failed to pay a traffic citation.”

Then, scammers demand money “between $500 and $10,000” that victims could pay in cash or through an electronic pay application.

When victims caught onto the scam, scammers allegedly tried to hang up, transferred the victim to a ‘supervisor’, or “used real Sheriff’s Office employee names and badge numbers or an actual County judge’s name to convince the victim the violations were real.”

The office also provided residents with tips to avoid being a victim of a phone scam. Here’s how, according to the release:

  • Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers. The release suggests that recipients can wait for a message and choose whether to return the call.

  • Don’t give personal information over the phone — especially if you do not trust the person

  • Hang up if the person is pressuring you to “act quickly”

  • Ask a relative about the situation. “If it seems too good to be true, or you feel intimidated, call someone you trust.”

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Santa Rosa County Officials advise residents to be wary of caller IDs and to never give out personal or financial information over the phone to a stranger.

“Please remember that Florida Clerk’s Offices will never call to demand payments. If you encounter any suspicious calls, please report them immediately.”

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