CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about an active phone scam involving callers posing as law enforcement officers.
Impostors claim targets missed jury duty and face arrest warrants unless they make immediate payments using Bitcoin machines.
To make the scheme appear legitimate, callers are using phone number spoofing to display the sheriff’s office non-emergency line on caller ID screens. Scammers may also use names of real agency employees and insist that targets stay on the line while transferring money.
According to the sheriff’s office, callers instruct victims to deposit money at Bitcoin kiosks and claim that visiting the sheriff’s office afterward will clear the fake warrant. The department stated that officers will never call to demand money for warrants or require payments through cryptocurrency, gift cards, or payment kiosks.
Sheriff’s officials emphasized that scammers rely on fear and urgency to pressure targets. Authorities urge anyone who receives such a call to hang up immediately and independently call the official CCSO non-emergency line at 904-264-6512, rather than dialing back the incoming caller ID number.
The agency is asking residents to share details about the fraudulent calls with family members, older adults, and others who may not see warnings posted on social media.
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