On Wednesday, October 23, 2109, the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office received a telephone call from a concerned citizen, who told us that they just received a telephone call from someone claiming to work for the “Nolan County Civil Department.” The concerned citizen went on to say that their caller ID displayed “Nolan County Sheriff’s Office.” The concerned citizen told us that they were suspicious, almost immediately, for several reasons. The concerned citizen said that the caller spoke with an accent that was very hard to understand. Thankfully this concerned citizen listened to their instincts and called us to verify the legitimacy of the call.
We informed the concerned citizen that we had no civil papers for them. We want to remind you all that we do not call people to inform them of a warrant, of civil process, or any other legal process.
This phone call was a SCAM, and the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office telephone number was “spoofed.” These con artists are very sophisticated and had the technology to make it appear that they are actually calling from our phone number. When these scammers get you on the phone, they will tell you that you have a warrant or civil papers, but then “give you a chance to pay the fine/fee” over the phone. They may ask for a credit/debit card, or they may ask you to send the money via Western Union/Money Gram, or they may ask you to purchase a pre-paid money card and send it to them. We urge you to contact our office if you receive such a call and definitely don’t give the caller any personal information or payments.
Remember, if you have a warrant, we will come to you unannounced; we will not call you, and if you have civil papers, we will mail you a postcard and then attempt to serve those papers to you at home, where we will leave a door hanger, if you’re not home when we come. (see photo below)
If you have any questions, give us a call at 325-235-5471.
