Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Phone Scam

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — A new phone scam is circulating Sarasota County and residents should ignore any automated messages they receive from someone pretending to work for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

SCSO shared a recording of this automated message to its social media pages Tuesday. In the message, the speaker claims to be Lt. James Perry with the “Civil Service Division” of the “Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department.”

“We’re calling in regard to a situation that has occurred that needs your immediate attention as soon as possible,” he said, asking the person to call him back at 941-254-1730 ext. 2 “at your earliest convenience.”

Not only does the scammer get the agency’s name wrong — “We are the ‘Sarasota County Sheriff’s OFFICE,’ not ‘Department,’” SCSO posted — but there’s also no Lt. Perry and no extension 2.

“Most importantly, we do not send automated messages DEMANDING you call us. The only exception to automated calls is reverse-911 during emergency situations,” SCSO said.

Scams like this happen often, the sheriff’s office said. A Sarasota woman recently fell victim to a similar message, returning the call and purchasing multiple gift cards to prevent her arrest.

“Yes, this really does happen,” SCSO said. “And while this voicemail may seem like an obvious scam to you, it has the potential to confuse people, particularly our senior citizens.”

Anyone who is a victim of this or any other phone scam should call the sheriff’s office at 941-861-5800.

Like what you're reading? Invite a friend to subscribe to free Sarasota newsletters and real-time email alerts.