Phone Scam Warning Issued By Alexandria Sheriff's Office

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A phone scam affecting Alexandria, the region and the rest of the U.S. prompted a warning from the Alexandria Sheriff's Office Wednesday.

According to authorities, the ongoing scam involves callers posing as law enforcement officers to seek money from victims. Typically, callers will identify themselves as a law enforcement officer and falsely claim a warrant was issued for missing a court date, jury duty or overdue fine. The caller claims the victims will be arrested unless they pay.

"The best way for someone to protect themselves from these scams is simply to hang up," said Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey in a statement. "Don’t let your guard down and don’t be intimidated into providing personal details or financial information. Real deputies are not going to call you and threaten you with arrest, so just hang up if you get a call like that."

Scam callers may use names of real deputies or police officers. They may also spoof the phone number so it appears the phone call is coming from a local law enforcement agency. Scammers may also attempt to email victims fake law enforcement credentials.

The scam may involve callers seeking money paid by credit cards, gift cards, payment apps or cryptocurrency. According to the sheriff's office, no law enforcement agency in Virginia or the region will call to seek money.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of a scam can contact their financial institution and the police department. In the City of Alexandria, call the Alexandria Police Department non-emergency number at 703-746-4444.

Residents may report a scam to the Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Communications Commission has tips to avoid spoofing and other phone scams.