NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Sheriff's Office is warning the community of a scam that left one resident out of thousands of dollars.
Officials said the resident got a call from someone claiming to be from the sheriff's office.
They mentioned the names of several people who work there, and the number on the caller ID matched that of the main number for Norfolk Sheriff's Office.
The caller claimed the victim had missed a court date in which they were to be a witness, and they owed several fines.
The victim was asked to pay the fines using a Green Dot MoneyPak card. If they didn't, they would be arrested.
Now, the Norfolk Sheriff's Office is reminding the public that they will never call someone asking for money, nor will they ask for that payment using Green Dot MoneyPak cards.
They also shared several tips to help people prevent falling victim to this scam:
- Be suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason.
- Never give card number and/or receipt information from your MoneyPak purchase to someone you don’t know or share that information by email or phone.
- Remember, government agencies will never contact you demanding immediate payment using a MoneyPak card
If you have fallen victim to this scam, or do fall victim, and send money to suspected scammers, contact the Norfolk Police Department's Economic Crimes Division at 757-664-7018.
