HAGERSTOWN – The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a resurgence of phone scams in which fraudsters impersonate real deputies to extort money from victims.
According to a public alert, scammers are impersonating Sgt. Justin Kelbaugh, who is a real member of the county sheriff’s office. The callers use sophisticated tactics, including caller ID spoofing, to make it appear that the call is from an official law enforcement number.
Victims are typically told they have an outstanding warrant or missed jury duty. To “resolve” the issue and avoid immediate arrest, the scammers demand urgent payment through untraceable methods such as cash, Bitcoin ATMs, gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer apps like Zelle, Cash App or Venmo.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that even if the caller knows personal details, such as your address, or uses the name of an actual officer, it is still a scam.
“Real law enforcement officers will not call you to inform you that you are going to be arrested or threaten you with arrest if you hang up,” the alert stated. “Authentic law enforcement officials will never demand payment of fines through cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, payment apps or wire transfer services as a means to ‘buy your way out’ of a crime.”
Authorities advise anyone receiving such a call to hang up immediately and not call back the displayed number, as it may connect to the scammers. To verify any legitimate concerns, residents should contact the sheriff’s office directly using a verified phone number from the official website (washcosheriff.com) or another trusted source.
This type of impersonation scam is not new but has seen increased activity recently, often targeting vulnerable individuals such as seniors. Similar warnings have been issued by law enforcement agencies nationwide.
If you’ve been targeted or lost money to a scam, report it to local police and the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
