A man reported being scammed out of $10,000 to the Greeneville Police Department this week.
The victim, who is a resident of Washington County, but works in Greeneville, told police he had been receiving calls and texts which led him to believe they were from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The messages said the victim would be arrested for his failure to appear for jury duty. The caller apparently had a lot of accurate information about him, even his social security number, leading the victim to fall for the scam.
The victim went to a Bitcoin machine and placed $10,000 inside and sent it to the requested destination.
Criminals have disturbing new tactics to steal money and sensitive information. Since 2020, the number of adults age 60 and older who reported a loss of $10,000 or more from impostor scams alone more than quadrupled in 2024.
Radio Greeneville reminds everyone, that Sheriff’s Offices and other county, state, or federal government offices will not contact you via text. Law enforcement will not call people and threaten to arrest them and will not leave a message on your voicemail regarding any charges. They will not accept payments via gift cards or bitcoin.
Scammers rely on urgency and threats to help fool their victims or make them question themselves. Asking questions, even taking a few moments to consider what to do next, and to notice red flags, are often enough to derail a criminal’s scheme.
