PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Authorities are warning the public about an ongoing phone scam where callers impersonate law enforcement to demand money for bogus arrest warrants.
According to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, fraudsters have been reaching out to local residents claiming to be deputies or other local government employees. The callers tell potential victims that they have an active warrant and must immediately pay a fine to resolve the matter.
To make the scheme look credible, the scammers spoof official agency phone numbers—such as the general information line—so the agency’s name appears on caller ID screens. They have also directed targets to the sheriff’s office’s closed Grove location to give the impression of an authentic investigation.
The callers instruct victims to send money using methods that are difficult to trace, including gift cards, Zelle, PayPal, Bitcoin, and other digital transfer platforms.
Officials emphasized that law enforcement agencies do not operate this way. In a statement addressing the calls, the sheriff’s office stated: “PSO will never contact individuals for any form of payment to resolve issues, criminal or otherwise.”
The sheriff’s office stressed that these communications are entirely illegitimate and advised residents to hang up and never send payment or personal information to unsolicited callers.
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