Campbell County authorities warn of phone scam involving caller impersonating local sergeant

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — Authorities are asking members of the Campbell County community to be cautious after receiving reports of a recent phone scam involving a person pretending to be a member of law enforcement.

More specifically, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office says this particular scam caller poses as Sgt. Gary Penn — who works as a School Resource Officer and in the Community Relations and Crime Prevention Division — and tells the victim he/she has outstanding warrants and has to pay for them or risk arrest.
 
Capt. Sam Green with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office shared the following tips to protect yourself against the dangers of scam calls:

• Law enforcement agencies will never ask you for any amount of money over the phone. If this happens, it is fraudulent.
• Never share personal information or pay with a credit card over the phone.
• Hang up on robocalls.
• Do not wire or make electronic money transfers to an unknown person.
• Do not believe your caller I.D. because scammers can fake caller I.D. numbers using a process called “spoofing.”

“We are encouraging citizens to be super-cautious, especially during the holidays. If you answer a call like this, just don’t share any information with the caller, personal or otherwise” said Green. “If you think a caller is falsely representing law enforcement, hang up and call us directly at (434) 332-9580 to find out if we need anything from you. Never, ever share sensitive information over the phone with anyone, no matter who they say they are.”

If you think you have been a victim of any kind of phone scam, you are encouraged to report it to the law enforcement organizations listed below:

• The Federal Trade Commission serves as the primary government agency for collecting scam complaints, so you can report a scam to the FTC either online or by calling (877) 382-4357.
• You can report caller ID spoofing to the Federal Communications Commission online or by calling (888) 225-5322.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, follow this link for information on how to report it.

You can also learn more about common scams by clicking here.

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