South Knoxville News

Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong is asking the public to beware of a phone scammer who is posing as a Sheriff’s deputy and harassing citizens with phony phone calls trying to steal your money. 

The Sheriff’s Office became aware of the phone scam today and we've taken several phone calls from citizens who've  received the calls. Thankfully, no one has fallen victim to this scam. The scammer claims to be employed with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office. So far, the scammer has used two different names of Sheriff's employees. He is telling those he calls that they have failed to appear for court or jury duty, or that they have a warrant for their arrest. This criminal is  using digital tech tools to “spoof” legitimate phone numbers. Though the  Sheriff’s Office employs individuals with the same name that the caller is posing as, we will never call citizens to tell them there is a warrant for their arrest and they'll go to jail if they don't pay money. These scammers often ask to be paid by way of information from a Green Dot Visa card or other similar payments. 

Please do not become a victim of this criminal activity. If you receive a call from any individual who claims to be an employee of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and they tell you that you need to pay them money or you'll be arrested, hang up. Employees of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER call an individual to tell them they have unpaid fines, or that they will be arrested if they do not show up for jury duty or that they are in contempt of court.  We will NOT call an individual and tell them they have an outstanding warrant for their arrest and that they must pay the fine or they will be arrested. 

Deputies with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office routinely call citizens regarding Sheriff’s Office business, but the call will never be to ask for money or to harass an individual about missing a court date. If you ever suspect you are being scammed, please call the non-emergency number at Blount County Dispatch to report it. The non-emergency dispatch number is (865)983-3620.  

Many people are not on social media, so we are asking you to PLEASE share this information with your loved ones and friends who may not be plugged into social media.

Original source can be found here