Florida law enforcement agencies warn of rise in scams, callers impersonating officers
ORLANDO, Fla. - Law enforcement agencies in Florida are warning locals to be aware of a rise in fraudulent activity, where scammers are said to be impersonating officers.
What are the law enforcement scams?
The backstory:
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office and the Lake County Sheriff's Office have shared warning messages on their social media pages.
Deputies in Flagler County said they received a report as recently as Wednesday, where a person received multiple calls from someone who had spoofed the office's main number.
Sheriffs stated the callers claimed to be Flagler County deputies named Lt. Neil Donahue and Sgt. Mark Wilson, neither of whom are real employees.
What they're saying:
The Florida law enforcement agencies have emphasized they will never call to say they have an active arrest warrant. They also said they would never ask for money to avoid the arrest.
What we don't know:
The FOX 35 news team has reached out to other local agencies to see if similar activities have been reported.
At this time, FOX 35 is unsure of exactly how many incidents have occurred.
What you can do:
People that believe they are victims of a scam should contact their local law enforcement agency to report the crime immediately.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for more updates.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office and the Lake County Sheriff's Office.