PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A little over a week after officials in Prince William County warned residents of a tax scam making its way across the county, they are now alerting them of a different one.
The Prince William County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday that a phone scam, which involved impersonating an officer, had happened in the county.
The sheriff's office was alerted of this on Tuesday when they saw a post in a Facebook group. The post stated that a scammer called a resident claiming to be Jim Hall from the sheriff's office and that the caller has missed jury duty.
The scammer informed the person that since they had missed jury duty they owed $4,000 and had to drive to the county's sheriff's office to avoid being arrested. The person also said the money owed needed to be in cash.
The person who answered the phone reported to the incident to Prince William County Police.
"These scammers, claiming to be members of the Sheriff's Office, use unregistered phone numbers and caller ID with masking/spoofing technology to make the call appear as if it's coming from a Prince William County Government phone number," authorities said. "The scammers are requesting payment to avoid incarceration."
Deputies are asking for people to be aware of these scammers and also know that Jim Hall is not employed with them, and also that they do not make calls to collect fines from people in the community.
Last week, citizens reported receiving a scam distraint warrant letter from the "Tax Processing Unit" for Prince William County. The letters claim that the person owes money to the government.
“Prince William County Tax Administration would like to let anyone who receives this letter know we did not send it and to disregard it," the county said in a statement.
The sheriff's office said if a person thinks they might be a victim of a scam, they should report the incident online at www.pwcgov.org/policereport or call 703-792-6500.