BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — The Blount County Sheriff's Office is warning the public to beware of a caller pretending to be one of their deputies.
They said the caller has already had one victim. The caller told the woman she had missed a court date and she owed $500, according to a post on social media, and he went on to say that if she did not pay the fine, she would be arrested.
The woman paid the fake fine, according to Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong.
Sheriff Berrong went on to say that the number on the caller ID matched the Sheriff's Office number and claimed to be "Sgt. Brooks." He said criminals can use digital technology to spoof legitimate phone numbers, making their calls seem more legitimate.
Berrong goes on to state that Blount County does not have a Sgt. Brooks and while they do routinely call citizens regarding business, they will not call an individual saying they have a warrant, unpaid fines, are in contempt of court or are missing jury duty. They will also never call to ask for money or harass an individual about missing a court date.
The department asked that if anyone ever suspects they are being scammed, they should call the non-emergency number at Blount County Dispatch to report it.
The non-emergency dispatch number is (865) 983-3620. They can also reach out to the sheriff's office on their Facebook page.