Recently, Deputy J.E. Cordes has handled a few attempted scam reports. The scammer claims to be Lieutenant Brooks with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office advising a family member was in a serious car accident. In order to prevent their relative from being arrested on felony offenses, they demand the victim to send money.

Luckily, in each case handled by Deputy Cordes, the victims did not take the caller’s word. Many hung up and directly called the Sheriff’s Office. One victim even called the family member supposedly involved and confirmed there was no auto accident.

Lieutenant Brooks is not a real member of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. Scams like these, and the well-known missed jury duty scam, want the victim to act quickly under threat of being arrested. If you are ever unsure about the person on the other end of a call being a deputy or not, hang up and call the Sheriff’s Office directly at 540-658-4450.