The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office would like to alert the public to a scam involving individuals who pose as members of law enforcement and threaten arrest if payment is not made using gift cards.

The Sheriff’s Office has recently received multiple reports from residents advising that they received calls from scammers pretending to be deputies with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. In some cases, the Caller ID falsely shows that the call comes from the Sheriff’s Office. Residents have lost thousands of dollars due to these scams.

Detectives would like to remind the public that law enforcement will not request payment to resolve investigations. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office, or any other law enforcement agency, and asking for money, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information.

In addition, please remember that gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who demands payment by gift card is a scammer.

Those who believe they may be a victim of a scam are asked to immediately report their suspicions to the Sheriff’s Office at (540) 658-4400.