PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging the public to be on alert to recent phone scams occurring in Pinellas County.
The suspects are calling Pinellas County residents and identifying as a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office employee.
According to deputies, a suspect called citizens and identified himself as “Captain Matthews or Sergeant Adler.” After identifying themselves as a fictitious Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office employee, the suspect informed the citizen that they had outstanding warrants due to missing a court date. The suspect then instructs the victim to obtain gift cards to pay the fine or send money via Zelle.
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The suspect spoofed their phone number to appear as (727) 582-6200, the non-emergency phone number of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. They then requested the victim to call (727) 310-0480. Multiple incidents recently have occurred where Pinellas County citizens have been targeted using this scam.