DENVER, CO — A former investigative reporter says a phone call that looked official nearly pulled her in before one small detail gave it away. The caller said he was a sergeant with a local sheriff’s department, gave a name and badge number, and claimed he needed to talk about a legal matter.
The exchange felt believable enough to raise her heart rate, especially because he knew her name and sounded confident. But the call turned suspicious when he identified the agency as the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, which is not the correct name of the office. That mistake sent her checking instead of staying on the line.
Why the Adams County call sounded real at first
The caller used several details that can make a scam sound legitimate. He volunteered a name and badge number, used a serious tone, and referred to a vague legal problem. He also knew the caller’s name, which can make a person assume the call must be connected to something real.
The reporter said that combination was unsettling even with her background covering police and courts in the Denver metro area. She has spent years reporting from crime scenes, trials, and interviews with officers, yet the call still caught her off guard. The experience shows how quickly a well-constructed impersonation can create confusion before a person has time to think clearly.
The red flag was the agency name itself
The detail that made the difference was simple: the caller named the wrong agency. He said he was from the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, but the real office is the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. That small mismatch was enough to break the illusion…