The Tom Green County Sheriff's Office is advising the public to be aware of recent telephone scams in which individuals posing as county or law enforcement officials attempt to collect or extort money. 

In an attempt to add credibility to their schemes, these individuals may represent themselves as attorneys, judges, or law enforcement officers.   In some recent complaints, individuals have spoofed local phone numbers, meaning that their phone numbers appear to be coming from a legitimate entity.  

The calls have included threats to show up at the intended victim's home if the person does not pay money for "legal fees", "court fees", or other fines related to law enforcement.  

These fraudulent callers often target the elderly.   We encourage the public to be alert for such scams and to safeguard family members against such scams by being alert to the matter.  

Safety tips to employ include:

• Never trust caller ID alone, the displayed telephone number may be manipulated.
• Always consider sending unsolicited or unknown phone calls to voicemail Many scam call centers will not leave a message. 
• Never click on links contained in unsolicited emails or text messages. The links may route you to fake websites or deploy malicious software.
• Protect your personal and financial information. Never provide this information in response to unsolicited text messages, emails or social media posts claiming to be a government agency.  

These calls are difficult to track and are commonly found to originate in countries other than the United States.     The prevention of such crimes is the most effective way to mitigate their effect.