A Fort Bend County school worker lost $50,000 in savings after scammers spoofed the Sheriff's Office caller ID and threatened her with arrest.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told FOX 26 Houston in a report published Thursday, Sept. 10, that the caller claimed she had missed a federal jury summons and was being held in contempt of court. He already had her address, birthday and Social Security number.
The scammers then texted fake arrest warrants, official-looking legal codes and a bogus "gag order" forbidding her from hanging up or talking to anyone else.
Fearing she would be jailed before she could pick up her daughter from school, the woman followed the caller's instructions. She visited multiple bank branches to withdraw cash, left her phone unmuted in her car as directed and drove to local cryptocurrency kiosks. With the caller guiding her through earbuds, she deposited the $50,000 into a Bitcoin ATM across several transactions.
The scheme fell apart only when she drove to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office in person to submit handwriting samples. She approached the building. The scammers hung up.
How the scam worked
Sgt. William Dading of the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said an organized crime ring used internet phone technology to make the call appear to come from the agency's real number. The perpetrators also used actual names of law enforcement officers to sound credible, according to KHOU.
Dading said the callers rely on isolation and fear. They keep victims on the line for hours, warning that hanging up means immediate arrest. Once money goes into a cryptocurrency wallet, he said, it is nearly impossible to trace or recover.
"We will never call you and let you know that you have a warrant for your arrest," Dading said. "We will not say that you need to go withdraw X amount of dollars and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM machine."
Sheriff launches 'Scam Sunday' campaign
In response, the Sheriff's Office is launching a "Scam Sunday" public education campaign to alert residents about emerging scam tactics. Sheriff Eric Fagan said in a news release that scammers deliberately create fear and urgency to keep people from questioning what they are told. He said the agency will never demand money to resolve a warrant or avoid arrest.
The agency is also warning about a bail bond variant. In that version, callers claim a family member was arrested and needs immediate payment through Zelle, Cash App, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
No arrests have been reported in connection with the $50,000 case.
Prior scam alerts in the area
The scam pattern is familiar in the Missouri City and Stafford area. The Stafford Police Department warned residents in January 2023 that callers were spoofing the department's phone number and claiming people had warrants. In August 2023, the department issued a second alert after multiple residents reported a caller posing as an officer named "Grant Rainey."
A Fort Bend MUD 149 resident alert published July 24 cited both the Texas Attorney General's Office and the Sheriff's Office in warning that scammers use threats of arrest, fake government claims and requests for payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
The victim told FOX 26 she is now relying on friends and family to get by.
Residents who receive a suspicious call claiming to be from law enforcement should hang up immediately and call the agency directly using the number listed on its official website.
