Sheriff's Office Impersonation Scam Warning

McDowell County residents are being warned about a phone scam currently circulating in our area.

Scammers are contacting individuals claiming to be with the Sheriff’s Office out of Burke County, telling victims they missed a federal court date and will be arrested unless they immediately pay a fine. The callers are even using the names of real law enforcement officers to sound convincing.

Let’s be very clear:

Law enforcement will NOT call you to demand payment to avoid arrest.

You will NOT be asked to pay fines over the phone, through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or payment apps.

And no, you can’t “clear a warrant” with a Venmo transaction.

If you receive one of these calls:

Hang up immediately

Do not provide personal or financial information

Report the incident to your local law enforcement agency

If you ever have doubts about a call claiming to be from law enforcement, you can contact our office directly at (828) 652-2235.