Bexar County Warns Residents of Elaborate Phone Scam Costing Victims Thousands

Sophisticated Scammers Target San Antonio Area Residents

Phone scammers are terrorizing Bexar County residents with increasingly sophisticated schemes that have cost victims tens of thousands of dollars. Recent cases include a woman who lost $22,500 and another who was scammed out of $25,000 , as fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials to exploit people's fear of arrest.

The scammers claim to be captains with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and tell residents there is an active warrant for their arrest or that they owe money to law enforcement . In one case, a 64-year-old woman was told she would be arrested for "failing to appear in a federal summons" unless she paid a fine, and was coerced to drive to multiple convenience store locations to input money into machines that convert payments to bitcoin .

The scams have evolved to include high-tech deception tactics. Scammers now send QR codes directing victims to Zoom calls where they believe they're speaking with a judge, though the person's face isn't shown, and victims receive fake legal documents featuring their names that look like real arrest warrants .

Multiple Schemes Targeting Different Vulnerabilities

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has warned residents about an increase in scams primarily related to jury duty, with multiple incidents where residents were scammed out of thousands of dollars by suspects posing as Bexar County deputies . In recent cases, scammers identifying themselves as "Wade" and "Captain Wine" told victims they missed federal jury duty and needed to pay fines of $100,000 through Bitcoin, sending fake federal arrest warrants and documents falsely signed by the governor .

Another variation targets families of recently incarcerated individuals at the Bexar County Jail, with scammers impersonating sheriff's office personnel and demanding payments for inmate release, posing as deputies, detectives, sergeants, lieutenants, or captains requesting payment via phone, cash app, or Apple Pay . One scammer impersonated a non-existent Captain Ferguson, promoting a fake bail bond program and demanding approximately $2,000 through Zelle or Cash App, falsely promising case expungement within six months .

Red Flags and Protection Strategies

The scammers use sophisticated technology to make their calls appear legitimate, with caller ID showing "Bexar County Sheriff's Office" and spoofed numbers that ring at the courthouse . Victims report being held on the phone for nearly an hour while scammers use intimidating language including "arrest warrant," "federal jury trial," and "gag order" .

Sheriff officials emphasize that the Bexar County Sheriff's Office will never call to inform residents of a warrant, discuss a fine, or ask them to visit multiple locations to pay a fine with bitcoin . Arrest warrants can only be cleared by going in person to the Bexar County Jail or the Courthouse, not by paying through an ATM or cryptocurrency deposit .

Community Response and Prevention

Anyone who receives a suspicious call is urged to hang up immediately, avoid giving any personal information, and report it to Bexar County Sheriff's Office dispatch at (210) 335-6000 . Sheriff Salazar has proposed posting warning signs at cryptocurrency ATMs to alert people that if they're on the phone with someone claiming to be law enforcement, they should not use the machine and should hang up immediately .

The frequency and sophistication of these scams represent a growing threat to community safety and financial security. As scammers continue to refine their tactics and exploit new technologies, residents must remain vigilant and remember that legitimate law enforcement agencies never demand immediate payment over the phone to resolve legal issues.