Houston County Police Impersonation Scams Spike as Criminals Target Residents

Sophisticated Scammers Use Technology to Deceive Victims

Houston County Sheriff's office says it's seeing an increase in police scam calls and text, making demands and threatening arrest. These fraudsters have perfected their approach, using advanced technology to make their deception more convincing than ever before.

"They're using some app on the phone that can conceal the number or change the number they're calling from to make it look like it's coming from the sheriff's office," explained Sheriff Matt Moulton. One thing I hear from victims is they're very believable. When they talk to them, they put that fear of being arrested in them, and that they're very convincing.

Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton says these callers will claim you have warrants, missed court or owe a fine. He says they will demand immediate payment through apps, grift cards or crypto to avoid arrest. The scammers capitalize on fear and urgency, pressuring victims to act quickly before they can think clearly about the situation.

Law Enforcement Makes Arrests in Growing Criminal Network

Sheriff Moulton says Houston County has recently made two arrests connected to scam callers demanding money. "We just recently made an arrest on a case, and there was a total of nine warrants signed for nine different individuals that were involved in this scam," he revealed.

The mastermind behind it is currently serving time in the Georgia state prison. So, he will be charged with that as well. A female was arrested as well. This discovery highlights how these criminal operations often extend beyond individual scammers to organized networks that can operate even from behind bars.

Moulton said most of the calls originate from overseas; The office has tracked calls to Kenya and the Middle East. Domestic scam calls most likely come from the prison system. However, one case was traced to Atlanta, where the victim lost $22,000.

Red Flags That Reveal the Scam

Understanding how legitimate law enforcement operates can protect you from these schemes. Moulton says no law enforcement agency will ever call to inform you of a warrant, missing jury duty or unpaid traffic citations. If someone has an arrest warrant, deputies will make contact in person. The Houston County Sheriff's Office, nor any other law enforcement agency, will ever contact someone and tell them that they have a warrant for their arrest.

We just don't do that, and we will never ask for any type of payment or fine payment over the telephone. We'll never ask you to go and purchase Bitcoin or any other type of crypto currency to make an electronic transfer of a fine amount. These payment methods are particularly favored by scammers because they're difficult to trace and recover.

Moulton said the elderly are a common target and scammers will often use social media to find legitimate representatives to impersonate. Moulton said his name has been used, and Sgt. Joe Middlebrooks has been a common "caller" as well.

Protecting Yourself and Your Community

If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from law enforcement, tell them not to confirm or provide any financial information. Don't ever give anyone your social security number, so be very careful not to be victimized by that. Instead, hang up and contact the agency directly using an official phone number.

A lot of times when people realize they've been scammed, they're embarrassed, but we need that information. If you believe you're a victim of a scam caller, contact your local law enforcement. Reporting these incidents helps authorities track patterns and potentially prevent others from falling victim to the same schemes.

The rise in these scams reflects both the increasing sophistication of criminal operations and their global reach. As technology makes it easier for fraudsters to disguise their identities and locations, community awareness becomes the strongest defense against these predatory tactics targeting vulnerable residents.