The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to residents after a scammer impersonating a sheriff’s lieutenant targeted at least one local resident with threats of arrest unless money was paid immediately, according to investigators.
The victim reported receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, who warned that an arrest was imminent unless a payment reaching into the thousands of dollars was made right away, said BCSO Capt. Stephen Arthur. What made the call especially convincing, Arthur said, was that the caller appeared to already know personal details about the victim, including their birthday, home address and the type of vehicle they owned.
Rather than requesting a wire transfer or cash payment, the scammer instructed the victim to purchase prepaid gift cards and then read the card numbers aloud over the phone, allowing the fraudster to drain the funds remotely. In an added twist, the caller told the victim to mail the physical cards to the address of the Baldwin County Circuit Clerk’s Office, apparently to lend false legitimacy to the scheme.
Circuit Clerk Jody Campbell said her office has never requested prepaid cards from residents and confirmed the calls were fraudulent. “This is obviously a scam being perpetrated on area residents,” Campbell said.
Sheriff’s officials said the tactic mirrors a wider pattern of impersonation scams that have targeted communities across the country, in which callers pose as law enforcement or court officials and use the threat of immediate arrest to pressure victims before they have time to verify the claim independently. Investigators emphasized that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not resolve warrants or fines over the phone through gift card payments.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone who believes they have been targeted by the scheme, or who receives a similar call, to contact the agency directly rather than following any instructions given by the caller. Deputies said early reporting helps investigators track the scope of the scam and warn other residents before more people are victimized.
Sheriff’s officials noted that verifying any unexpected call claiming to be from law enforcement by hanging up and calling the agency’s published non-emergency number remains the most reliable way for residents to protect themselves from similar impersonation attempts.