Scam Alert: Man impersonating Pinellas County Sheriff’s captain in attempt to get money

Cover photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Alachua County | Flickr

A recent phone scam has the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office encouraging the public to be on high alert, as a suspect is calling residents in Pinellas County and falsely identifying themselves as a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office employee.

According to a release shared 3 days ago by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, a suspect called a citizen and identified himself as “Captain Somers”. After identifying themselves as a fictitious Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office employee, the suspect informed the citizen that they had two outstanding warrants due to missing jury duty. The suspect then told the citizen that they would need to pay $3,000 through Zelle or Venmo to settle the issue.

The suspect called from (727) 614-8182. There have been multiple incidents recently where Pinellas County citizens have been targeted using this scam.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office wants the public to know that they will NEVER call citizens requesting money over the telephone, and will never ask for banking information to wire money. They advise citizens to not give personal information or account information over the phone and to call the Sheriff's Office to report any suspicious activity.

If anyone has information on this scam or has become a victim, they are asked to call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at (727) 582-6200.