Dayton, Ohio – A rise in phone scams impersonating the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is prompting renewed warnings to residents across the county.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, scammers are calling individuals while falsely claiming to be sheriff’s employees, sometimes using the real names of deputies or staff to appear legitimate. The calls often allege that the recipient has an outstanding arrest warrant or missed jury duty, or that a loved one is in jail and needs immediate payment to secure release or change custody status.
Officials say some scams involve callers instructing victims to withdraw cash, deposit money into Bitcoin or cryptocurrency machines, or send payments through apps such as Cash App. In other cases, scammers contact family members of incarcerated individuals, falsely claiming they can alter an inmate’s custody or sentence in exchange for payment.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that it will never call or text individuals claiming they have a warrant, threaten arrest over the phone, demand immediate payment to avoid arrest, request cryptocurrency or app-based payments, or ask for money related to someone in jail through a phone call or payment app.
Residents are urged to hang up immediately if they receive such a call and not to send money or cryptocurrency under any circumstances. Officials recommend verifying any claim directly by contacting law enforcement using an official phone number, not one provided by the caller.
Victims or targeted individuals are encouraged to report scam attempts to local law enforcement and to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov/complaint.
The warning is particularly relevant for young adults, students, and working commuters, who are often targeted during daytime hours when scam calls are most active.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says public awareness remains the most effective defense as scammers continue to adapt their tactics.
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