HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is sounding the alarm about a dramatic increase in scams targeting older adults in the area. Since the beginning of 2025, scammers have swindled over $1 million from residents through various deceptive tactics.
These scams often involve jury summons, warrants, failure to appear notices, and fraudulent PayPal or social media schemes. Scammers typically use high-pressure tactics, creating a sense of urgency and fear to convince victims to make immediate payments. They may even impersonate law enforcement officials or legitimate businesses, using spoofed phone numbers to appear credible.
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“These scammers are preying on our residents’ trust and using fear tactics to steal their hard-earned money. Let me be clear—we will not stand for this,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “We are aggressively investigating these cases, working with our partners to track down these criminals, and ensuring they are held accountable.”
Common Scam Tactics:
- Demanding immediate payment: Scammers often pressure victims to pay quickly using unconventional methods like gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Threatening arrest: They may threaten arrest or legal action if payments aren’t made immediately.
- Requesting personal information: Scammers may ask for sensitive information like Social Security numbers, bank account details, or passwords.
- Impersonating officials: They may pose as law enforcement officers, court officials, or representatives from legitimate businesses.
Protecting Yourself:
- Be skeptical: If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and verify the information independently.
- Never give out personal information: Don’t provide sensitive information over the phone or online unless you initiate the contact and are certain of the recipient’s identity.
- Don’t pay under pressure: Legitimate organizations will not demand immediate payment or threaten arrest.
- Report scams: If you believe you have been targeted by a scam, report it to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200 and the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sheriff Chronister urges residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to help protect themselves and others from falling victim to these scams.
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