A woman from Fulton County said she lost $9,000 to a scam involving criminals impersonating sheriff’s deputies, highlighting a growing trend of such schemes.
The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, was contacted by a man claiming to be Lt. Christopher Butler from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, she told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden.
The caller provided a badge number and informed her that she had missed federal jury duty, leading to a supposed arrest warrant.
“Embarrassed, humiliated, humbled, because I thought I would never fall for such a ridiculous thing,” the victim said.
Natalie Ammons from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office stated, “No one from the Sheriff’s Office is ever going to call you and tell you that you missed jury duty and that there’s a warrant for your arrest and we will never ask you for money.”
During the seven-hour call, the victim received several fake documents, including an arrest warrant and a “mobile escort order,” which instructed her to stay on the phone until the matter was resolved or face immediate arrest.
The scammer directed her to withdraw cash from her bank and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine at a Citgo in Doraville.
It was only after visiting the sheriff’s office that she realized she had been deceived.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating dozens of similar cases, noting that such scams tend to increase around the holidays.
The victim is attempting to recover her money, but her bank has indicated there may be little they can do since she withdrew the cash herself.
The Sheriff’s Office continues to warn residents about the scam.
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