Warrant scam circulating in Smith County

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has recently been made aware of another warrant scam in the area. The Department said in a news brief, that the fraud had been attempted with several phone calls to citizens on Friday. involves involves several phone calls that have been received by several Smith County citizens this morning. The caller is identifying himself as Sgt. Larry Christian with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. In one particular instance, the caller informed the victim that she failed to show up for a court date and she needed to post a $2,500 surety bond.

The caller instructed the victim to stay on the line as she drove toward the Sheriff’s Office. However, the victim’s husband was able to intercede and the caller disconnected. It is likely the caller would have instructed her to obtain a money order or similar payment method. Authorities are reminding the public that the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, or any law enforcement agency, will never call an individual and request cash or monetary payment for any criminal offense or warrant. Also, do not provide anyone with debit/credit card numbers or personal information such as Social Security numbers, birth-dates or driver’s license numbers over the phone. The only time you should ever provide this information is if the call was initiated by you and it is to a known individual.

It appears that the motive for this scam is monetary in nature, however, the possibility exists that physical harm could arise if a victim were to meet with these scammers. If you receive a phone call such as this, simply hang up and call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 566-6600 or the local law enforcement agency within your jurisdiction.