Sheriff and commissioners warn residents about phone scams using spoofed sheriff’s numbers and Bitcoin-machine fraud

Commissioner Gilbert and the sheriff warned Bradley County residents to be cautious about phone and Bitcoin scams after a constituent reported that callers impersonated the sheriff’s office and instructed a resident to purchase Bitcoin.

During district reports Commissioner Gilbert described a recent case in which his stepson received a call that appeared to come from the Bradley County Sheriff's Office and was pressured to buy $1,500 in Bitcoin. “My stepson got a call the other day and it was by Bradley County Sheriff's Office. It showed up as his numb as the officer's number... He was scared to death that they sent him to the store to put $1,500 in Bitcoin in a Bitcoin machine,” Gilbert said.

The sheriff told commissioners the department has worked with Bitcoin-machine operators to post warning signs and that residents should call the sheriff’s office before putting money into such machines if they receive a suspicious call. “If you get any calls by the sheriff's office, they to be sure and call us before we put anything in those machine,” the sheriff said. The sheriff added that the county regularly issues public releases to warn about the scams.

Gilbert and the sheriff said the scams are sophisticated and can appear to come from local phone numbers; they urged residents to hang up and verify calls directly with official offices. The sheriff said the department receives calls from residents who have already sent money and that staff work to recover funds when possible.

Speakers on this topic included Commissioner Gilbert and the Sheriff. No formal action was taken; the item was a public-safety advisory arising during commissioner reports.