Law enforcement puts out warning after local falls victim to scammers

Local law enforcement is reminding folks about not falling victim to scammers, especially after a local was scammed out of thousands of dollars.

According to a report from the Hopkinsville Police Department, scammers were able to steal $4,500 from the victim on Monday by posing as a Christian County Sheriff’s deputy over the phone. That incident is being investigated as first-degree unlawful access to a computer.

The Sheriff’s Office made a post on social media recently, urging people not to fall for these scammers. They may claim that you’ve missed jury duty, or have an outstanding warrant, or owe fines that must be paid immediately to avoid an arrest. That urgency can frighten victims into going against their better judgement and make payments using gift cards, cryptocurrency or other electronic payment methods.

The Christian County Sheriff’s Department, and other law enforcement agencies, will never call and demand payment over the phone, much less via gift cards, payment apps, or any other electronic payment method.

If you’re ever unsure of if a call is legit, hang up, and contact the Sheriff’s Office yourself using the official phone number.