DOVER, NH — The Strafford County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a surge in scam calls and emails targeting people in attempts to collect money.
The sheriff’s office said it has been contacted over the last couple days by many people within Strafford County who have received calls and emails claiming they have warrants for their arrest and demanding payment be made via gift cards, credit cards and cryptocurrency.
The scammers have been using names of former and current employees of the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, according to the alert.
They have started to provide AI-generated documents that are “official looking” if recipients are not familiar with legal paperwork, the sheriff’s office said.
A deputy sheriff will never contact someone demanding immediate payment in cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency for a court-related matter or to resolve a warrant, according to the sheriff’s office.
Anyone who doubts the legitimacy of such contacts is urged to call the sheriff’s office Dispatch Center at 603-742-4968 to verify if it is a deputy and to get in touch with one.
