Scammers are reportedly making phone calls to locals claiming to be Northampton Sheriff David Doughty
Sheriff David L. Doughty, Jr. would like to remind residents that Northampton County Sheriff's Office will not be calling to request bond payments or your personal information over the phone. Recently, several Northampton County residents have received calls from what appears to be the Sheriff's Office number who are advised that they failed to report for a federal court summons and therefore need to pay a bond to avoid being arrested. The Sheriff's Office number is being spoofed and the call is not really from the Sheriff's Office. Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Some of the calls threaten arrest if payment if not made over the phone. HANG UP. No law enforcement office is going to collect money over the phone for failing to appear or to avoid arrest.
If you receive a call from someone and you want to make sure it is legitimate, hang up and call back a publicly published number or the number on your statements. Do not provide your personal or financial information over the phone. To learn more about this and other scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission website at www.ftc.gov.
Sheriff Doughty urges residents to be cautious with phone calls of people asking for money or personal information. If you believe you've been a victim, contact Northampton County Sheriff's Office at 757-678-0458