Guilford County Sheriff Alerts Residents to Deputy Impersonation Phone Scam

The Guilford County Sheriff's Office issued a public warning about a phone scam in which criminals impersonate deputies and pressure residents to pay money to avoid arrest, a scheme that has grown disruptive enough to flood the actual Court Services office with confused return calls every day.

The scam involves callers claiming to be with Guilford County Court Services or a fraudulent "Pre-Trial Services," using technology to make the call appear to originate from the legitimate Court Services phone number, 336-641-2674. The spoofing creates a second layer of confusion: when residents miss the scam call and try to call back, they are often connected to the actual Court Services office, and staff there now report receiving multiple calls each day from citizens attempting to return calls from scammers.

In many cases, victims who answer are told they missed a court date, failed to appear for jury duty, or have an outstanding warrant. The caller then demands an immediate payment to avoid arrest. In at least one prior instance, a scammer specifically referenced the name of Guilford County District Court Judge Brian Tomlin, falsely claiming Tomlin had issued an order for the victim's arrest and imposed a $2,000 fine, illustrating how far these callers go to manufacture legitimacy. Officials warn that scammers may invoke the names of real law enforcement officers or government agencies to make their calls seem credible.

The sheriff's office is unequivocal on one point: neither the sheriff's office nor Court Services will ever call and demand money over the phone. Sheriff Danny Rogers has previously stated, "We will never call you demanding money," and affirmed the office would never request payment by debit card, credit card, gift card, wire transfer, cash, Venmo, Apple Pay, Bitcoin, or any other form of payment, nor ask for Social Security numbers, bank account information, or personal details over the phone.

The sheriff's office outlined five steps to protect against the scam. Do not send money to anyone claiming to be from law enforcement or Court Services. Be cautious of callers who demand immediate payment or threaten arrest. Do not provide personal or financial information to unsolicited callers. If the call seems suspicious, hang up immediately. Verify any claim by contacting the Guilford County Sheriff's Office directly.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of the scam is encouraged to report it by calling the non-emergency line at 336-373-2222. Residents who want to independently verify a court date, warrant status, or jury summons should also contact the sheriff's office through that same number rather than returning any missed call from 336-641-2674, which scammers have made their preferred spoofed number.

One Guilford County resident who nearly fell victim described the spoofed caller ID as the detail that almost convinced her: "It was the sheriff's office number," she said. "It throws you off. You're not really processing everything all at once." The scammers passed her from one fake officer to another, with one repeatedly using "10-4" to sound more convincing. She ultimately hung up and verified the call was fraudulent by contacting the real sheriff's office directly.